Prologue |Murder At Grand Galloping Gala|
The time was 8:42PM and the Grand Galloping Gala was winding down to a halt. The ballroom, foyer and garden were all but empty as ponies began to leave. The Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle, stood with her friends and talked to Celestia and Luna. Not far away, the Cutie Mark Crusaders played with leftover balloons.
A blood-curdling scream drowned out the noise of the chatter and caused everypony to pause. Looks of concern and fear were exchanged between Gala attendees. A young mare galloped into the ballroom. Fear was plastered upon her face. Tears poured from her eyes like waterfalls. She looked pale as if she had seen a ghost. The frightened mare tripped over her hooves and fell down. Concerned party goers galloped over to her and helped her to her feet as she choked on frightened tears.
The Princesses and Twilight's friends galloped over to see what was wrong.
"Miss, what seems to be the matter?" Celestia asked, her voice filled with concern. The mare took a few shaky deep breaths and wiped her eyes.
"I was out in the garden, looking at the flowers and observing the exotic animals, and while doing so, I found... Oh, god-" The mare trailed off and began sobbing again. Celestia let out a sigh.
"Please, tell us what happened." The Princess urged.
"Dead bodies! I found dead bodies!" The mare cried out as she collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Everypony's eyes went wide. Gasps and concerned whispers floated around the room. More frightened ponies galloped into the ballroom.
"Guards!! Search the premises immediately for anypony acting suspicious! And do not let anypony leave!" Celestia bellowed "Do not fear, everypony! Everything will be okay (I hope)!"
Guards blocked every possible entrance as other guards began to question partygoers. Looks of suspicion and fear were plastered on their faces. A guard trotted over and began to question a couple of mares, then trotted away to question other attendees.
"Scootaloo! Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle! Come here immediately!" Rarity called out. The three young fillies galloped over, looks of fear and concern on their faces.
"Aj? What's goin' on?" Apple Bloom asked. Her older sister only replied with a small shrug.
"We need to get out of here this instance! We're all in danger!" Rarity cried out.
"I agree. Let us leave and find a safe place for the children." Luna spoke.
Princess Celestia's horn began to glow as she prepared to cast a teleportation spell. In the blink of an eye, Twilight and her friends, as well as the sister Princesses, disappeared. More guards entered the ballroom, some leaving to question partygoers outside, and continued interrogating the other partygoers inside. A few minutes later, twenty other partygoers were teleported into the room.
"Attention everypony! This area is under lockdown! Nopony is allowed to leave until we find the murderer or somepony we suspect to be the murder! Please be honest and cooperative! The sooner we can get everything finished, the sooner we can allow you all to go home!" A guard announced.
Whispers of concern floated around the room as guards began to re-interrogate the ponies in the room. A couple of mares trotted up to a guard and pleaded with him to let them go home, claiming that they had a child there that they needed to get back home too. The guard agreed to let them go after thoroughly interrogating them. Something felt off about the two to the guard, but nevertheless, he let them go but kept in mind their appearances just in case.
Partygoers began to get agitated and irritable at the guards for keeping them there but letting those mares go. Soon, small protests broke out as ponies now began to attempt to leave. A few pegasi attempted to flee through the windows, while the ground bounded ponies pushed and shoved at each other and the guards as they tried to leave. Not wanting anypony to get hurt or things to spiral out of control, the guards began to let ponies leave a few at a time.
Ponies began to calm down, but some demanded to be repaid for all the fuss and keeping them locked in at the Gala. Some complained and whined about the situation, claiming the events of tonight would forever ruin the tradition of holding a Grand Galloping Gala on the anniversary that Canterlot was built.
In the end that night, nopony was arrested or taken in for questioning. Celestia did order an extreme increase of guards and city-wide guard patrols. The two mares that had claimed to have a child met at the train station, exchanged a few words and some money and parted ways. One went back to Canterlot while the other bordered the train and left.
A couple of days later, as the investigation of the murders continued, ponies began to go missing. Word reached Celestia and Luna that aside from the citizens of both Ponyville and Canterlot that had gone missing, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were gone as well. The ponies, including the four out of the six Elements of Harmony, seemed to have vanished without a trace. It was almost as if they had never existed at all.
Chapter 1 |Conspiracy Against An Innocent Soul|
"I'm getting sick of watching Glory love all over the mare that should be mine," Dawn Rainfire, a unicorn mare, muttered to herself as she trotted past the front of the police station. She was on her way to the bar downtown. A police officer walked in front of her. The two would have collided if Dawn had not jumped back.
"Hey! Watch it!" Rainfire sneered angrily. The officer, another mare, looked at her. Anger and annoyance were plastered upon her face.
"Sorry." The mare huffed angrily.
"What crawled up your ass and died?" Rainfire sneered in annoyance.
"I'm just pissed off at one of my newer coworkers. The damn rookie took the Captain position I've been working for years to get." The mare replied as she began to walk away. Dawn walked along the officer.
"Her name was Glory Valor, doubt you know her. I'm Deputy Ruby Dreams, by the way." The officer spoke.
"Dawn Rainfire, it's a pleasure to meet you," Dawn spoke "unfortunately, I do know Glory. 'Best friend' my ass."
"What she do to you?" Ruby asked.
"Glory stole the mare I love before I had a chance to confess. I had everything all planned out for a date, but then I found out that Glory had asked her out as I was walking to the mare's house," Rainfire replied bitterly "and to make things worse, they're supposed to get married soon."
Ruby nodded her head a bit before asking, "Did Glory know you love the mare?"
"Yes, actually. Countless times, I've talked about how I was, and still am, in love with Daisy Meadows, Glory's now fiance," Rainfire replied, kicking a stone out of her path "most of the time, I didn't say her name, but I did describe her. I guess I can't be too mad about that or whatever, I suppose."
Ruby nodded her head a bit and looked up at the darkening sky. The two walked in silence for a bit until Rainfire broke it.
"They've been together for a year and a half. I'm getting tired of sitting idly by while my own best friend loves all over the mare of my dreams," She sneered.
"Then you should do something about it," Ruby spoke.
"Like what?" Rainfire asked, sounding a bit intrigued.
Ruby shrugged and trotted forward, "I don't know, but maybe we can plan something over a drink or two. Glory's taken something we both want and didn't think to ask how we or anyone else felt, and something needs to be done, wouldn't you agree?"
A devious, shit-eating grin spread across Dawn's face. A small plan began to form in her head.
"Oh, I agree alright." Dawn snickered. A similar grin spread across Ruby's face as the two headed for the bar. Once there, they walked inside and sat at an isolated table in the back. A waitress trotted up to their table with a smile.
"What will we be having today?" She asked sweetly, holding her notepad and pen out in front of her.
"I'll have a hard apple cider and some onion rings," Ruby replied.
"And I'll have a rum and Cola with some bacon cheddar fries," Dawn replied. The waitress nodded her head and wrote down their orders, then trotted away. Dawn rubbed her right temple and sighed a bit.
"Dawn? Deputy Ruby? Fancy meeting you two here. Why ya looking so glum?" A mare asked as she trotted up to their table.
"Hey there, Ms. Justice. We're just pissed off at somepony and thinking of a way to get back at them." Ruby explained.
"Who?" The mare asked.
"Eli, do you know Glory Valor?" Dawn asked.
"Yes, unfortunately." The mare, Eli Justice, replied. Ruby and Dawn looked at each other, smirks on their faces.
"She do something to you too?" Dawn asked in a mischevious tone.
"Would you care to join our plans to get revenge?" Ruby asked, rubbing her hooves together. Eli looked at each mare, then looked back at the other ponies in the restaurant.
"Yes, she did, and a chance at revenge? No way I'm passing that up," Eli replied, looking at the two mares again. Ruby and Dawn's smirks grew bigger.
"What exactly did she do to you?" Ruby asked. The waitress walked over to the three ponies, carrying a tray of food and drinks with her. Eli waited to reply as the waitress passed out their food and drinks.
"Hello, Judge Eli. Welcome back. Would you like your usual?" The waitress questioned. Eli smiled at the mare.
"Yes, please. Thank you, Velri." Eli replied with a bigger smile. The waitress smiled back and nodded, then walked off.
"Anyways, do you remember when my daughter passed away four years ago?" Eli asked. The other two mares nodded their heads.
"Well, the day she got sick and died in the hospital, Glory was watching her and Hadley, my son. I know she didn't poison Harper, Glory isn't that kind of mare, but it still happened under her watch and my daughter died because Glory wasn't careful," Eli explained "I know she didn't mean to let it happen, but it happened, my daughter is gone, and I can't forgive her for that."
Ruby and Dawn nodded their heads softly. Dawn stared into her glass of rum and Cola as she began to think of a plan. A devious smirk spread across her face.
"I think I know of a way to get rid of Glory and get what we all want." Dawn snickered. Eli and Ruby looked at her.
"Is that so?" Eli questioned. Dawn nodded her head and leaned back in her chair.
"You know those murders that happened at the Gala the other day? I was thinking we could create evidence and whatnot that points to Glory and blame it all on her." Dawn spoke. Ruby and Eli smirked deviously.
"That's perfect," Eli spoke "but how are we going to do that? Everypony who knows Glory knows she's a good pony."
"Exactly, and that's why we've got to fabricate a lie that everypony will believe. One about Glory's 'secret life'." Dawn explained. The three were silent for a bit as each mare thought of lies to fabricate into Glory's 'secret life'.
"Since I grew up with Glory in Vanhoover and we moved here together to go to college, I know her better than anypony here. From time to time, she could be a little stubborn and hard headed, and a bit secretive, so we can use that as a bit leverage," Dawn explained "hmm, this is harder than I thought."
"Oh, I know. Do you two know of that gang downtown?" Ruby questioned. Eli and Dawn nodded their heads.
"Well, the police department has caught a few members, and I'm one of the few deputies looking into the matter. If we go to them, we can ask to see their leader or one of the mares if there are any, have whoever is chosen to dress up like Glory, and I can pretend that I found their hideout and took a picture of Glory and other members." Ruby explained. Rainfire grinned deviously.
"That's perfect. We could even pay them to do so." Dawn spoke.
"To make that even more concrete, if I can find voice changer spell, we could have whoever to speak and say something incriminating," Eli spoke, grinning mischievously. They were briefly interrupted by the waitress again, who gave Judge Eli Justice her usual, a lime vodka martini and chips. The judge thanked her and watched the waitress leave.
"Anyways, that's a perfect plan, just one small problem: how are we going to carry out the plan, but Glory be elsewhere? Somepony would know then that it's a setup." Ruby spoke.
"Hmm. Maybe I can take Glory somewhere, or maybe we could drug her and hide her somewhere for the time period that we carry out the plan." Dawn spoke, tapping her cheek with her hoof.
"My husband is a doctor, so he keeps anesthetics in the cabinet. We've only ever used it to numb Hadley's mouth when he needs a toothed pulled out," Eli explained "so maybe I could get some and drug Glory somehow, and time it so that she'd wake up and walk home after we 'catch her' being 'apart' of the gang." Dawn and Ruby nodded in agreement.
"So it's settled then? We begin the plan tonight at midnight, meeting at my house, and go from there?" Dawn questioned.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Ruby spoke.
"Agreed," Eli spoke.
The three mares looked at each other with mischevious grins.
