ESF: Galaxy & Nightmare

I flew, probably about as fast as my wings would allow me. No guards followed me. I doubt my friends even believed I was innocent. I was determined though, determined to clear my name. I was going to go seek answers, and I knew where I'd find them. That was my destination.

"I'm telling you, I know my husband better than that!" Crystal shouted at our cottage. Mocha, Quillton, along with Valerium and Sunset were there. Mocha was trying to calm her down.

"I'm not saying he did it, Crys, but his initials were on the knife that killed...." Mocha couldn't bring herself to say Mel's name. Valerium continued.

"What Mocha means to say is, Crystal, is that Galaxy's initials were on the knife. That is a hard piece of evidence right there." He said. Crystal looked to Quillton for support. My best friend sighed.

"I'm not saying Galaxy is guilty, I know my best friend better than that. I am saying though that Valerium is right. Galaxy's initials were on the knife, there's no mistaking that. However, something has disturbed me." He pointed out. Sunset looked at her coltfriend.

"What's that, Quill?" Valerium asked. Quillton spoke again.

"Where did Galaxy get the knife, and why didn't he remember getting it?" He inquired. Everypony in the room pondered for a moment or so. "No one?" He asked. The others shook their heads. "Idjits." He muttered. "It's simple, really. Galaxy experienced what some might call a 'blackout'. One moment you're doing something, then the next moment, whatever you do in that moment is a complete blank. Either that or Galaxy is hiding something. Something important." Quillton said. Crystal was almost in tears.

"My husband doesn't keep secrets from me!" She protested. "I know my Galaxy, he tells me everything." She explained. Sunset's eyebrow raised up.

"Everything?" She asked in a skeptical manner. Crystal nodded her head, tears streaming down her face. Quillton paced back and forth. Mocha sniffled and broke the silence.

"Maybe the killing was recorded?" She asked. "That could help us find some answers." She explained. Quillton's eyes lit up.

"Yes! Mocha, dearie, you are a genius!" He laughed. The five of them raced to Mocha's cafe and Mocha grabbed the security camera fitted under the roof. Quillton took out the film reel and played the video on his laptop, everypony behind him. There I was, right on the camera screen, with a wicked look in my eye creeping up behind Soul Melody. Mocha couldn't watch and turned away. Crystal gasped.

"Pause it right there!" She exclaimed. Quillton paused the evidence where I was looking right at the camera. He gasped as he noticed the very small detail Crystal noticed.

"His coat color....." Mocha gasped, bringing a hoof to her face. Somehow, the camera managed to catch me in a deep, discorded blue color, my cutie mark a black hole, and my eyes a deep red color. "That's definitely not Galaxy, alright. His coat color is TARDIS blue." Mocha told Valerium, Sunset, Quillton, and Crystal, who all nodded.

"So then, who is that?" Valerium asked, raising an eyebrow. "If that's not Galaxy, then who could it be? I've never seen a pony with a black hole cutie mark before." He said. Quillton nodded.

"Yes, Galaxy's cutie mark is a frozen, spiral galaxy. Since his cutie mark is a black hole, we can be safe to assume that Galaxy is in fact innocent." He said. Crystal was still white-faced from the picture.

"Something is very wrong." She said, shocked. Quillton turned to her.

"What do you mean, dearie?" He asked her. Crystal shook her head.

"Whoever that is, he looks exactly like Galaxy. Same mane and tail, same brown stetson, same everything save for eye color, coat color, and cutie mark." She said. "I'm worried." She admitted. Sunset stomped her hoof.

"Whoever this pony is, he's gonna pay for framing Galaxy." She promised. Mocha's face twisted into a serious sneer.

"He's gonna pay for killing Mel." Mocha promised. "No pony kills one of my friends and walks away still breathing." She said. Crystal looked at Mocha in awe.

"Little dark there, eh Mochy?" She asked. Mocha stared Crystal right in the eyes.

"He took away somepony important to me. I have a right to be pissed." Mocha told her. Valerium mouthed to Crystal 'She's got a point'. Crystal shrugged.

"Twilight's Castle." I said to myself. "If anypony knows answers, it'll be Starlight or Twilight." I said as I knocked on Twilight's door. Spike opened it and gasped, closing it fast. I could hear a muffled sound that sounded like an annoyed Twilight. She poked her head out, waved her hoof forward and closed the door behind me. She turned to face me after.

"You really shouldn't be here, Galaxy." She told me cautiously. "My brother and his guards are searching all of Equestria for you." She explained.

"I know, I know. I need answers. A murder happened. One of Mocha's bestest friends, Soul Melody, was killed. The weapon had my initials on it, but it wasn't me. I don't remember doing such a thing, or even buying the knife that killed her." I explained. Twilight pondered.

"You must've blacked out." She guessed. I shook my head.

"No, I'm starting to think it's something much worse." I told her. "I need to find the Mirror Pool, then I'll have all the answers I need." I said to Twilight. She told Spike to get the map to the Mirror Pool. Twilight handed it to me.

"Make sure you aren't seen." She warned. "Or heard." She told me. I nodded. My next destination was the Mirror Pool, because there, I could look at my reflection and talk to myself. I hugged Twilight and took off to the Everfree Forest, somehow catching Crystal's attention out of the corner of her eye. She gasped.

"I saw Galaxy!" She told Quillton. He got out, put on his glasses, and saw the map in my left hoof.

"That's the map to the Mirror Pool!" He gasped. "We've got to follow him." Quillton said. Just as he was about to leave, Crystal blocked his path. "Crystal, this is not the time! We need to follow Galaxy!" He told her.

"No. I need to follow Galaxy. You guys stay here and try to find out more about this pony that killed Melody. I'll handle my husband." She told them. Mocha trotted up.

"I'm coming too." She said. "You'll need magic if you're going to follow Galaxy. I have tracking spells I can use to track him." She explained. Crystal nodded.

"Quill, Sunset, Valerium, stay here and stall any royal guards that come looking for Galaxy. Me and Mocha are going to go help him prove his innocence." Crystal told the three other ponies. They nodded. Crystal then turned to Mocha. "Ready?" She asked. Mocha nodded, and the two of them raced off to follow me, which I was unaware of. I was about to find answers, and possibly confront my darkest fears. No pony else was dying tonight, not on my watch, anyways.