“Miss Fluttershy was found dead in her home this afternoon, Princess. I’m so sorry; she died before we arrived to the scene,” the guardspony reported, regarding the alicorn gravely.

Princess Twilight Sparkle stared at the guard in shock, her mind having seemingly malfunctioned of its own accord. “Dead…? What do you mean she’s dead?!”

The guard sighed deeply in response. “Even worse, her wounds indicate that it was a deliberate murder. She had several markings on her neck that suggest asphyxiation. There were also multiple lacerations across her upper back. Whether or not they were inflicted after her death, we don’t know, but she couldn’t have hurt herself like that on her own.”

He paused for a brief moment, noting her horrified expression before continuing, “All in all, I believe there is a murderer on the loose in Ponyville.”

In that very second, Twilight’s world shattered like glass. Fluttershy’s… dead? The gentlest, kindest pony I’ve ever known in my entire life is dead?

Nothing could ever describe the overwhelming misery that filled her as the unexpectedness of the situation grounded her completely. But… how could she be gone just like that? Who would be so evil as to murder Fluttershy in cold blood?

Twilight couldn’t speak; her throat was constricting unto itself, rendering it difficult to utter even a single word. Fluttershy had been stolen from her... stolen from them.

“Princess?” the guard inquired, concern in his eyes. “Princess, are you alright?”

“I-I… F-Fluttershy’s… dead,” Twilight whispered, tears blurring her eyes. “Fluttershy’s… no longer here… she’s dead…”

Her grief slowly shifted into an irate anger. The murderer had absolutely no right to do this! She was going to find this monster, or die trying!

“Er, Princess… do you need a moment?” the guard asked her cautiously, not wanting to upset her any further. When he received no response from the lavender alicorn, he reluctantly backed up and was prepared to leave when suddenly, a hoof clamped to his shoulder.

Whirling around instinctively, he was surprised to find the Princess staring at him, her eyes blazing with a barely repressed rage.

“How did you know Fluttershy was murdered? Who even told you to check her cottage?” she demanded, an edge to her tone. “You don’t just visit her home randomly without a certain reason.”

The guard flinched from Twilight’s sudden change in demeanor, but attempted to maintain his brave facade nonetheless. “Princess, if I may ask: what are you implying?”

Twilight glared at him like the answer to that was supposed to be obvious. “Who tipped you off? That’s the only reason you’d actually visit her cottage!”

He gulped, knowing that he had no choice but to inform her of the utmost truth, or else face a fate worse than death. “Erm, well… yes, we did get tipped off by somepony, but whoever it was remains unknown.”

The alicorn snorted, waving a hoof in dismissal. “Take me to the crime scene, then. I’ll investigate it myself if it’s the last thing I do.”

She was prepared to leave when suddenly, a stray thought flickered to life inside her mind. “Did you tell my friends already? Do they know about this?”

The armored stallion nodded slowly. “I informed them on the way here, Princess.”

“Did they ask to go to the crime scene too?”

“Yes, ma’am. As a matter of fact, they’re on their way here now so they can accompany you to Miss Fluttershy’s cottage. You’re fortunate to have such loyal friends, if I may say so myself.”

Twilight averted her gaze, refusing to meet the guard’s eyes. “Yeah, except one of them isn’t here anymore,” she muttered bitterly.

Twilight was twitching with anticipation. Whoever this was, they were cold and calculated. They didn’t have any time to spare, their bloody deed having already been discovered, and neither did she.

Fortunately, her determination to find this masked killer was keeping the pain at bay… keeping her from going mad with anguish.

I didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye to her.

She shook her head, as if attempting to ward off the guilt that was steadily creeping onto her. She didn’t want to feel helpless or hopeless. She wanted the killer to pay for their crimes; she needed them dead.

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Twilight? What if the killer is still in Fluttershy’s house just hiding somewhere, waiting for us to come before they pop out and try to murder us too?” Rainbow Dash asked, her wings beating anxiously as she hovered in the air above the group.

Twilight shook her head firmly. “Not possible, Rainbow. Whoever they are, they definitely aren’t stupid enough to return to the scene of the crime, or attack all five of us for that matter.”

“Heh, doubt they could take me even if they tried,” Rainbow Dash boasted while pretending to put somepony in a headlock.

“I simply can’t believe that somepony would resort to murder at any point in time. Why would they kill the most defenseless pony in all of Ponyville?” Rarity said, the disbelief evident in her voice.

Twilight scoffed. “Because they’re a vile and worthless creature who seeks retribution for all the wrongs Fluttershy out of all ponies inflicted upon them. It’s pathetic and weak.”

Pinkie Pie was merely staring at the ground, only managing to walk thanks to the firm support Applejack was giving her.

“Quite strange that they would leave the lights on, don’t ya think? Ah guess they figured we’d be comin’ soon,” Applejack observed.

Twilight tried peering past the caution tape and boarded-up windows to no avail. “The question now is: what do we expect to find once we go in there?”

“Hopefully whatever we need to catch ‘em, Twi,” Applejack reassured her, still supporting an unusually silent Pinkie.

The door opened with a resounding click as Twilight inserted the house keys given to her by the guardpony into the lock.

The blood from Fluttershy’s death was still there.

Twilight blanched as she quickly averted her gaze. She’d never once thought about what she’d actually see here, or what she’d smell here for that matter. Being no fan of the macabre, the familiar scent of iron made her stomach churn. “Search around the place and look for anything that might be correlated to the murderer.”

All of her friends nodded except Pinkie Pie, who was shutting her eyes tightly in an awkward attempt to block out the horrifying sight.

Applejack slowly eased her off her shoulder, grimacing slightly. “Alright now, Pinkie. Ah gotta search around for a bit, so Ah’m gonna need ya off mah shoulder, okay?”

Pinkie nodded as Applejack slackened her body and gently dropped Pinkie onto the ground, her now open eyes darting around the room like a lost puppy.

They found nothing important, absolutely nothing for a solid half hour. The murder weapon was somehow missing and a guard briefly dropping by had said that they would do an autopsy report on Fluttershy within the next few days. All Twilight was able to deduce was that the attack had originated from within the kitchen, and judging by how the table was flipped over, Fluttershy might’ve been sitting at it when she was attacked. The blood trail across the hall most likely indicated that she’d dragged herself before she was finally killed. She must have been stabbed in the leg; that’s the most logical explanation for why she had to drag herself that long way. Sweet Celestia, Fluttershy, I hope you’re better now... wherever you are.

That was as far as she’d gotten. Her friends didn’t have much luck either, though Twilight noted that there were a few things that she’d have to come back to next time. The medicine cabinet in her bathroom, a file cabinet in the living room, and her nightstand drawer were the only locked compartments in Fluttershy’s whole house, not including her front and back doors.

Interesting... if Fluttershy’s doors were locked, how’d the killer get in the cottage? The windows were all sealed off, and Fluttershy doesn’t have a sunroof. That could only mean that the murderer had to have unlocked the door then locked it again after the murder. But that begs the question: how did they get the house keys? Twilight mused.

“Umm, Twilight, do you think this will help?” Pinkie Pie called out quietly from across the battered kitchen table.

It was a small brass pocket watch, fully undented and still ticking away at an uncanny speed. There was something very off about the little watch; it chilled Twilight to the bone just touching it. Still, she was so thrilled at the unexpected discovery that she didn’t bother to inspect it more carefully.

“Where did you find this, Pinkie?!” Twilight exclaimed, her excitement increasing by the second.

Pinkie winced visibly from how loud Twilight was being, but eventually pointed at the blood-stained floor with a hoof. “Right here on the ground.”

Having heard Twilight’s excited cry, her other friends quickly left the positions they were searching before rushing to the kitchen, confusion written clearly on their faces.

“What’s up, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked as she flew into the room at breakneck speed, glancing around.

“Did ya find anythin’?” Applejack came into view before halting at the entrance, followed by Rarity, who looked slightly irritated at the way Applejack was blocking her way in.

“Yes, darling, do tell,” Rarity added, a relieved expression on her face as Applejack finally shifted her position and allowed her to pass through.

“Look at this pocket watch!” Twilight said, her grin stretching from ear-to-ear.

Rarity raised a finely sculpted eyebrow after she took a quick peek at said item. “I must admit, a pocket watch made completely from brass is quite a rare sight these days. Still, I’m afraid I don’t understand what’s so special about this pocket watch, dear.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “It’s a clue, duh!”

“A clue how?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Like Rarity said, it doesn’t look special or anything.”

“Well, that’s because it doesn’t look special! This was most likely dropped by the killer during Fluttershy’s murder, which makes it a crucial hint that could tell us who they are!” Twilight insisted firmly. She paused for a brief moment before continuing, “I’m surprised it’s still ticking, though. I thought it would have broke, since judging by where it was found on the ground, it must have been dropped pretty hard.”

“Well, that’s mighty interestin’, Twilight, but Ah think we should leave now. We’ve overstayed our visit, and besides, now that ya have a clue, ya can go back to the castle and study it more carefully,” Applejack cut in just as Twilight opened her mouth to say more.

Twilight sighed in defeat. “Fine, then. We can come back tomorrow.”

Twilight and her friends left the cottage with mixed feelings, mostly ones of horror now that everypony knew that their shy and gentle friend was truly and surely dead. Unlike the others, however, Twilight was glad that they’d finally found something that could help them with their investigation. Despite the pocket watch’s versatility though, it was only one lead out of many others, and certainly not a lead that could instantly point them in the right direction.

“Meet up here at morning tomorrow, okay? We’ll investigate the cottage again,” Twilight said.

Applejack threw herself in front of Twilight, barring her from any further steps. “Hang on there, sugarcube. Ah don’t like ya walkin’ off on yer own, especially now that we know there’s a killer runnin’ 'bout. None of us should be alone right now, ya hear me? We’ll escort ya back to the castle, alright?”

Twilight paused to consider her offer before nodding in agreement. “Sure, I hadn’t really thought about that. They know who I am and what I want to accomplish, after all. As a matter of fact, they’re probably looking for me right now as we speak. Good thinking, AJ.”

Even though Twilight was an immortal alicorn, her immortality didn’t mean that she couldn’t die by some death method. They all knew that she could defend herself with her powerful magic, but what if she was caught off-guard when it happened? Everypony understood that without her, the close-knit group would literally fall apart and Fluttershy’s murderer would never be brought to justice.

Approaching the Castle of Friendship, Twilight waved goodbye before disappearing inside it. She believed that if she could work hard enough, she would be able to unravel the secrets of the pocket watch and present the results to her friends tomorrow.

Rainbow Dash sighed as she lounged on a low-altitude fluffy cloud just large enough for the prismatic-maned pegasus, her eyes downcast. Fluttershy’s death had shocked her to the core; her shy friend had been by her side since summer flight camp all those years ago, yet Rainbow hadn’t been able to return the favor and help her during her time of need. Do I even deserve to be the Element of Loyalty anymore? How could I ever continue to say that I’m the loyalest friend somepony would ever see when I couldn’t even help Fluttershy? I’m a failure, that’s what I am!

Suddenly, a piercing scream tore through the night, immediately catching her attention. That sounds really familiar… could it be?

“I’m coming!” Rainbow yelled as she spread her wings and shot off like a rocket in the direction of the scream.

The wind tore through her mane as her feathers rippled in the savage wind. If there was one thing Rainbow Dash knew how to do, and do really well, it was to fly fast. One error, even the smallest misstep, would cause her to lose her momentum. But she had a good idea of where she was going, and she knew that she was going to save this pony or die trying.

The screams were still distant, but slowly becoming more apparent as she got closer and closer to her destination. She narrowed her eyes against the wind whipping at her face, noting that it was some kind of abandoned factory. Her stomach immediately sank at this new discovery. This can’t be good.

The next scream that rang out was interrupted as Rainbow Dash burst through the rotting door of the building. Like she’d gauged from the screams, it was Scootaloo, bound tightly but not gagged at all.

She desperately wanted to jump in and save her, but if there was anything that reading the Daring Do books had taught her, it was that there always was a trap nearby that needed to be disarmed first.

“Rainbow Dash, help! Save me!” Scootaloo cried with watery eyes, struggling to break free.

Rainbow hesitated for a brief moment, but knew that she still couldn’t just charge over to the filly like that. “Coming, squirt! Just… hang on for a bit, okay?” Why would they leave Scootaloo ungagged? They definitely didn’t want anypony finding her here, right?

Rainbow Dash gasped, the answer coming to her in an instant. Unless they wanted to lure me in! That must be it! She glanced around the room, trying to find anything strange but somehow failing to, before turning back to Scootaloo. Her hopes rose once again as from a glint of moonlight reflected off the window, Rainbow Dash noticed something in Scootaloo’s vicinity.

She gulped. Razor wire. Lots and lots of it, bound in a tight wall with little room for maneuvering. Whoever did this wants to kill us both!

“Rainbow Dash! Look out behind you!” Scootaloo suddenly shouted.

She didn’t delay; the rainbow-maned pegasus leaped back as far as she could. Still, even her quick speed wasn’t enough, as a laceration nearing an inch in diameter was now scarring her face.

“What’s the matter, Dash? A bit too fast for your tastes?” a hooded figure taunted as they emerged from the darkness, grinning sadistically.

I can’t let her die! She’s too important to me!

Rainbow Dash dove toward the wire behind her, dodging as best as she could to no avail. The wire cut and tore at her skin, eliciting a scream from Rainbow. She glanced back to see the figure standing across from her, out of reach and behind the wire, clearly amused at the agony she was suffering.

She wasted no time ripping away at the rope knots that bound Scootaloo. “Get my friends and tell them where I am! Don’t look back, no matter what you hear, okay? I believe in you, squirt!”

Scootaloo gave her a pained look, but nonetheless nodded as she tore away from Rainbow Dash and carefully wiggled between the wires. The sound of hoofsteps was heard as the filly galloped as fast as she could out of the rear exit of the factory.

“That was so sweet of you, Rainbow. I thought you’d have bailed at the first sight of me. I’m glad to hear that it isn’t the case.”

Rainbow Dash glared at her, her eyes burning with rage. “My friends might be scared of you, but there’s no way in Tartarus that I am!”

The figure cackled, sounding awfully like static. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

Rainbow Dash stepped through the wires only to run to a nearby shelf, flinching in pain as her wing brushed up against the cool metal. Guess we’re not taking this to the air, Rainbow Dash thought as she quickly snatched a utility knife from nearby.

The figure twirled their own knife, although where they got it from Rainbow had no idea. “Really? That’s how you, the fastest flier in Ponyville, wants to finish this with? Knives?”

More static. “Alright then, Dashie. Let’s play.”

Rainbow Dash wasted no time as she dove for the figure in front of her.

The figure smirked and sidestepped out of the way, narrowly missing a blade to the throat. “You call that fast? Really? That was pathetic.”

The next slash almost met its mark, but they quickly blocked Rainbow’s strike with the edge of their blade. “You have no idea who you’re fucking with,” the figure growled menacingly.

The figure stepped to the side and hooked Rainbow in the side of the face, causing her to stumble and leaving her vulnerable enough for a kick in the stomach.

Rainbow Dash quickly recovered, pulling back and slicing at the air next to the figure. She grimaced slightly as the tip of the figure’s ear came off.

“You insolent little wench!” the figure hissed.

The figure threw a flurry of punches, all of which were dodged except for the final swing, which slammed into Rainbow Dash’s jaw. Before she was able to recover, the figure stabbed her in the upper back, just above her wings.

Dash cried out in pain as the figure spoke, “Yes, suffer. I want to hear you scream and beg for mercy that will never come. I’ll certainly enjoy watching the Element of Loyalty herself pleading at my hooves.”

Rainbow Dash, as expected, wouldn't give them the pleasure. She dove at the figure, slicing open their shoulder as well as slamming them right in the throat.

“Hrck!” the figure choked out. Rainbow Dash grinned to herself as she pulled up her hind legs, prepared to buck the figure right in the face.

The figure caught her legs before she could do so. “I don’t think so, Dash!”

Rainbow Dash shrieked in agony as the figure stabbed her three times in the leg. She dropped to the ground and quickly crawled away as fast as she could from the figure, ignoring the burning sensation from her chest as her fur was chafed by the heavy cement floor.

The figure placed one of their forehooves on top of Rainbow Dash, pressing down with so much strength that one of her ribs cracked audibly, the sound echoing around the room.

“How long do you think a pegasus lasts without their wings, Rainbow? I can’t imagine them living much longer when it happens.”

Rainbow Dash moaned in pain and fear. She wanted this all to just be a nightmare, but the throbbing pain she was feeling was far too real for her preferences.

Cackling, the figure started slicing up her back, making crude incisions whenever the blade hit flesh. Rainbow convulsed in pain as the cold steel hit the bone of one of her wings. She was absolutely hopeless now.

Crack!

The bones of her wings were broken, or at least she thought so. She couldn’t tell anymore, the agony dulling all of her senses. Her mind was addled from the pain induced.

Snap!

Blue and red feathers flew off the pegasus, her wings landing in a heap behind her with a barely audible thump.

The figure smirked as they quickly smeared some of the blood that was dripping off their body. “Looks like those stubs you call wings can’t fly away from death, huh?”

Rainbow Dash had passed out from the shock, still twitching madly.

Static filled the room. “That’s too bad, Dashie. I was hoping you’d still be awake when I killed you. Oh well, it’s probably easier for you this way. ”

And with one final motion, the figure picked up Rainbow Dash by the neck and dragged the blade across her throat, being drenched in their victim’s blood during the process.

“Yes, such a shame.”

Author's Note

Theories on who the murderer is are welcome. You will not be informed on whether or not your guess is correct, though.