A is for Applejack

by ArtaFactia

Rating: teen
Tags: Mystery, Rarity, Adventure, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5836

When Granny Smith dies, everypony is sure she died of natural causes. Applejack, however, isn't so sure.

Applejack, Big Mac, and Applebloom wake up to find that their grandmother, Granny Smith, has passed away. Everypony is sure that her death is merely the result of natural causes, of her age finally catching up with her. But Applejack gets the feeling that something isn't right about her grandmother's death, and she enlists the help of Pinkie Pie and Rarity to investigate.

Will her friends be able to solve this mystery? Is there even a mystery there at all?

Published 2016-08-30 01:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-08-31 23:25:25 UTC

Ch. 2 - Habemus Corpus

Rarity lifted her hoof and knocked smartly on the door to Sugarcube Corner. The sign hanging inside said 'Closed', and was accompanied by a notice pinned on the outside of the door informing patrons of the brief sabbatical of its owners. While she waited for Pinkie, her eyes rested on the notice, and she tittered quietly at some amusing thought that it inspired.

"Cominggggg!" came the bright and sugary cry of Pinkie Pie from inside, and a moment later the door opened, Pinkie Pie stepping out and closing the door behind her. Her cotton-candy mane was somewhat hidden under the large deerstalker cap atop her head, and saddlebags bulged at her sides with their unknown contents.

"I see you were true to your word about the hat, darling."

"Well, duhhhh! Why would I ask to wear the hat if I wasn't going to wear it? That's just silly!"

"...point taken. It always surprises me to hear something rational from the most irrational mare I know." Rarity booped Pinkie gently on the nose, and Pinkie giggled.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Now let's go! We can't keep Big Mac and Applejack waiting!"

"Truer words were never spoken! Every moment we spend standing here jabbering is one better spent investigating." The two friends started on their way, walking through the market, waving and smiling in kind to the other residents of Ponyville. Pinkie's deerstalker cap drew quite a few stares (pretty much anything Pinkie wore or did was apt to draw attention), but those stares were followed by soft laughter and shakes of the head. 'Oh that Pinkie Pie, she's a hoot', the laughter said. "Might I ask what you have in your saddlebags, Pinkie? They look as if they're fit to burst!"

"Cupcakes, and lots of them!"

"Oh?"

"Yes, cupcakes! Applejack, Big Mac, and Applebloom are going through a rough time right now, and I know something sweet always helps me when I'm feeling blue instead of pink, so I thought they might like some cupcakes to help cheer them up a little!"

"Why, Pinkie, that's — for the lack of a better word — quite sweet of you! Are you sure you're not trying to dethrone me as the Element of Generosity?" Rarity raised a brow, the corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly. "I'll have you know I won't take this lying down, you devious usurper, you."

"I've already got a throne! It's got my cutie mark on it! Silly Rarity." Pinkie said, rolling her eyes. Rarity let out an unladylike snort of laughter, then paused in her tracks, watching Pinkie walking along. Pinkie walking — instead of bouncing, as she was wont to do — was a rare sight, so undoubtedly the silly mare had been taken down a few pegs with the advent of Granny Smith's death. Pinkie walked a few steps ahead, then stopped, turning to look back at the fixed fashionista. "What?"

"Oh...n-nothing. It's strange seeing you more sober than you usually are, Pinkie dear. You're taking this quite seriously, aren't you?"

"Of course I am." Pinkie Pie responded in a hushed tone, barely louder than a whisper. "I believe Applejack. She's so certain that something is up, and so I'm certain too." Rarity stood there and gawked at this strange new 'Pinkie', still not moving. "Earth to Rarityyyy! Come on! Let's get going!"

"O-oh! Yes, yes. Of course." Rarity increased her inertia and continued on the road to Sweet Apple Acres, sticking close to Pinkie as they walked. "You're a good friend, Pinkie." Pinkie giggled softly, but said nothing more.

* * *

"Mornin' Pinkie, Miss Rarity." Big Mac ushered the two mares into the farmhouse. It was deathly quiet inside, which was appropriate, given the current circumstances. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly at a loss for what to say. "Applejack's in the living-room with Granny. Err, with her body. Ah...Ah'm sorry, this is jes'..." Tears pricked at the edges of his eyes, and Pinkie opened her mouth to speak, but it was Rarity who did the speaking.

"Pinkie, would you be a dear and head to the living-room? I'll be there in a moment. I'd like to speak briefly with Macintosh."

"Uh...yeah, sure." Pinkie turned to go, then turned back, looking like she wanted to add a word in edgewise, but then sighed and did as she was told, leaving Rarity standing next to the quietly crying Macintosh Apple.

"Macintosh, I...I realize that this is a rather painful situation for all involved, but especially you and your sisters. Granny Smith basically raised you, didn't she? She was like a mother and a grandmother rolled into one. Losing her must be like losing part of your world."

"Eeeyup..." He sniffled, nodding his head and casting his gaze to the floor. "Ah feel...lost without her. And if losin' her weren't enough, then there's this whole business of foul play. D'ya think AJ's right? D'ya think somepony'd hurt mah Granny?"

"I can't say just yet, since I haven't yet looked at Granny or her bedroom. It seems hard to believe to me as well, that somepony would want to hurt her, but in my experience it's the unbelievable that often transpires. Given a sufficient motive, then yes, I think somepony might. But let's not put the cart before the pony." She turned and looked down the corridor to the doorway leading into the living-room, where she could hear Pinkie and Applejack quietly talking. "Let's see what there is to see first."

"Ah'm comin' in there too." Big Mac stomped the floor with his hoof, a look of determination breaking through his tears. "Ah want to be there for this."

"It is entirely your right, of course." She moved down the hall, Big Mac following at her side. "And Macintosh?"

"Yes, Miss Rarity?"

"If you ever need somepony to talk to...feel free to call on me, all right?" Rarity gently lay her hoof on his shoulder, her soft touch bringing him to a halt. She could feel the solid muscle mass shifting under his red coat as he turned to look at her, his green eyes searching her own. What passed between them was less than platonic, given the way their eyes dilated as they stared deeply at each other. It was strange to think that the heavy veil of grief could be parted for even a moment, but part it did, allowing this overt spark of attraction to happen. Rarity had never really had much in the way of interaction with him before; this conversation was the most they'd ever spoken to each other. The look he gave her suggested that his mind was working along the same lines, longing oozing out of his gaze. His heart quickened and she could feel it thrumming under her hoof. The moment was brief but undeniably powerful, and when make finally recovered and spoke, his voice was husky and soft.

"All right. Thank you. Ah'd like that."

* * *

"Rarity! Mac! Come here!" Applejack waved them in hurriedly. "Pinkie Pie, tell 'em what ya jes' told me." Rarity and Macintosh joined them beside the cold, still form of Granny Smith resting in her casket. Pinkie's hair had once again deflated, the seriousness and the sadness of the situation sobering the exuberant mare even further.

"I know what it is Applejack saw! Look!" She pointed at Granny Smith's face. "Can you see it? Can you?"

"Um...what precisely are we to see, darling?" Rarity asked, and Pinkie Pie groaned.

"She's FROWNING! Look!" Pinkie gently placed her hooves on the loose folds around Granny's aged face, and pulled them taut, smoothing out her countenance. With rigor mortis set in, the muscles had stiffened up, and there was indeed a slight frown on her forehead. "And not only that, look at her jaw. When she died she was clenching her jaw!" Pinkie sniffled. "She did not die peacefully."

"Now that you've pointed it out, Ah can see it." Macintosh swallowed audibly, his lower lip quivering. "Only Applejack saw it, though, and Ah 'spect Ah know why." He turned to look at his sister, giving her a grim smile. "Of the three of us, Applejack probably saw her frown the most." Rarity and Pinkie looked at Applejack inquiringly, who was blushing with embarrassment.

"All right, Ah guess there's no point hidin' anythin' now. Ah was a bit of a hellion when Ah was Applebloom's age, and caused Granny more trouble and heartbreak than she really needed. Ah eventually smartened up, of course, and behaved mahself, but Ah never forgot the way she frowned. Ah knew her frowns like the back of mah hoof."

"That explains why her death felt off to you, then. She appears to have passed unhappily. Still...is it at all possible she may have been having a nightmare?" Rarity asked, reaching into her saddlebags for a notebook and a pencil, scribbling down notes with her telekinesis.

"That's jes' the thing. As far as any of us know, she never had a nightmare in her life. Granny napped an awful lot during the day, and not once did she ever frown or whimper. It's out of the ordinary for Granny, and that's ultimately why Ah think somethin' ain't right about this whole situation."

"Hmmm. Nurse Redheart came to confirm her death, yes?" Applejack nodded. "Did she say what the cause of death was?"

"She said that Granny's heart stopped, that it gave out, but she didn't think there was anythin' suspicious about that. Granny was old, she said, as if Ah didn't know it. Yes, she was, a fact a great many ponies have pointed out. But Ah'm sure she still had a few years left in her."

"Was she able to pinpoint the time of death?"

"She said it was around midnight. We found her jes' after five in the morning, afore the cock crowed." She shared a glance with her brother. "Granny was already stiff by then." Mac nodded sadly.

Rarity tapped her chin with the eraser of her pencil, then turned to look at Granny Smith again. "If Granny were a younger pony, then there'd be a bigger to-do about the manner of death. Her killer, if indeed there was a killer, would be counting on the fact that the death of an old pony would be less scrutinized. Surely, then, there must be a clue on her that Nurse Redheart overlooked." She put the notebook down and stood over the body, looking at Granny's face, then moved down along her neck and barrel to her hindlegs. When she hesitantly spread Granny's legs, Macintosh turned away, covering his eyes, and Applejack blushed.

"Is checking her there really necessary, Rarity?" Rarity sighed and looked up from her inspection, looking at Applejack with a neutral expression.

"Applejack, darling, may I remind you that you specifically asked Pinkie and me to inspect her body? I do not like this any more than you do. There are, unfortunately, many unsavoury individuals in Equestria, and one must take into account the possibility of their involvement as well as their...predilections. I was just checking to see if our culprit had done anything unseemly to her. From a cursory glance, I think we can safely say that her feminine honour was upheld."

"Phew. G-good to know." Applejack let out a sigh of relief. Rarity closed Granny's legs and continued her inspection up the other side of the old mare's body, her eyes once again looking at her head. Presently she gasped, and leaned in to look at Granny Smith's left ear. "What? Did ya find somethin'?"

"Granny Smith wasn't in the habit of wearing jewellery, am I correct?"

"Well, yeah, she had neither time nor interest in that frou-frou stuff." Rarity rolled her eyes but let Applejack continue. "Why do ya ask?"

"Because it appears there is a hole in her left ear."

"What?!" Applejack, Big Mac, and Pinkie Pie shouted in simultaneous disbelief, and they all crowded around Granny, looking at the aforementioned ear. "Granny never wore jewellery, let alone have her ears pierced." Rarity nodded, a small smile crawling across her face. "Hold on a minute, what's that behind her ear?" Rarity frowned and pulled the ear back, and everypony gasped. "There's a puncture wound in her neck!"

"Curiouser and curiouser..." Rarity stared hard at the wound, then at the hole in the ear. "They appear to line up. Something sharp stabbed through her ear and into her neck. Why not just stab her in the neck?"

"Maybe they slipped!" All eyes turned to Pinkie. "Like, maybe they meant to go for the neck and slipped and stabbed through the ear by mistake." Rarity beamed at Pinkie, and she leaned over to give her a nuzzle.

"That is a very good theory, Pinkie! Yes...yes, that very well could be what happened! Surely the killer would have staked his or her mark first, and made note of the fact that Granny did not have pierced ears. If the puncturing of the ear was a mistake, it could be that they slipped, or..." Rarity paused, staring at the puncture mark, pondering. "...or perhaps they were nervous."

"Nervous?" Applejack asked. "What'd make 'em nervous? Couldn't be any one of us, we were all sleepin' like a bunch of logs."

"Perhaps our culprit had never killed anypony before, and they accidentally stabbed Granny through the ear in their nervousness? Either they had a sufficient motive to overcome their qualms and take action on their own, or they were pressured to act at somepony else's behest."

"Ya mean like a contract killin'?" Big Mac asked, and he blushed as Rarity turned to him, eyebrow raised. "Ah...Ah read too. Ah like mysteries as well. Jes' never thought Ah'd be smack dab in the middle of one mahself."

"Well! Perhaps we have been remiss in not asking you to sleuth as well, Macintosh. What do you make of the puncture wound on her neck?"

Macintosh leaned in, looking at the small mark. "Whatever pierced her neck didn't hit any major arteries, Ah guess. A little blood would come out but that could easily be cleaned up. A lot of blood would be somethin' else entirely." Rarity nodded, encouraging him to continue. "And since Granny didn't bleed to death, then...maybe...poison?"

"Ah. Poison. A timeless method of doing away with somepony. You know that they call poison 'the mare's weapon'?" Rarity scoffed, shaking her head. "I am sure there are just as many stallions who'd be keen to use poison as mares. But perhaps in this case it holds water."

"Why do ya say that?"

"Because there is the faint scent of perfume on Granny Smith, and I'm fairly certain it doesn't belong to her." A strange scene then ensued with Applejack, Big Mac, and Pinkie leaning in to sniff at Granny Smith.

"Jes' barely, but yeah, Ah smell it." Mac said.

"Smells like juniper berries!" Pinkie shouted. Applejack took another sniff and nodded.

"Definitely like juniper berries. Pinkie's got a good nose on her."

"Gotta have a good nose as a baker!" Pinkie crowed, bouncing on her hooves, her mane poofing back into its usual curly mess. Obviously some life had come back into the bubbly pink mare despite the somber occasion. "And speaking of baking, I've got a TON of cupcakes for you! Well, not a ton, but a lot, I didn't actually weigh them but my saddlebags were pretty heavy when I slung them over my back!"

"That's sweet of ya, Pinkie." Applejack gave Pinkie a warm hug. "But let's have 'em a little later, yeah? We should continue our investigatin'."

"Okie-dokie-lokie!" Pinkie pulled a notebook and pencil out of her mane and quickly made a note in it. "'Cupcakes...for...later.' Got it!" Applejack sniggered, and Rarity joined in. Pinkie's inane ramblings drove them all crazy, but an Equestria without Pinkie Pie seemed bleak. Pinkie brought the little bursts of cheer they sorely needed to keep from giving in to despair. Even though Big Mac didn't laugh with them, Rarity could still see the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. Pinkie: 1, Sadness: 0.

"And speaking of continuing the investigation, I suggest we move on to the scene of the crime: her bedroom." Rarity turned to Big Mac and gently laid her hoof on his. A moment like the one earlier in the hallway washed over the two ponies again, and they stared at each other speechlessly until Applejack cleared her throat, startling them out of their reverie. "Um...I-I think we're done with Granny Smith now, Macintosh, so...I guess you'll want to prepare her for...for burial, yes?" He nodded dumbly, then stood up.

"Y-yeah. Ah'll do that. Y'all head along upstairs. Ah'll see ya later, Miss Rarity." He said, turning away. "Oh, and you too, Applejack and Pinkie. See all three of y'all later."

As the three mares left the living-room, heading for the stairs, Applejack stopped Rarity and stood before her, eyeing her dubiously. "Now jes' what was that?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea of what you are talking about, Applejack, dear." Rarity shuffled awkwardly on her hooves, avoiding direct eye contact. Applejack snorted and shook her head.

"Well, when yer ready to admit to yer feelings for mah brother, be sure to let me know."

"F-feelings? For Macintosh? I...I...um...I don't..."

"Nevermind. Let's jes' get back to work."

"Y-yes, let's."

Author's Note

RariMac? Why not. Even in a murder mystery I can't keep myself from shipping. :rainbowlaugh:

Ch. 1 - The Death of Granny Smith

The pigs were sleeping soundly, snoring away in their pen. The hens in the henhouse, all lined up neatly in their individual nests, had their heads buried under their wings, and Mr. Rooster hadn't yet cracked open his beady black eyes. There was just a slip of light on the horizon, a suggestion of dawn, and already there was movement in the farmhouse at Sweet Apple Acres.

"Mornin'," Applejack said as she walked over to her brother, who was standing on the threshold of the kitchen. Big Mac gave her a smile and a nod, then turned back to look at the kitchen in confusion. Applejack followed his gaze and was equally dumbfounded, taking off her hat and scratching her head. "Well don't that beat all. Granny's not up yet? She's always up before any of us!"

"Eeeeeyup."

"Mornin' Applejack, Mornin' Mac!" Applebloom, like any member of the Apple clan, was no sack of lazybones, and she was up within minutes of her older siblings. "Why are y'all just starin' into the kitchen?"

"Granny ain't up yet, apparently."

"But she's always up before the three of us!"

"Ah know. She always is. Maybe she's feelin' a little sick?" Applejack donned her hat again, and ignored the growling of her stomach. She needed breakfast. They all needed breakfast. Sure, they could make their own food if they needed to, but for as long as they could remember, Granny Smith was always up at dawn, cooking up some victuals for her family. Heck, she'd even made them breakfast the last time she came down with a case of the cold. For her not to be up and about... "Applebloom, you go check and see if Granny is all right. And if'n she's sick, give us a holler. Ah'm gonna start on breakfast."

"Okay! Back in a flash!" Applebloom saluted her sister and then was gone in a burst of foalish energy.

"That filly..." Applejack said, chuckling softly and shaking her head. Big Mac stationed himself at the table, and Applejack decided she would make some of her famous Apple Crisp Porridge, a recipe that even wowed Granny Smith, who was no slouch when it came to apple dishes. Apples, cinnamon, oats, brown sugar, butter, a little bit of flour...common ingredients just waiting to be transformed into the breakfast dish to end all breakfast dishes! Applejack was the Element of Honesty, and she was definitely honest about the pride she felt whenever anyone complimented her on her Apple Crisp Porridge.

"Ah sure hope Granny's all right," she said over her shoulder to Big Mac. "Funny to think we'd get thrown into a tizzy over somethin' like breakfast, but...it just ain't ordinary, yeah?"

"Eeeeyup."

"Granny's been getting up afore all of us all our lives, and will keep doin' it until the day she dies." She paused, then turned to look at Big Mac, worry written all over her face. "Y-you don't think..."

"Nope." He said firmly, clopping the table with his hoof for emphasis, but he looked worried as well.

"Yeah. Ah agree wit' ya. Granny'll spite the Reaper and live forever, as far as Ah'm concerned."

She had no sooner pulled out the pots and pans when they heard Applebloom shriek. "APPLEJACK! BIG MAC! COME Q-QUICK!"

The two of them thundered out of the kitchen and then up the stairs, racing their way to the end of the hall. Even though she was slow and her hip acted up now and then, Granny had insisted on the farthest room. Applejack swore an oath under her breath, cursing the added distance.

When they burst into the room, they found Applebloom up on Granny Smith's bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had her hooves on the old mare's shoulders, and she was shaking Granny's still and unresponsive form. "G-Granny. W-w-wake up. Wake up!" Applejack and Big Mac stepped forward to the side of the bed, looking down at their grandmother. Big Mac was the first to lose his composure, crashing down onto his haunches and bawling like a little colt. Applejack stared at Granny's face, her desperate eyes no doubt looking for any signs of life, finding none. Tears were brimming in her eyes, but her expression was arrested from sorrow for a long moment, suspicion and anger warring across her face. Then the tears overtook her and flooded her eyes, her face crumpling into a mask of despair, and she threw back her head, braying at the top of her lungs.

"GRANNYYYYYYYYY!"

* * *

The Next Afternoon

Ponies had come out in force; it seemed all of Ponyville was there, and then some, for the funeral of Granny Smith. Granny and her family had been instrumental in the formation of Ponyville, with ponies coming for the famed Zap Apple Jam and staying, putting down roots. Houses and businesses had sprouted up as quickly as the apple trees in the orchards, and Ponyville had been born. Ponyville was like her extended family, and hours went by as pony after pony got up on the podium, sharing touching (and sometimes humorous) anecdotes about the late Mrs. Smith.

"When ponies made fun of my braces when I was a filly, Granny Smith stuck a clothes hanger in her mouth and made me laugh away my worries," said Cheerilee.

"Granny and I went on a date when we were both so young and carefree," said Chaplain in his thin, reedy voice, a grey earth pony stallion who looked to be nearly as old as Granny had been. "But alas, it was not to be. I pined after her something fierce. Time heals all wounds, though, and eventually that ache receded. Still, if we had gotten together...Applejack, Big Mac, and Applebloom would be my beloved grandfoals!" Applejack visibly shuddered, and when she turned to look at her siblings, they too shuddered where they sat.

"I don't know where my family and I would be today without Granny Smith." Filthy Rich's voice quivered as he spoke, the business stallion on the verge of tears. "She helped start Ponyville, and made my family prosper. And beyond that, she was...w-was...l-like a grandmother to me t-t-too..." It was about right then that the waterworks came, and his wife came and walked him off of the stage. Diamond Tiara followed after her parents, but not before pausing to give Applebloom a big hug, a few tears streaking down her pink cheeks.

"She was a friend to all sorts of animals." Ponies leaned forward, straining to make out Fluttershy's words, even with her voice amplified by the microphone. "She taught me some things even I didn't know! She was a very wise mare, but mostly, she was kind. I'll miss her a lot and Ponyville just won't be the same without her."

On it went, whether it was a quick experience or a long and winding epic, until the sun had begun to set. If everypony had gotten a chance to speak, then it probably would have gone on for days. Mayor Mare wisely called an end to the speeches, and ponies began to disperse, some lingering behind to offer their condolences. The red sun was half devoured by the horizon when all that remained were Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and the Apple siblings. Tearful hugs were shared between them (even Rainbow Dash was crying, the pegasus apparently putting aside the cares of her 'image' for the moment), and all of them sat together, looking dejected and lost.

"Thank y'all for comin," Applejack said to her friends. "It means a lot to us. To me."

"Well of course, darling. We know how much she meant to you. I think only Fluttershy out of the five of us was really close with her, but I feel her loss nonetheless." Rarity wiped away a tear, and in the process smudged her mascara. "If there's anything you need, only say the word." Murmurs of assent came from the others, all of them happy to help out their friend.

"Actually...there is somethin'..." Applejack began, and Big Mac turned to her with a frown.

"Ah thought we discussed this, sis. Ah know it's hard and all, but bein' in denial..."

"Ah'm NOT in denial!" She shouted, and all of them winced at the volume of her outburst. "S-sorry." She turned to look at her friends. "Could y'all head to the castle throne room? Ah've got somethin' Ah want to talk to you about. Ah'll catch up to ya shortly. Jes' gotta work things out first with Mac." The five of them traded looks, then nodded.

"Of course! See you there!" Rainbow Dash saluted, then sped off, leaving a rainbow trail behind her. The others followed in her polychromatic wake, leaving Applejack with her siblings. Applejack turned to face her brother again, who was still frowning, chewing loudly on the stalk dangling from his mouth.

* * *

"Sorry fer takin' so long. Mac is as stubborn as Ah am, so it weren't easy to get him to agree with what Ah wanted."

"It's no problem at all," Twilight said softly, watching as Applejack hopped up into her throne. "Emotions are running rather high..."

"And low!"

"...yes, and low, thank you, Pinkie." Pinkie's hair fell straight on her shoulders and back instead of being in its usual poofy-cotton-candy-bed-mane-the-bane-of-all-hairdressers-and-fashionistas state, and though she was smiling, the smile was obviously forced. Even the most cheerful pony in the universe couldn't escape the sadness that came with the loss of Granny Smith.

"So what's the sitch?" A puffy-eyed Rainbow Dash leaned forward, hooves upon the map table. "Like Rarity said, anything you need. Lay it on us!" Applejack smiled faintly, then looked down at the table, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Ah...Ah was wonderin' if...if y'all would help me investigate Granny's death."

The silence that fell over the room was so total that you could hear a pin drop. And then a pin did drop, and Pinkie quickly picked it up, blurting out a quiet 'sorry'.

"Applejack...are you...do you have reason to believe that there is something suspicious about her death?" Twilight leaned forward as well, her brow knitted together in a slight frown.

"Ah'm not sure. Ah can't seem to put mah hoof on it, but somethin' jes' don't seem right. Ah looked at her, laying there in her bed, still as a stone, and...and Ah don't know what Ah saw, but it felt...wrong."

"So this is all based on a feeling?" Rainbow blurted out. "That's not much to go on. Have you been borrowing those detective novels from Rarity or something? What, do you think she was..." Rainbow hesitated, all eyes on her. "...murdered?" Everypony except for Applejack gasped as the word was uttered. Applejack looked at her friends, seeing the look in their eyes, the looks of shock, of disbelief, of pity.

"Y'all think Ah'm a silly pony, don't ya? W-well Ah'm not! Ah swear to you, Ah'm not! Somethin' ain't right, and Ah'm determined to find out what. Will ya help me? Twilight?"

"As much as I'd like to help with the investigation, I need to get to work on my plans for the upcoming visit of the Saddle Arabians. They loved Ponyville so much that they wanted to come back again, sooner rather than later. And I'm already behind on my planning as it is. So...unfortunately, I can't spare much in the way of time."

"Dash?"

"Look...I'd love to help, really...even if I'm kinda skeptical about the whole thing...but I'm due back at the Wonderbolt Academy tonight, and I've got drills first thing in the morning. And then flight practice for our new routine over the course of the next two weeks. Sorry, AJ. I'm booked solid."

"Fluttershy?" Desperation was creeping into Applejack's voice and expression, and all of them shuffled awkwardly in their thrones.

"I've got the bunny census tomorrow...and then I'm off to a veterinary conference for several days. Tree Hugger's going to watch my place and my animals. I'm not really all that good at investigating anyway...and...murderers are scary..."

Applejack looked as if she was holding herself back from pulling out her straw-coloured mane, and she turned to look with wild eyes on Pinkie and Rarity. "Pinkie Pie? Rarity? Please, please, pleaaaaaase tell me yer available to help me. Please!" Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but Pinkie beat her to the punch.

"YEP!" Applejack sat back in her seat, surprised. Pinkie nodded emphatically, her mane poofing back into its normal state. "Normally this time of year we've got lots of cake orders and Mr. and Mrs. Cake always take them but this year they said to heck with it this is the best time of year to visit Californeigha so they closed up the shop and said 'Pinkie, don't worry about running the place in our stead, Ponyville will still be here when we get back and so will our customers' so I said 'Okie-dokie-lokie! Pinkie Pie Vacation Party Time!' and I was planning a party for myself I KNOW RIGHT I always throw parties for other ponies but MYSELF? That's unheard of and—" Her rambling was stopped by the timely intervention of Rarity's hoof. Rainbow Dash looked over at Rarity, mouthing the words 'thank you'.

"Pinkie, darling, please get to the point."

"Oh. Oh! Okay. So yes, I'd be happy to help you solve this mystery! Remember when we were on the train to Canterlot with the MMMM and then you all took a bite when I wasn't looking and I was all 'ELEMENTARY' and Twilight was all 'QUITE' and I solved the mystery?"

"Pinkie, may Ah remind you that you blamed that griffon fellow and said that he cut it with a buzzsaw," Applejack held up her hoof, tapping on it with her other hoof with each point she made, "then you blamed Donut Joe and said he cut it with lasers, and then finally you accused that poor old mule of being a ninja?"

"Yes, but then Twilight was all 'ELEMENTARY' and I was all 'QUITE' and Twilight solved the mystery of the cake and then I went 'Ohhhhhh! That's how you do it!' and used Twilight's methods and I solved the mystery of who devoured the other desserts! I know how to investigate now because of Twilight!" Twilight looked over at Pinkie, giggling softly behind her hoof, and there could be seen a touch of pride in the alicorn's eyes.

"Hmm. All right. You made yer point. And thank you, Pinkie. Ah really appreciate you offerin' to help." She turned towards Rarity, who up until now had been almost as quiet as Fluttershy. "Rarity? You in?"

"Yes, darling, I am." Her words were quiet at first, but as she continued they got louder, more certain. "As I'm sure you'll recall, when Rainbow was unjustly accused of conning her way into performing with the Wonderbolts, I set out to use the techniques I'd learned from reading the Shadow Spade novels, and combined them with my keen eye for detail, and managed to reveal the true culprit—"

"You really saved my flank there, Rares!"

"You're quite welcome, Rainbow. Now where was I? Oh yes. I'd be glad to do it again, and see if I can't shed some light on the matter. Not only am I willing to do this, but I am able. The fashion world is in a lull this week and next, and I have very few orders, and those I have are rather simple pieces I can put together in no time. Now...your intuition is telling you that something isn't right, correct?"

"Darn tootin'."

"Well then, trust your intuition, darling! Do not doubt yourself. Even if you can't put into words what disturbed you so, you know with a certainty that something about Granny Smith's death is fishy. I suspect you'll want Pinkie and me to look at her bedroom?"

"Yes, her bedroom and...w-well...her." Another collective gasp from the room. Rarity shuddered slightly, but then composed herself and gave Applejack a firm nod.

"Very well. We shall have a look at her body. Neither Pinkie nor I have any medical expertise, though, so we may not be able to tell you much. I suspect this is what you and Big Mac were fighting about?"

"Yeah...he wanted to bury her right away, but Ah begged him to hold off one more day so we could inspect her body. He feels Ah'm bein' really disrespectful to her, but Ah'm doin' what Ah'm doin' because Ah respect her so much! Ah don't like keepin' her out of the ground any more than Mac does, but Ah know there's somethin' to be learned from her body, Ah jes' know it! Ah finally wore him down, though, and he agreed. Even if Ah had to do all his chores from now to eternity, it'd be worth it. And if Ah'm wrong? If Ah'm wrong about all this? Ah 'spect we'll know pretty darn quick, and then we can put an end to this fool's errand."

"I guess we'll just have to see, won't we?" Rarity hopped off her throne and trotted over to Applejack, patting her on the hoof. "Never fear, Detective Rarity is on the case!"

"And Detective Pinkie! Hey, hey, can I wear the hat again?"

"...yes, Pinkie, you may. If it will help you focus your...unique talents...on the investigation, then yes, by all means."

"YAY!"