Catatonic

Chapters

IT'S ME
IT'S ME
IT'S ME
IT'S ME
IT'S ME
IT'S ME

IT'S ME

The torrential rain poured down on the town of Ponyville, glows of light flickering as lightning struck nearby. The stranger walked through the silent town, a basic cloth covering his flank. Looking around, he smiled, illuminated by another lightning strike. Once more grabbing the large potato bag in his mouth, he began dragging it.

Once arriving at the local fast food restaurant, he opened the bag, exposing the object to the rain. Pulling it out, he placed it right in front of the doors. Picking up the potato bag, he turned, walking away. He stopped, looking at the five figures in the rain. There was one missing, he looked behind him to find her.

“This ends here!” Unable to see which one had spoke, he turned back toward the main group, and sniggered. Raising his head to the sky, he began to laugh uncontrollably. After a long time, the five ponies shared a look, giving him the opening he needed. Diving into a nearby alleyway, he broke into a run, the flying one hot in pursuit.

“You’re not getting away!” The voice was close, and getting closer. Still, he sniggered, grin reaching both sides of his face. Turning a corner sharply, he hugged it. The flying one flew right by him, and he dived into another side street. Galloping down it, he dived between two houses as the six emerged onto the street.

“We can’t lose him! Dash, get an aerial view.” Opening the basement window hatch quickly, he jumped inside, closing it quietly behind him. Looking around the basement, his smile grew once more. Sneaking into one corner, he hid, trying to keep his laughing from making any sound.

“Keep looking! We can’t lose him!” The voices grew fainter and fainter, and his smile remained painted on his face. Standing up, he walked over to some spray cans. Shaking one, he began to work. Soon enough, he was covered in it, and no longer his signature color. Turning, he opened the door leading into the house, trying to keep his sniggers quiet.

“Twilight, he’s gone, we’re tired.” Hovering weakly in the air, Rainbow Dash gave a large yawn. Growling, Twilight kicked at a rock, and sighed, ears flopping down. Every single time, how was this pony doing this? It was infuriating, they had been so close each time. Making a mental note, she strove to remember that there was a back alleyway.

“Hey, at least we have a description now. A purple Earth pony. That’ll be hard to miss.” Landing, Dash gave another yawn, and Twilight looked to her friends, giving a weak smile.

“You’re right about one thing though, we need to sleep. I’ll pass what we found onto Celestia’s Guards, and get some shuteye myself.” Giving a large yawn, Twilight flared her wings, taking off in the direction of the crime scene.

It was a sad sight, the black bag that covered the corpse of a pony. Looking away, Twilight couldn’t help but notice the fear on the faces around her. There was very few places to get a meal quickly in Ponyville, and this was by far the most popular.

’If we don’t find him soon, Equestria might fall into panic…’ Sighing, she looked around for the head guard, and walked over.

“Princess Twilight, what brings you here?” The guard had a black coat, and his armor covered his Cutie Mark from view. Giving a salute, he glanced to the other guards.

“We were watching the building last night when the murderer came by. We chased him, but we lost sight of him. It was hard to make out features in the rain, but he was definitely purple in color.” Looking around, another thought occurred to her.

“Come to think of it, why were there no guards around?” Tilting her head, Twilight waited for an answer.

“Purple you say…” The guard rubbed his chin, seemingly deep in thought.

“Around midnight, there was a short window where we were changing guards. If what you say is true, we are going to have to ensure at least 1 guard is on duty here 24 hours a day. Thank you for the valuable information.” Giving a salute, the guard walked over to those on duty. Looking at them, Twilight wondered why they had four guards on duty at the same time. Shrugging it off, she turned, heading home to sleep.

“Hopefully that’s enough to at least stop him in his tracks. Hopefully he doesn’t move on again.” Rubbing her eyes, she sighed. Too many innocent had died, justice had to be done.

“I-I’m home,” stuttered Fluttershy, gently closing the door. Angel was the first to greet her, along with a second pony. Gray in color, but wearing a purple outfit. Giving a warm smile, he offered a hoof, taking her bags.

“Welcome home. How did the hunt go?” Placing the bags in the kitchen, he began brewing some tea. Humming a merry tune, he stopped suddenly, and gave a small shudder. Starting a different tune a moment later, his cheerful disposition returned.

“W-We ran into the p-pony, but he got away. He was a purple Earth pony.” Walking over to the table, Fluttershy took a seat, watching as the tea was served. The stallion took a sip of his drink, eyes growing cold and distant for a moment.

“Purple huh?”

“You’re late,” spoke a gray pony sitting by a phone. The second pony, a slightly lighter gray, gave a sheepish smile as began putting on his work uniform, getting ready for his job.

“Sorry, they wouldn’t let me in the building from the front because of another murder.” Placing the hat on his head, the lighter gray pony clipped on a name-tag, with the words ‘Hello, my name is Fritz’ on it.

“Yeah Yeah, same as last time. Leave five minutes earlier or I might have to lay you off. Customers have been waiting.” Pointing toward the front desk, they both could see the fearful line of ponies looking to get a quick meal.

“I’m on it PG.”

IT'S ME

“Luna, we have news from Twilight.” Walking into her sister’s room after a polite knock, Celestia held out the letter. Rubbing sleep out of her eyes, Luna began to skim it, before slamming awake and giving it a second read.

“So we can confirm the killer is a purple colt. Does this help your search sister?” Raising her head, Luna looked to Celestia, who gave a nod.

“Thankfully, yes. There aren’t that many purple ponies born in Equestria, it allows me to greatly reduce the amount of names I will have to search. Hopefully we can find his family.” Sighing, Celestia rubbed her temple. While neither of them had been getting much sleep, Celestia couldn’t help but worry there was more she could be doing.

“Sister, do not worry, we will apprehend him. Surely your records will lead us to the current name of our killer, yes?” Standing up, Luna held out the letter, which Celestia took.

“I hope so Luna. Too many have suffered already. What sort of leader am I, if I cannot protect my subjects?” Closing her eyes, Celestia leaned into the hug Luna offered, and the two shared a quiet moment.

“You are a leader that is trying their best, and that is all we can both do.” Looking toward the tinted window, Luna sighed.

“Still no luck in his dreams either?” Stepping back, Celestia gave a sad smile.

“I have found him, however upon entering his dreams, it was incredibly abhorrent. I am having trouble…stomaching his fantasies enough to give him nightmares.” Luna grimaced, dismayed at herself for being unable to handle a simple dream.

“Don’t stress yourself too much, Luna. Dreams are close to the waking mind. If you get in too deep, he may drag you down with him.” Sighing, Celestia also looked to the window. If they could just find out one critical piece of information…

“Nay sister, if this is the single thing I can do that others cannot that may bring us a lead, then I must do so. For those that have suffered by his hooves.” Narrowing her eyes, Luna looked to Celestia.

“Are you sure that this pony could not have dyed his coat so as to elude suspicion?” Raising an eyebrow, Luna wanted to ensure this option had been explored.

“Twilight mentioned it was raining. Most dyes and paint are water dissolvable. You know, since Pegasi make sure the weather is always clear on days that might otherwise need it not to be.” Holding the letter up slightly, Celestia smiled.

“This means if we keep it raining for two weeks nonstop, we might be able to smoke him out due to the change in his normal pattern.” It was a long shot, but well worth it. Celestia folded up the letter, putting it away.

“I shall do my best on my end as well sister. If I am able to fill his dreams with nightmares, we may force him into a stupid decision yet.” Nodding, Luna swore to herself that she would enter his dream tonight, regardless of what she saw.

“Then you should get some rest. I wish you the best of luck tonight.” Embracing for a quick moment, Celestia lent her heart out to her sister. Turning, she stepped out of the room, and quietly closed the door. Sadly, a kingdom did not run itself. Luna slipped once more into her blankets, knowing sleep was something she would most definitely need.

“So it really is him,” spoke one guard, brown in color. Looking to the others, his eyes focused on the chief. The black pony sighed, giving a nod.

“He jus’ ‘on’t stay ‘ead, will ‘e?” A dusty orange pony shook his head, rubbing one eye uncomfortably.

“What are we gonna do then? What if they come after me?” The purple pony with a whiter underside, glanced to the four nervously.

“We’ve got an alibi for you. Don’t worry, they’re not going to arrest every single pony with a purple coloration. Hopefully.” The buttercup yellow pony was the only female of the group, and her blonde hair stood out like a sore thumb compared to her much darker colored friends.

“I’m sure ‘Music Box’ over here has a plan.” All turned their heads toward the black pony, who rolled his eyes.

“Look, we’re in a perfect position to find him as we are. We just need to be vigilant. Country Singer, Sprinter Surprise, Guitar String, Pizza Party. Those are your names here, right?” Glancing between them, Music Box received a nod from each pony in their respective order.

“Got it?” Once more, all nodded.

“Taking my break!” Fritz shouted back towards the manager and the other staff, who gave quick waves in response. Closing the back door behind him, Fritz sighed.

‘Would you like lies with that burger?’ Rubbing his forehead, Fritz wondered just why he had thought working here would be a good idea. Grimacing, his ears flickered, and he noticed voices coming from the front of the restaurant. Glancing around the corner, he narrowed his eyes, seeing five guards talking separately from the others.

‘Music Box huh…’ Eyes narrowing further, he listened in as the conversation continued. They were discussing the murderer, and how to best apprehend him. One of them, the one called Music Box, glanced in his direction, and he ducked behind the corner. Maybe he hadn’t been seen.

“Yes, we saw you.” The five ponies slowly walked over, and looked to his nametag. Giving a nervous laugh, Fritz glanced toward the back door.

“Uh, I kinda need to get back to…work…” Trailing off, Fritz had a feeling he would be taking a longer break than he had meant to. Music Box leaned down, looking into Fritz’s eyes.

“Very well, but you better meet us here after your shift is over. We know where you work.” Stepping back, Music Box nodded to the others, and they returned to their original position. Turning, Fritz walked robotically back inside.

“There you are! A five minute break is five minutes, not ten!” Pulled back to the desk by another member of staff, Fritz pushed his thoughts away for the moment.

“S-So what do you know about him?” Fluttershy hid behind her cup, wondering if she was being too intrusive.

“Not as much as you’d think. All I know for sure is he likely has access to the Restaurant, or somewhere close by, where he can store the bodies until it’s time to put them in front of the building.” Closing his eyes, the stallion sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“T-There are guards patrolling the area,” offered Fluttershy.

“It’s possible, but he won’t be easy to find. There is one thing I know for sure, and that’s the fact he is anything but reckless.” Narrowing his eyes, the stallion took a sip of his drink, and then closed them.

“Thank you for letting me stay here. I don’t…think I can stand being in that town until he’s moved on.” Blinking his eyes open, the stallion noticed the comforting hoof placed on his shaking foreleg.

“I understand, it’s quite scary to think somepony like that exists, and in our town too.” Giving a gentle smile, Fluttershy blinked as the stallion turned away, and gave a shudder.

“Sorry,” was all he said in response.

Fritz waited.

It was so long his wait, that he almost considered leaving. Where were they? Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes.

“Sorry for the wait.” Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sudden materialisation of the five guards. Jumping slightly, he tried to smile, but only managed a grimace.

“So uh, what did you five want to talk about?” Once more grimacing, he began to sweat as Music Box began to get uncomfortably close.

“Are you behind this?” Eyes narrowed, Music Box forced Fritz to look him directly in the eyes. Gulping, Fritz managed a shake of his head.

“Is there anyone with a purple coat on the staff?” Popping his brown head up, Country Singer looked between them.

“Uh no, why?” Confusion overcoming fear, Fritz frowned for a moment. Glancing back at the others, Music Box sighed, taking three steps back.

“The murderer is purple, that’s all we know.” Music Box rubbed his temple, glancing back toward the four guards. Fritz slowly relaxed, realising that he wasn’t the target of their anger.

“I’ll keep an eye out, but I haven’t seen much purple beyond the old uniforms.” Glancing toward the back door, Fitz wondered just when those rags had been discontinued.

“Please do, we’ll be in touch.” Nodding once, the five turned in perfect sync, and walked away. Picking up his bag, Fritz began walking on his own way home.

Luna glanced to the moon, and judged that everypony would be asleep by now. Closing her eyes, magic enveloped her horn, and she descended into the world of dreams. Flying past the dreams of many ponies, she quickly found the only dream that differed so drastically from that of the norm. Breathing in, she mustered her courage, and poked her head inside.

The purple pony quietly hummed a tune as he chipped away at what was most likely his latest victim. If he noticed the intrusion to his dreams, he made no move suggesting so. Chuckling suddenly, he pulled out something from the body, and breathed in through his nose deeply. Opening his mouth, he began to-

Jumping immediately back to reality, Luna reached for a nearby bucket and retched uncontrollably into it. Shuddering, she registered the door opening, and the form of her sister embracing her. Forcing back horrified tears, Luna placed the bucket down, and wiped her muzzle.

“I-I have to do this,” she spoke to Celestia. Hugging her sister, Celestia closed her eyes, unable to stay properly awake, but wanting to be there for her sister. Giving a warm smile, Luna narrowed her eyes, and once more entered the dreamscape. Finding his dream, she dove right into it head first, and quickly began to stretch her power around the dream.

The stallion noticed everything suddenly becoming a shimmering starry blue around him, and looked to what had been a body mere moments ago. Now, he was sitting at a blank table, and a midnight mare was staring daggers at him. Waving a hoof through the air, the stallion tested his power, smiling as words began to hover in the air between them.

’Look who got the courage to finally enter.’ Smile reaching both sides of his face, the stallion sniggered.

“Laugh while you can, you can’t hide forever. We will find you murderer.” Slamming her hooves down, Luna made cracks appear, and dropped the stallion into a gaping hole that led to lava. Looking up toward it as he fell upside down, the smile never left his face. Being dangled inches from it, the stallion didn’t so much as flinch.

’We’ll see whose easier to find, and catch, when I manage to climb my way into your pretty little castle.’ Once more, words hovered in the air, and the stallion broke into maniacal laughter. Luna sighed, and they returned back to the desk with blank space around them.

“We know you’re purple coloration! We can find out more about you. You can’t hide forever.” Smiling, Luna felt proud with the knowledge that this was indisputable fact. Maybe she could convince him to turn himself in. For a brief moment, the stallion stopped smiling, and frowned, pointing a hoof towards Luna.

‘It is quite easy to dye fur, surely you know this? You will find it hard to get anything out of my dreams, miss ‘Princess’, not even my voice.’ Smile once more returning, the stallion leaned forward on the desk, resting his head in his hooves.

“Aha! But you do not know that Equestria does not have water-proof dye!” Realising her mistake, Luna swore mentally, but gave nothing away. The stallion’s smile grew, even with his face already brimming with it, and he chuckled.

’You have me there, I did not know that little fact. Thank you.’ Smirking, the stallion leaned back on the chair, and a thoughtful look emerged on his face.

’You know what? Let’s make a game out of this. For every bit of information you provide me, I’ll provide you something in return. As thanks for that little fact, here’s a bonus.’ Sniggering, he leaned forward, pointing a hoof at Luna.

’You’ll never catch me laughing.’ After saying this, the stallion, predictably, burst into laughter. Narrowing her eyes, Luna leaned over him, flaring her wings.

“I will show you your worst nightmares! You will never have a good night’s rest while I am here!” Concentrating, Luna began working her magic already on the room. Surprisingly, the stallion merely looked at the room, smile fading as he gave it a distant look.

’Nightmares huh?’ Closing his eyes, he barked a short laugh.

’What could you possibly show me, that I have not already borne witness to?’ The room paused mid-change, and Luna hesitated. The stallion had a point. If his dreams were that horrifying, what could she show him that would be worse? Biting her lip, she let her magic run its course, and looked around the room.

It was empty, there were no nightmares.

IT'S ME

“Great work tonight girls, get some sleep, and I’ll see you tomorrow night.” Watching her friends leave, Twilight’s ears flopped down. Heaving a sigh, she glanced toward the restaurant as staff began to arrive. Walking once more over to the chief, Twilight waited for his current conversation to end.

“We’ll discuss it more later.” Turning around, Music Box waited for Twilight to begin.

“Have you found any news?” It was worth a shot to ask about it, even if there was no new information. Shaking his head, Music Box paused, putting a hoof to his chin.

“I doubt this is relevant, but the old uniforms of this restaurant were purple. Could it be plausible the purple pony you saw was not purple, but purple-clothed?” Looking toward the same four guards from yesterday, Music Box noticed Fritz heading into the building with a few other ponies.

“Well, it wouldn’t be wise to rule it out, but I don’t think so. I’ll discuss it with the others tonight. Thanks.” Giving a grateful smile, Twilight turned, and went on her merry way. Returning to the others, Music Box sighed.

“Let’s get back to work.”

“T-Thanks for walking me home again.” Looking down, Fluttershy gave Dash a grateful smile. Rolling her eyes, Dash watched Fluttershy unlock her door, and turn to wave goodbye. Glancing inside, Dash saw something purple inside, and her heart skipped a beat.

“Look out!” Diving between Fluttershy and the purple thing, Dash prepared for a fight. Upon seeing it was a pair of clothes, she relaxed slightly, walking inside and looking around for anything suspicious.

“I-Is it safe?” Peeking her head inside, Fluttershy looked around wildly. Picking up the hat, Dash scowled.

“Yeah, just some clothes. Why do you even have these here?” Placing it down, Dash tilted her head, hearing water running.

“T-They belong to a new friend. He’s scared of the murderer, so I offered to let him stay here until it’s safe. We got home earlier than normal, otherwise you-you’d probably be able to meet him.” Stepping inside, Fluttershy gave a warm smile, before shrinking back under Dash’s glare.

“He huh? Are you sure this guy’s trustworthy? What color is his coat?” Narrowing her eyes, Dash heard the shower click off.

“W-Well it’s been a few weeks, and I’m still o-okay so I-I don’t t-think it c-could b-be him…A-And he’s a nice stallion. As for his coat color, it’s-“ Cut off by the door opening, both looked to the grey stallion as he walked out. Bath towel around his waist, his Cutie Mark was hidden from view. Looking between them, the stallion gave a warm smile.

“Oh, hello, you must be Miss Rainbow Dash.” Looking between them, the stallion reached out for his clothes, and walked into the guest bedroom.

“Alright, he checks out,” sighed Dash, wiping worry off her forehead. There was no way someone that polite could be a murderer. From what she knew, anyway.

“Just be careful, ‘right Flutters?” Hovering near the door, Dash waited until Fluttershy had nodded, before saluting and taking off into the sky.

“I’ll have my shower a little earlier in the future,” spoke the stallion, drying his mane as he walked out of the guest bedroom once more.

“N-No it’s alright.” Taking a seat at the table, Fluttershy wondered if she should make tea today. Without any reaction, the stallion began brewing the tea, and gave a warm smile.

“No, it’s best I’m dressed by the time you come back. I wouldn’t want your friends to react like that a second time.”

“Hello? Hello, is this better? Hello? Right, I can hear you now. I have the documents here ready to be sent by mail. You want them delivered? This is a bad week for me, mind if I send an employee? Okay, bye.” Placing the phone down, the stallion stood up, and walked over to Fritz.

“Fritz, can you come see me once you finish that order?” Receiving a nod, he turned, heading back to his desk. Pulling out a pen, he began to write his signature on various documents.

“You wanted to see me PG?” Approaching the desk, Fritz tilted his head, waiting for a response.

“Yeah Fritz. The main branch in Canterlot want me to deliver the receipt for the construction we had done here shortly before the murderer showed up. Mind delivering it for me? I’ve got too much paperwork piling up to consider it because of the killer.” Waving a hoof over the documents, PG pulled a briefcase onto the desk.

“Sure, I’ll head out on the first train tomorrow morning.” Giving a bright smile, Fritz was thankful he would be out of town for a least a little while.

“You’ll be paid for your time, of course. That’s all, back to work.” Nodding once, PG returned to signing papers. Placing the briefcase with his belongings, Fritz returned to work.

After work, Fritz stepped outside, noticing that the five guards were on duty. Walking over to them, he waited as they finished their conversation.

“Hey, just letting you know I’ll be out of town for a few days. I got to deliver some documents to the main branch in Canterlot.” Looking between them, Fritz lifted up the suitcase.

“Stay safe, and let us know if you see anything unusual,” ordered Music Box, turning back to the others and continuing their conversation. Shrugging, Fritz went on his merry way.

“Afternoon everypony, sleep well?” Looking to her friends, Twilight spotted more than one exhausted face. Biting her lip, she wondered if they should reduce the amount of nights they were searching.

“Don’t worry about us Twilight, we’ll always have time to dedicate to catching that perp.” Grinning, Dash flexed a muscle. Seeing their confident faces, Twilight chuckled. They were her friends after all, she should have known better.

“Well, I have some news that might be interesting. You know how the pony was purple?” Pausing, Twilight saw everypony nod, and continued.

“Well, according to the guards, the restaurant used to have purple uniforms before they were changed. It was pouring down that night we saw him, so the chief suggested we might have actually mistaken his uniform for his hair. What do you girls think?” Looking between them, Twilight frowned as Dash began glaring at Fluttershy.

“I think Fluttershy has something she needs to share. Or better yet; somepony.” Narrowing her eyes, Dash ignored the pointed glances she was being given.

“D-Dash, j-just b-because he happens to w-wear that outfit d-doesn’t mean he’s the killer. I hope.” Shrinking even closer to the ground, her voice grew fainter and fainter. Rolling her eyes, Dash turned toward Twilight.

“You see? Fluttershy has been allowing a pony with a purple uniform to say at her home. Think about it, it’s the perfect cover!” Nodding once, Dash smiled in victory.

“N-No y-you don’t understand. H-He is-“ Cut off, Fluttershy whimpered.

“I’m sorry Fluttershy, but we should at least interrogate him about it.” Giving her friend an apologetic smile, Twilight held out a hoof to help Fluttershy up. Taking it, she gave a small nod.

“Okay,” she whispered.

Turning the page of his book, the stallion smiled. It was a decent adventure book, if a little too wordy for his tastes. Shrugging it off, he continued reading. There was the sound of a door opening, and he raised his head, seeing six ponies enter the small cottage. In the back, he noticed Fluttershy looking guilty, before coming face to face with Dash.

“Alright buster brown, you’re going to tell us the truth. Are you the-“ Pulled back by her tail, Dash glared daggers at Twilight, who merely rolled her eyes. Looking the stallion over, she breathed in, and then out.

“Excuse me sir, but how long have you been staying with our friend Fluttershy?” Pointing a hoof at the pony in question, Twilight kept her voice even, glancing to Applejack as the stallion answered.

“A few days after the first…incident here. Why?” Tilting his head, the stallion seemed clueless.

“Second question; where were you on the night of the latest incident?” Watching the stallion, Twilight noted the sudden stiffening of his body.

“Here, sleeping and reading. Not in that order.” Shifting uncomfortably, the stallion was becoming aware of the tension around him.

“So there was nopony here who could confirm your alibi?” Stepping forward, Twilight sighed as the stallion shook his head.

“I’m afraid we’re gonna have to bring you in for Questioning. Do you comply?” Reaching into Pinkie Pie's hair, Twilight pulled out some cuffs. Gulping, the stallion offered his front hooves.

“Uh, s-sure. Bring me where?” Watching the cuffs be clasped on him, the stallion’s glances grew more fearful.

“To the guards so you can be placed in a holding cell while we get an expert down to Ponyville.” It was almost amazing to witness. At the very mention of the word ‘guards’, the stallion began to struggle violently.

“O-On second thought today's not a good day for me, pl-please come back tomorrow and I’ll be-be sure to set out enough cups at the t-table to-“ Cutting himself off, the stallion tried to make a break for it, but was stopped by Dash.

“What’s the problem? Afraid to return to the scene of your crime?” Narrowing her eyes, Dash prepared to fight off the stallion.

“N-No that’s not it!” Looking between them, the stallion tried to get past Dash, but failed.

“He’s lying,” commented Applejack, grabbing the stallion by the tail.

“No I’m not! Ok-Okay maybe I am lying about it being d-due to the crime scene, but it’s not what you think! I-I’m innocent, p-p-please!” Struggling, the stallion found himself levitated up in lavender magic.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can, and will be used against you in the court of Celestia.”

“No! Please Stop!” All five turned, looking toward the group of six carrying a pony in purple clothes toward them. Breathing in sharply, all but Music Box shared a glance.

“Good evening, I think we’ve found the culprit. I was wondering if you could get him escorted to the holding cell while we wait for the official questioning pony to arrive tomorrow.” Placing the stallion down, Twilight noticed he was no longer struggling, and was instead shaking violently in a fatal position.

“Let me see his eyes.” Leaning down, Music Box forced the stallion to look at him. Releasing the stallion, Music Box sighed, and glanced toward the others.

“Hey, that pony is purple, should we apprehend him too?” Dash flew over to one of the guards, glaring him down.

“Guitar String was on duty with a pony called Sharp Sight at the time of the previous incident. His alibi checks out.” Music Box wondered about the personality of the rainbow one, and glanced once more toward the stallion. Country Singer slowly approached the stallion, and crouched down.

“Mike?” Upon Country Singer speaking, the stallion’s head rose, and their gazes met. Paling to an almost ghostly white, the stallion’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed into a faint. Stepping back, the other three sighed.

“No wonder he’s petrified,” sighed Pizza Party, looking towards the others. Frowning, Twilight took a step forward, mouth opening. Music Box turned to face her, and she felt a shiver pass up her spine.

“This stallion is not the killer.” With that simple sentence spoken, Music Box was finished.

“And how do you know,” spoke Dash out of turn, folding her arms. Turning towards her, Music Box answered without skipping a beat.

“The eyes. This stallion does not have the eyes of a murderer.” Music Box watched as Dash rolled her eyes.

“Oh sure, and you’ve seen these ‘eyes of the murderer’ before.” Glancing to Twilight, Dash opened her mouth to call out the stallions lie.

“I have,” replied Music Box. Turning, he began walking away.

“Ask your honest friend if you do not believe me.” Sharing a glance, the other four guards trotted after Music Box, Country Singer quietly picking up the unconscious stallion. Growling, Dash turned toward Applejack.

“Well, he aint’ lyin’, as much sense as that makes.” Glancing between them, Applejack watched as Twilight began to trot after the guards.

“Do you mind starting the patrol without me? I want to ask these ‘guards’ a few questions.” Glancing back, Twilight noticed the smirk on Dash’s face, and quickly moved to intercept.

“Dash, you’re our best chance of catching him if he does show. You have to be in the patrol.” Once more looking where she was going, Twilight could hear Dash’s grumbles from her current distance.

’Seems like there’s more than one mystery going on in Ponyville.’

IT'S ME

This time, when Luna entered the killer’s dreams, he was doing an action that, while horrifying, was comparably tame to his previous dream. Deciding to watch and wait for a moment, she shuddered as she felt a presence enter the dream. Looking around the dreamscape, she soon spotted the intruder. It was a black and white striped puppet with a tear stained mask.

Both compared the other, before turning their attention to the purple pony currently in the dream. Currently, he was hiding in some bushes, watching kids playing in the park. Watching this, Luna noticed that one of them seemed to be singled out from the others. However, before she could discern any features, the second force beside her swept through the dream.

A resounding screech shook the dreamscape, and the puppet grew to encompass the entire dream. Reaching out with its three fingered hands, it somehow wrapped them around the neck of the purple pony, winding them tighter and tighter. Despite his choking, the stallion began to laugh, growing bigger as if to match the puppet’s challenge.

Hooves reached for the puppet’s neck, and the two became locked in a struggle to see whom would strangle whom first. Blinking, Luna realised where she was once again, and worked her power swiftly, separating the two forces by an invisible wall. The puppet screamed in rage, and she winced, covering her ears.

The stallion merely laughed.

And laughed.

Jolting awake, the stallion looked around the cell rapidly, and visibly relaxed. Beyond one sleeping guard, he was alone. Glancing at the guard, he recognised it as the one whom had asked to see his eyes. Looking around the cell, it was pretty barren beyond a bed and a toilet. Still, it beat the location he had been fearing. His attention was drawn to a door outside of the holding cell as it opened.

“Aaand he’s asleep again. You’d think there was a music box in here with how often he’s fallen asleep on the job.” Entering the room, Country Singer walked over to the table Music Box was sleeping at, and placed down two cups of expresso. Looking towards the cell, he had to do a double take.

Keeping silent, Singer noticed the expression on the Stallion’s face. It was a face still suck in that restaurant, still stuck in that nightmare. Slowly taking a seat, he picked up his drink, taking a small sip. Hopefully if he kept quiet for long enough, Mike would calm down. Of course, that was thrown out the window the moment Music Box woke up.

“That miserable pile of-” Standing up, Music Box tossed his cup off the table, and screamed loudly as he slammed a hoof down on it. Singer glanced toward Mike, who was, naturally, petrified. Turning, Music Box glared at Singer, bearing down on him menacingly.

“You know how hard it is to even get into that murderer’s dreams!? And she-Oooooh SHE has to come in there and separate us like CHILDREN! I ought to cling to her neck and slit it, watching the blood fly over this entire miserable planet of fools!” Gasping for breath, Music stood like that for a few moments, before taking a seat. Putting a hoof in front of his face, he sighed.

“Well, that was uh…unexpected. You’re not normally that easy to uh, heh.” Giving a small nervous laugh, Singer rubbed the back of his neck. After receiving another scathing glare from Music, however, he decided not to push his luck. Glancing toward the cell once more, he wondered if Mike would ever calm down now.

‘Hold the microphone, he actually looks calmer.’ Looking toward the stallion in the cell, Singer couldn’t believe his eyes. Mike had stopped shaking, and seemed to be fighting his urge to ask question. Glancing to Music, Singer wondered just what had caused it.

“…Sorry for my outburst.” Sighing, Music rubbed his face, and slumped.

“Heey, don’t worry about it. I’d probably be angry too if I had to tiptoe around ponies to try and find that killer.” Placing a hoof on his friend’s shoulder, Singer heard the door open, and grimaced.

“Speaking of devils and whatnot. Twilight here wants to talk to us.” Standing up, both Singer and Music faced Twilight.

“You know something about this killer, don’t you?” Narrowing her eyes, Twilight went straight to the source of her suspicions. The two shared a glance, and Music nodded.

“Tell me, Miss Twilight, do you believe in either reincarnation or different universes?” Stepping back as Music Box spoke, Singer crouched down near the bars of the holding cell, and gave a small wave. Mike’s attention shifted to him, and Singer watched a shudder of fear pass through the stallion. Sighing mentally once more, he bit his lip.

“No, not really.” It was the truth, Twilight admitted. Sure, she wasn’t exactly dismissing the idea entirely, there was not enough proof for that. But that didn’t mean she could accept it without any either.

“Then we have no reason to discuss anything I’m afraid. The answers you seek rely on suspension of that disbelief.” Turning, Music glanced toward Singer, and narrowed his eyes. Standing up quickly, Singer walked over, trying to hide behind a sheepish smile.

“Alright then, for the sake of explanation, I will forsake my own thoughts on the matter. If you can provide proof you are not just lying, that is.” Narrowing her eyes, Twilight waited. Sighing, Music rubbed his forehead.

“You ask us to provide proof for questions you want the answer to. You do realise there is no incentive for me to do so, correct?” Pausing, Music looked down at Twilight, who scrunched up her face. Opening her mouth, she raised a hoof as she began to object.

“So you admit you have no proof! You could be accomplices, trying to clear the true culprit’s name!” It all made sense now, these ponies had been hiding the killer. That was how he had been able to evade everypony. Sighing once more, Music glanced toward Singer.

“You read too much into my words. I did not say I did not have proof. Singer, can you get him talking?” Turning around entirely to see their prisoner, Music noted the flinch that passed through his body.

“I don’t think so…I mean I kinda…We kinda…” Looking down, Singer rubbed his front hooves together, and bit his lip. Glancing between them, Mike turned around, facing his back to their faces.

“What,” he spoke, “tried to, oh I dunno, kill me?” Folding his arms, Mike glared at the wall. Giving a nervous laugh, Singer rubbed the back of his neck.

“You know that didn’t happen in this world. That wasn’t entirely my fault. I thought you were…you know.” Gulping, Singer took a step back as Mike turned around to face them, giving him a scathing glare.

“That is no excuse. Neither is what happened to you! How many, how many before me?” Standing up, Mike began to shake violently with a different emotion. Gulping, Singer winced, and turned away.

“What happened then doesn’t matter, that was a different scenario.” Stepping between them, Music Box looked Mike directly in the eyes. Scoffing, Mike returned to his bed, and once more faced the wall.

“It’s not their fault you came back looking for answers, Mike.” Eyes narrowing, Music Box watched Mike’s shoulders stiffen, and his head slowly turn.

“What?” Narrowing his eyes, Mike stood up once more.

“It’s not their fault the building burned down,” spoke Music a second time. Singer took a step back, frowning.

“Burned down, what are you talking about?” Glancing between the two, Singer was struck by how little of Mike’s story he knew. Music Box turned, as if about to explain, but was interrupted by Mike.

“You…You, you are, aren’t you.” Walking forward, Mike gripped the bars, leaning towards Music Box.

“You’re that freaking puppet! Were you the cause of those burnt animatronics too?” Speaking through his teeth, Mike’s voice was barely audible.

“I did try to warn you about the fire,” replied Music Box, seemingly not reacting. Reaching through the bars, Mike grabbed Music Box’s scruff.

“You didn’t try to warn me. You tried to let him bloody kill me!” Breathing through his teeth, Mike desperately fought his urge to attack the guard.

“Look, it was the only means I had of warning you by that point. All my energy was spent on keeping his spirit locked in that suit.” Carefully prying the hoof off, Music Box remained calm despite the heated tension.

“You mean you were the cause of that thing being alive!? Are you insane? What possible reason could you have to keep him alive!” It was hard to quell his suspension of disbelief. Why in any possible world, could any possible reason exist to keep him alive? Whatever it was, Mike knew he wasn’t going to like it.

“Revenge, mostly. That, and if he had of passed on, his spirit would have ended up here sooner. Even more lives would have been lost. Do you not care about that?” For an unknown reason, Music Box chose that moment to take a step back.

“Care about-Care about that? What I care about is the fact you, and those four put me through two weeks of living hell just for the sake of revenge! What I care about is the fact you don’t even care about whom you trod on just for the sake of-“ Stopping himself, Mike scowled, and turned, stomping back to the bed.

“What’s the point of talking to you? You’re just a child underneath, just like they are. You might act serious, but you’re just a brat underneath that armor.” Fluffing his pillow, Mike prepared to try and get an angry nap off. It was, quite frankly, a much better use of his time.

“Oh really? Because underneath your skin, you’re just as psychotic as the purple guy.” Narrowing his eyes, Music Box was done talking to somepony like Mike. Stiffening, Mike turned, and gave a cry of rage, diving to try and do some damage on Music Box. However, Music Box was one step out of range of his hoof.

“I’m not like him, you are! You terrible, miserable, horrible little puppet.” Slumping, Mike slouched onto the bars, and began to sob.

“Monster, you’re a monster,” he sobbed. Turning away from Mike, Music Box headed for the door.

“If being a monster means he can no longer harm others, I will gladly become one.” Opening the door, Music Box left the room. Glancing to the door, Singer flinched as it slammed shut.

“Oh jeez,” commented Singer, biting his lip and glancing between the two. Blinking, he remembered Twilight was there, and turned his attention to her.

“Well,” was all she said in response, eyes wide open and mouth slightly ajar.

IT'S ME

Dear Princess Celestia,

What a day. Let me just say how much of a relief it is to get back to an old rhythm, even for a while. I know the circumstances are far from great, but I’m no use to anypony if I can’t focus. How is it for you? Has Luna made any progress? As for me, we actually have a list of a few potential suspects, and even apprehended somepony we suspect is this killer.

Like I said, what a day.

The pony who we apprehended I actually haven’t gotten the full name of. Both Fluttershy and the guards call him Mike. Speaking of Fluttershy, would you believe this stallion was staying at Fluttershy’s? Apparently he was scared of the killer. He’s not purple, but he is wearing purple clothes. It’s possible we saw purple clothes and not a purple pony, but we’ll soon have things solved once the question pony arrives.

You might have noticed I mentioned guards. This is where things become complicated. Apparently, they know both this ‘Mike’, AND the killer from a past world/life. I’m still grilling details out about the whole thing, but after the argument I saw, it seems unlikely they are lying. I’ve never seen two ponies fight like that before.

From what I understand, there existed two places. Or maybe one, it was hard to tell from the argument. At one place, four of the guards terrorised this Mike pony for one or two weeks. And there’s a second place that burned down, apparently with Mike inside it, where he was terrorised by both the killer and a fifth guard.

I’m not sure what to believe, but there’s definitely some connection to the killer between these six. As such, I’m attaching pictures. Maybe they’ll be of help in your investigation. I’ll try and find out as much information as I can, and inform you once I’m finished problem sleuthing. Good luck with your own search! Hopefully we’re getting closer to finding the killer, if we don’t already have him yet.

Sincerely
Twilight.

“Hrm, so it’s as I fear then,” muttered Celestia, glancing toward the photos included with the letter, looking to the one labelled ‘Mike’. Glancing to the many piles of birth certificates, Celestia went toward the ‘m’ pile, and began flicking through them. Thankfully, there was only one gray pony in the selection.

“Hold on, isn’t that…” Placing the file down, Celestia swam through the sea of papers toward the ‘purple’ pile. Flicking through it, she smiled. There was a picture of the opening of the Restaurant in Canterlot with children and staff in front of the building. In the picture was both a purple pony, and a small gray colt.

“Okay, think. When was this taken?” Flipping the picture over, Celestia read the words written on the back. ‘Grand opening in Canterlot’. Eyes narrowing, Celestia wondered if this entire chain of restaurants had been to facilitate this murdering spree. Shuddering, Celestia rose from her castle of paper, heading toward the throne room where Luna was doing the paperwork.

“I honestly don’t know how you do this day in and out sister,” commented Luna as she signed another document. Walking over, Celestia held out Twilight’s letter, waiting as Luna read it. Handing over both pictures, she glanced to the sleepy guards. When had they last been relieved?

“Ahh yes, I know this building. They had me sign off papers requesting permission for a construction project not five minutes ago. Business Sense, do you know when your company was established, or whom this pony might be?” Glancing toward a suited pony, Luna levitated the picture over to him.

“Ah yes, this fella. Sad story, one day he vanished without a trace. We were about to congratulate him too on making this such a successful business. Went by the cooky name of Abbins Hilderen.” Chuckling, the pony bowed, heading for the exit. Concentrating, both Celestia and Luna teleported into the domain of paper.

“Hopefully he didn’t cover his tracks too well.” Diving into the ‘h’ pile, Celestia smiled as she managed to find the birth certificate, and basic information about this ‘Abbins’. Flipping through the pages, Celestia found a picture of him as a colt, and sighed.

“This is the stallion alright. Just look at those eyes.” Showing the picture to her sister, Celestia knew for a fact that nopony that young should have such a hardened look.

“But how is this possible, shouldn’t he have lost his past memories? Shouldn’t they all have?” Handing back the picture, Luna sighed.

“Normally yes, but with stronger memories it is possible that they remain. And considering this pony is a killer, it does not surprise me. What I want to know is why these ponies did not reincarnate in their world.” Eyes narrowed, Celestia racked her brain for a rational answer.

“Maybe the guards Twilight speaks of know the answer.” Glancing to the letter, Luna placed a hoof to her chin.

“You know sister, I don’t need to be here to visit the killer’s dreams…” Leaving her sentence open, Luna waited as Celestia turned toward her.

“Are you sure Luna? You would be in danger if the killer caught wind of your presence.” It was dangerous even if Luna didn’t go. But it would be the easiest means of getting complicated answers quickly…

“Do not worry sister, I will be fine.” Giving a smile, Luna embraced her sister, and then went to pack.

Mike slumped in the cell, and closed his eyes. Leaning against the cool wall, he let his mind wander. Allowing a small smile to fall on his face, he imagined what things he would have done with his life, had he had time to finish it.

“Mike, are you awake?” Raising his head, four ponies were on the other side of the bars. Stiffening, Mike shifted closer to the wall. Singer sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“Come on Mike, seriously? Look, if I didn’t hurt you the first time, I aint gonna hurt you this time.” Sighing, Singer shrugged to the other three, and took a seat. Pizza Party slowly walked up to the bars, and placed a hoof on one. It clanged, causing everypony to wince.

“Hey Mike? It’s me, you know uuh…Well to get to the point I just wanted to tell you sorry for what we put you through. I know it doesn’t exactly make us even, but if you ever need a favour, let me know, any kind of favour, and I’ll be more than happy to do so.” Breathing out, Pizza sighed, and stepped back. Glancing toward her, Mike’s expression narrowed.

“You know what I want? I want you to die in a fire, find out what that feels like. Can you do that, huh?” Scoffing, Mike looked away. Closing her eyes, Pizza sighed, and turned.

“If that is what you really want Mike.” Three hands reached up, stopping her in her place.

“Pizza, what the microphone? You’re not seriously going to off yourself just because he asked you too, right?” Giving a nervous smile, Singer glanced to the other two.

“Well yeah, I am. I told Mike that I’d do it, so I have to.” Once more stopped by their hands, Pizza grunted, trying to break past them.

“Just stop, seriously leave me alone. And don’t kill yourself, I didn’t mean it seriously.” Still glaring to the side, Mike turned to face the wall in objection. Breathing a sigh, all four guards relaxed. Stepping forward, Sprinter Surprise growled once, tapping on the bars three times.

“Now ‘isten ‘ere ‘ike, we’re sorry fer what ‘e did, tat dun mean ya can get yer booty up on us en’ it aint our fault tha’ place burned down wit ‘ou ‘side it.” Nodding once, Sprinter smiled at the others, and then turned to look back at Mike. Taking a step back, he gave a small yelp as his scruff was grabbed by Mike.

“I always hated you the most. The other three were at least predictable, but no, you had to smash on the door, and drain the power too.” Releasing him, Mike walked back over to the bed, and sat down angrily.

“Let’s just go guys, this was obviously a bad idea.” Singer began to walk toward the door, but stopped upon seeing Guitar String was by the bars.

“Mike, I understand you can’t forgive us, but please at least accept out apologies. I know you don’t care about us, but it would really mean a lot to us if you could. Just think about it, okay?” Stepping back, Guitar nodded to the others, and followed them toward the door. Glancing toward them, Mike’s expression softened, and he sighed. Hearing this, they all paused, and looked to Mike.

“I have been a little hard on you I suppose, considering the fact we were both stuck in personal nightmares.” Standing up, Mike walked over to the bars, and looked each of them in turn.

“I can’t forgive you for what you did to me, but I do accept the fact you are sorry. Now please, let me get some sleep.” Turning, Mike walked over to the bed, and laid down. Breathing out, the four shared a relived smile, and exited the room.

“So there was five restaurants?” Tilting her head, Twilight winced as Music Box growled.

“No, there were three.” Looking between Music Box and Twilight, Singer wondered how long she had been asking questions. Waving the others off, Singer waited for a break in the questions.

“Miss Twilight, may we please continue this tomorrow? I need to rest for my shift in the morning.” Well, that was easy.

“O-Oh right! Sorry. I’m just having my trouble wrapping my head around this. Were six or ten killed?” Tilting her head, Twilight gave a sheepish smile as she began to head for the door.

“Alright, we’ll continue first thing in the afternoon. Which won’t really be the first thing, but I digress.” Waving both goodbye, Twilight went to go re-join her friends on patrol.

“So what do you think the chances are of finding-he asleep again.” Singer chuckled, and pulled a blanket off a nearby table, wrapping it around Music Box. Shaking his head, he headed back into the cell room to begin watch over Mike. With Music Box asleep, he was left on the solo shift.

IT'S ME

Settling into a glide, Luna looked to the approaching town of Ponyville. Magic enveloping her, she changed her appearance to that of a sky blue Pegasus with black hair and a storm cloud Cutie Mark. That would serve as her disguise while she was in town. She smiled.

Arriving in Ponyville, Luna made a detour to see the scene of the crime. Watching ponies amble toward the doors. One stallion pulled out a set of keys, letting everypony inside. Looking around, their eyes briefly met, before he glanced toward the guards. Turning, the stallion closed the door behind him as he entered.

Looking toward the guards as she walked past, she noticed Twilight was actually talking to them. It seemed to be some sort of argument. Slowly approaching, Luna took in the appearance of the guard she was speaking too, and glanced toward where the Cutie Mark would be.

“We appear to have company.” Before she got within earshot, the guard turned to look her in the eyes. Pulling out Twilight’s letter, and a small note of her own, she handed them to Twilight with only a quick apology.

“Wait this is my, L-Luna?” Turning, Twilight took in the completely normal Pegasus before her, and received a nod. Music Box began to bow, but was halted by Twilight’s hand.

“Don’t bow here, what if the killer is watching. Let’s take her to where Mike is being held.” Glancing around, Twilight saw nopony giving them any looks, and breathed out.

“Very well, I shall get Guitar String, and Sprinter Surprise.” Turning, Music Box walked over to the stationed guards, and returned with two by his side. Leading the way, Music Box led the party toward Twilight’s castle. Surprisingly, it was the only place that could hold a containment cell. Once inside of the castle, Twilight nodded to Luna.

“I apologise for the disturbance, but I have questions for the ponies you called ‘guards’, and the one you called ‘Mike’.” Transforming back to normal, Luna gave everypony a small bow, which they returned. Giving a nod, Twilight led the way to the basement of the castle. Opening the door, she held it open for Luna and the others to enter the small cell area.

“W-Princess Luna?” Giving a bow, Singer and Pizza shared a glance, looking toward Mike. Raising an eyebrow, he sat up.

“Thank you, but my visit is not for pleasantries I’m afraid. Excuse me, are you Mike?” Walking over to the bars, Luna watched Mike give a nod, and walked over. Holding out the picture of the Restaurant opening, Luna began to speak.

“We have reason to believe the pony in this picture is the true culprit. Do you know anything about this pony that may help our investigation?” Taking the picture back from Mike a moment later, Luna watched the stallion picking his words.

“Not as much as you would think I’m afraid. We were just a class of kids the restaurant asked the school to provide for a photo. I think it was some sort of business deal, but I don’t know much else about it.” Shrugging, Mike gave a small bow, and walked back to his bed to sit down. Nodding once, Luna put the photo away, and turned toward the guard ponies.

“Onto my second order of business, Twilight told me that you are reincarnated souls from a different world. Would you mayhap know the cause of your reincarnation into this world?” Raising an eyebrow, Luna looked between them. All but one was showing confusion. Breathing in, Music Box stepped forward.

“When trying to prevent the killer from reincarnating, he escaped into a different world. In doing so, we were all dragged through the hole he created.” Blinking, he stood there. Singer narrowed his eyes, stepping forward and giving a stupefied chuckle.

“Wait a second, you are the reason we’re in this world?” Before he could receive a nod, Singer glanced toward the sound coming out of Mike as he scoffed.

“You mean you didn’t know? No wonder I’m the one in a cage.” Eyes narrowing, Mike leered at Music Box.

“That is correct in a sense. My error in trying to prevent his rebirth resulted in us being sent to-“ Cut off by a sudden shaking, Music Box looked down to Guitar.

“Are you smashing my guitar right now? You’re the reason we’re here? Why didn’t you let him reincarnate, he would have lost his memories, and we would be able to live lives without any memory of what we’ve been through!” Growling, Guitar glared at Music Box as his hoof was removed from Music’s shoulders.

“Should crimes such as what he committed be rewarded with the possibility of reincarnation?” Taking a step back, Music avoided another grab for his shoulders.

“What does it matter what his crimes were, they would have at least stopped!” Glancing back toward the other three, Guitar wondered if they were siding with him. All three nodded, and stepped forward.

“That would not have absolved him of his crimes. Those who fell to him must be-“ Once more cut off, Music Box didn’t even react as Sprinter shouted at his face.

“ ’Oo cares ‘bout bloody revenge! We ‘oulda ‘ad a ‘ew ‘ife!” Stamping toward the door, Sprinter left the room, slamming it behind him.

“Mike was right, you really don’t care whom you step on…” Glancing toward the bars, Sprinter felt guilty for thinking Mike was overreacting. Pizza walked past them, going after Sprinter. Guitar raised a hoof, as if to say something, but lowered it and followed them out. Walking over to the bars, Sprinter pulled out the keys, and unlocked the door.

“You’re letting me out? Why?” Standing up, Mike slowly approached the door.

“Because there’s someone whom deserves to be in there more than you. Follow me, we need to discuss who is going to be monitoring you until we can confirm you are not the killer.” Dropping the keys on the hard floor, Singer walked toward the door. Cautiously avoiding Music Box’s gaze, Mike followed close behind. The door closed with a quiet click.

“He is right, your methods are far too vengeful, and I cannot have a rogue element on the force.” Levitating up the keys, Luna looked down at Music Box. Narrowing his eyes, he didn’t move.

“I don’t obey your rules.” Turning, Music Box began to leave.

“You are in Equestria. You were born Equestrian. Therefore, unless you want to lose your job and access to information that might otherwise be classified, you will obey Equestrian law.” Magic enveloping the door, Luna stared down Music. Turning to face her, his eyes narrowed to pinpricks.

“ARGH!” Music Box dived toward Luna’s neck, hooves reaching out with single minded purpose. Purple magic grabbed him and flung him into the cage. Locking the door, Luna looked toward Twilight.

“Well, he did just try to kill you,” was her response. Turning, they both began to head out of the room, hearing something slamming into the bars.

“Get back here! You can’t treat me like this!” Slumping against the bars, Music Box closed his eyes.

“…Let me out…”

“So will you be staying at Fluttershy’s again?” Looking to the x-prisoner, Twilight wondered why he was staring at the guards. Blinking, Mike chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

“Uh no, I’ll probably go back to my place now that uh…well…” Trailing off, Mike gave the guards a sheepish smile as they glanced back.

“You know there’s no killer robots after you?” Giving a small smile, Guitar glanced to the others, who looked away.

“Uh, heh, yeah…” The silence stretched between them, and Mike looked away.

“So who’s going to be watching you while you sleep?” Blinking, Twilight wondered why they were giving her pointed glances.

“We’re going to take shifts watching him, as much as our hours allow that is. Is there any chance your friends could help with surveillance duty?” Singer winced, and glanced toward Mike.

“Sorry, it slipped out,” he muttered, looking away. Mike raised a hoof, closing his eyes and grimacing a smile.

“No, it’s alright, it happens.” Looking away, Mike noticed the restaurant, and slowed.

“Speaking of it actually, I wonder if I’d be able to get my job back. I mean, it’d allow you to watch me during the day as well without worrying about being on shift. Right?” Glancing toward them, Mike stopped right before smacking into their backs.

“N’other ‘ead in ‘ere ‘ould ‘elp ‘it tha ‘vestigation,” suggested Sprinter, looking to everypony. Singer turned, facing Mike.

“Are you sure? You don’t have to force yourself.” Biting his lip, Singer could see sweat beading down Mike’s face.

“Suuuuureee,” he breathed out, managing a fake smile.

“Hello? Ok, yeah, alright, goodbye.” Placing the phone down, the stallion sighed, and walked out towards one of the staff.

“Hey Autumn? Gotta go to the Manehattan branch for a meeting. If anyone calls forward them the number I left on the desk.” Seeing the staff nod, the stallion turned and walked toward the back door. Leaving through it he glanced toward the stationed guards, before heading for the Train Station.

Fritz glanced toward the crows, ears twitching as he picked up the word restaurant. Frowning, he put a hoof to his chin. It seemed another murder had occurred, and this time in Canterlot. Stepping onto the train, he smiled, looking out the window.

‘Hopefully they’re on duty so I can tell them.’

“I just received a letter from my sister. A murder has occurred in Canterlot.” Glancing to the group, Luna double checked her disguise was in place, and quickly burned the letter.

“Fritz…” The four shared a glance, and Singer turned to explain.

“One worker at the restaurant, a guy named Fritz, just took a visit to Canterlot.” Sighing, Singer knew that made him a potential suspect.

“My question is why would he tell us if he was the killer?” Frowning, Pizza shrugged.

“To throw you off?” Biting her lip, Twilight looked at everypony. Giving a yawn, she remembered the fact she’d had very little sleep today.

“Now they’re going to move the guards back to Canterlot,” grumbled Guitar, scowling in annoyance.

“Actually, Celestia has been trying to distribute guards to all of the restaurant establishments. It is likely why the scene was discovered so quickly. I will be informing her about the events here, and ensure you stay together in this location for as long as you see fit.” Giving a small bow, Luna gave a yawn of her own. It had been quite a long flight.

“Well, I think we’re all tired. I’ll see you tonight before me and my friends start our street watching.” Giving them a small smile, Twilight flared her wings, and began to fly back towards her castle.

“I shall go too,” bowed Luna, taking off after Twilight. The five remaining shared a look, and Mike rolled his eyes.

“Do you even have proper housing? Jeez, just come and sleep on my couch and spare bed. There a mattress that could probably fit two if you were sleeping side by side.” Turning, Mike began to lead the way toward his apartment.

“Well, there’s the hotel, but we pay night by night. Or day by day depending on our guard shifts.” Glancing toward the others, Pizza wondered what bed she would be stuck with.

“Well, the good news is you don’t have to watch me, considering a murder happened without me here.” Glancing back, Mike watched them for a moment, before turning and unlocking the door.

“That’s true,” admitted Guitar.

“Just don’t tough anything in the fridge and we won’t have a problem.” Pausing at the door, Mike stiffened for a moment, before shaking it off and walking inside.

‘This is going to be fuuun,’ thought Guitar, seeing Mike still battling with his fear response.

Slipping into the bed that night, the purple pony paused, and glanced toward the window. Closing the blinds, he nodded as the room was made completely black like he liked it.

Slipping into his dreams, he was once again visited by both presences. Paying them no heed, he cheerfully led a kid towards the back room.

Sadly, his dream vanished, and the two presences got into an argument about something. Smile fading, his ear flickered, listening with a bored expression on his face. Apparently the Princess had found out about the puppet messing with the reincarnation cycle, or something like that. Really, those two needed a reality check.

Stepping between them, the purple guy dreamt up a screaming little kid, and slit the neck with a blade. Glancing between them, he raised an eyebrow, before breaking out into a smile and laughing like a hyena. Their faces, they were always so priceless! The two shared a glance as he rolled around laughing, covering himself in 'red paint'. Licking it, he wished dreams came with a taste other than pillow.

“This is never going to work unless we learn to either respect each other’s boundaries, or work together.” Looking to the puppet, Luna waited as it seemed to hover in the air.

“Very well, we will discuss this tomorrow. That is, if you plan on releasing me FROM THE CELL!” Wait a minute, the mannequin had gotten himself captured, and was in prison? This was priceless! Smile reaching both sides of his face, the purple pony began gasping for breath between his laughter.

“I will know if you return here, and you know precisely why you will not be released.” As the argument once more continued, purple pony sighed, sitting up and walking away from the two. Shaking his head, he began returning his dreamscape back to the dream he had been having, and tried to continue it.

Shouting rippled through the dreamscape, and his dream crumbled before him. Narrowing his eyes, the purple pony glanced toward the two, and growled in annoyance. Some ponies were trying to get some sleep you know! Rubbing his face, the purple pony slammed his hoof into the floor, shattering the dream and cutting all conversation off.

Waking up, he walked toward the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee.

“Freaking demigods,” he muttered.