''Gah! This is pointless!'' Spyglass complained, throwing her hooves in the air, scattering loose papers all around. She slammed her hooves back down on the desk she stood at, and glared at the blue stallion a few feet away, who was searching through some criminal records stored on one of the large shelves of the archives.

''Look, I know that we've been searching for a long time, but I know there must be something here that can tell us where that mare went.'' Swift shot back over his shoulder.

Spyglass sighed loudly, before slouching onto the desk. She wasn't prepared to give up, but this seemed pointless, there was thousands of records of almost everypony who had ever lived. It was going to take forever to find the escaped unicorn's files. Even if they did, there might not even be anything that would point as to where she could've gone.

Wait. Libraries had librarians, even one's this large and secret, there had to be somepony who could help them locate the files they needed, otherwise by the time they found the damn file it could be to late.

The detective shot up, her eyes filled with determination, and she started shouting at the top her lungs: ''WE REQUIRE ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING A PARTICUALR FILE!''
Swift Blade turned around to stare at the mare, his eyes showing signs of embarrassment, confusion, and finally, understanding. He joined in, and both ponies called out, their cries for assistance echoing through the empty halls of the
archives.

They stopped, when they heard the sounds of approaching hoofsteps, and angry muttering and cursing, until the source presented itself when an old Pegasus stallion hobbled around one of the humongous shelves, a glare across his features that would not only silence any disobedient foal, but even silence the two full grown pony's.

''Alright, what in the name of Tartarus are you two knuckleheads doing!? This may not be a library filled with others trying to read and research, but it's still a library! Start explaining!'' The stallion huffed, his scowl burrowing into two disturbers of the peace like a sword into flesh.

''Uh, sorry about that sir, but we have a real emergency on our hooves. We need to find a record on a unicorn mare, she works at the Pinkie Pie Pizzeria, she's a light purple color, dark purple mane, bluish eyes, cutie mark is a falling star. it's-''

Spyglass started, but was cut off by the grouchy librarian.

''Look, if you want a record, fine, but next time, come find me first.'' He sighed in annoyance, before hobbling over to a ladder and sliding it down towards the halfway mark of the shelf. He slowly climbed up it, his beady eyes searching for his prize.

Swift slowly grew inpatient, but before he could say anything, the older stallion let out an: ''Ah ha.'' before slowly climbing back down the rails, and landed on the ground with a soft clop.

He held the book out with a wing, and Spyglass quickly took it, hoping the older pony hadn't strained himself.

''There, now stay outta trouble you two idiots...'' He grumbled, before heading into one of the aisles and out of sight.

''You know what's funny?'' Swift murmured, more to himself then to the mare next to him. Spyglass glanced at him, and shook her head. ''He never did ask why we needed the file, and I doubt he would just help us find a file about somepony else without a very good reason.''

''Yeah, that's true. Why?'' The private eye narrowed her eyes, scanning the area for traps, spies, or anything outta place. Of course, there was nothing but shelves of books.

''C'mon, who knows how long we have before that insane pony unleashes whatever she has planned.'' The swordstallion said.

The two ponies leaned over the desk, eyes scanning the many papers that had been concealed within the document. The mare was called Starlight Glimmer. There was records of her birth, where she had lived, where she had been educated, criminal records, and some papers about the restaurant she had opened.

Pinkie Pie's Pizzeria.

That name was associated with many gruesome and tragic accidents over the years, but it still somehow slogged on, thanks to the many different ponies recreating it and introducing new versions of the animatronics with every new location it moved to. It had been around longer then they had thought.

The fact that the animatronics had been involved in foals deaths before, and that Starlight was working for Pinkie's was more than just a coincidence. She must have researched the business before she had taken the job. How else would she have risen to the rank of mechanic so quickly? She needed the animatronics for something, which was why they were missing, and with the only other pony who could fix them out of the picture, she could make up whatever excuse she wanted to any suspicious ponies, as well as mess with the robots as much as she pleased.

What she planned to do with the animatronics was what Swift and Spy were now trying to figure out. However, there was one pony they could ask for assistance in this matter.

Twilight Sparkle. She and her friends had tangled with the crazy mare before, so she might know where she might have gone, or give them a hoof in figuring out what Starlight might do with ''Pinkie'' and her friends.

''C'mon, we better get to Ponyville fast, we're still on a time limit.'' Spyglass frowned grimly, before hurriedly heading back the way they came.

Following, Swift Blade's thoughts turned to Twilight. The documents said that Twilight had apparently helped knock Starlight out of power from her rule as mayor in a town she once ruled. Chances are Starlight still held some resentment towards the Alicorn princess.

Swift picked up speed, his worry increasing.

Twilight may be in more trouble then they thought.

Eyes blink.

Blackness slowly fades, and the throbbing pain in her head slowly begins to intensify, until the mare slowly lifts her head off the cold surface on which she lay. It was dark, or at least, the area she was staring at was dark.

Around her was the light of an overhanging lamp, which cast a circle of safety around her. Twilight Sparkle slowly stood up on shaky hooves, and tested them. She could walk, she was fine.

''H-How is this possible?'' She murmured to herself. If her memory served her well, she remembered being...

''Oh...O-Oh Celestia...am I r-really still here?''

The horrifying memory of Pinkie...no, the monster that looked like Pinkie, had killed her...torn her into bloody little pieces. She had been killed, it simply wasn't possible that she was still alive. Which meant she had either been hallucinating the whole ordeal, or...she was dead, waiting for Luna to ferry her over to the next life.

A single tear fell from her eyes. She had failed. With her dead, there was nopony to warn her friends about Starlight and her animatronic monsters. They would be caught in the same trap, and it was all her fault.

A bright light shone from in front of her, and she prepared herself to step into the light and face judgment. However, the light didn't show any signs that she was meant to step through it, and instead, blurred with smoke until a familiar face stared at Twilight through the light.

''The Seamstress? But how?''

''The answer is simple young princess, you aren't dead. You still walk the world of the living.'' The Rarity mask was forever a happy smile, but Twilight could tell, it wasn't smiling, not really.

''How? I was sure that...'' Twilight couldn't finish her sentence, the memory was to horrifying, and she attempted to shove the images from her mind.

''You are alive, the items you found saved you from death, however, that was only a temporary save.''

Confused, Twilight searched her pocket dimension for the items, but to her shock, discovered them to be gone. ''Did you take them? How could they have just vanished?!'' Twilight cried, fear creeping into her voice.

The Seamstress did not even flinch. ''They have gone, they have another purpose now, but that will come later, for now you must find five more objects linked to the pizzeria's past, that now lay scattered in your basement, which you find yourself in now.''

''Five more objects, okay. I can do this...'' The young Alicorn took in a deep breath, before letting it out, slightly soothing her fear addled mind. ''I'm guessing that robot Pinkie found her way down here, or is on her way, since I assume it knows I'm still alive?''

''No, the ignited pink one still lurks the upper floors. You have another threat to deal with...this one even more dangerous. You know it well, as it knows you.'' The puppet like figure spoke like this was supposed to be some sort of riddle, and Twilight already knew the answer.

''Me. It's me.'' She spoke softly.

''Beware, princess of friendship, this you is much faster than the pink one, and if you're spotted, it'll be far to late...''

With those comforting words, the Seamstress faded away into the smoke, and the light faded away too, leaving only the light of the lamp above her to illuminate the darkness.

Shuddering slightly, Twilight lit up her horn, and began to slowly walk into the dark. The distant sounds of mechanical footsteps echoing from somewhere in the darkness before her.

Author's Note

Things look grim, and Twilight must now find hunt for more items linked to Pinkie Pie's Pizzeria. But what are these items for? Will Swift and Spyglass figure out where Starlight is?

And what happened to Princess Celestia?

Stay tuned...