Corona Crimson stood out front the ever radiant castle that shined brighter than usual tonight. Corona looks down at his watch amazed, late as usual. The crimson colored pegasus began tapping his hoof on the ground waiting for his friends. After what felt like 10 minutes a carriage pulled up infront of the castle and out came a white unicorn stallion along with a white pegusus mare. "Winter, Dai you two are finally here." Said Corona as he walked forward to meet his friends. Daioblys straightened his tie and looked at his friend "Sorry there was a bit of a hold up on the road a pair of trash carts you know how it goes." Corona looked at his other friend Winter Star who was standing close to Daioblys "So where is everypony else?" Daioblys asked looking around for the rest of their group.
"They are inside they all got here on time." Corona said
"Right let's not keep them waiting." Daioblys said as the three walk into the radiant castle of Princess Twilight Sparkle.
As the three enter the castle they notice that the main room has been illuminated and decorated to look like one of the elegant ballrooms you would usually find in Canterlot. Winter notices a white unicorn with brown spots waving at the trio and guides Daioblys and Corona to the table the mare sat at. "Cookie." Winter called as she approached the table where the unicorn, and two other stallions sat. An orange earth pony and a brown pegasus. The table was set with the finest set of silverware any of the three had seen.
"We saved you three some seats." Said the orange earth pony
"Thanks Comet." said Daioblys as he took his seat next to a brown pegasus.
"So Crono what took these two so long?" asked the pegasus.
"Woody just don't worry about it we are all here now and that's alright."
"You know Cookie we need to find more mares to hang out with cause it's always us and four other stallions." said Winter to the spotted unicorn.
"Are we really that bad?" asked Woody from across the table.
"No but a bit when we try to talk about personal that only mares would understand you four butt in and interrupt." replied Cookie.
"Fair enough." said Corona
The lights dim as a spot light shines itself at a podium where Twilight Sparkle stood notecards in her magic aura. "Thank you all for attending it was very generous of you all to work together to build a new library to replace Golden Oaks after the incident with Tirek. With the help of all of you we where able to complete the library and open it to the public on time. I would like to extend a special thanks to the construction team and to Amethyst Star for getting books from all over Equestria to fill the library." After the sentence had finished the crowd erupts in cheer. As Twilight steps away from the podium she smiles and threw her notecards away relived that she did not have to use them.
After Twilight has taken her seat a set of waiters began to serve food and drink to the tables of ponies. One by one ponies where served and the group of six begin to eat Daioblys spoke up and said "You know I can't believe it took this long for her to have the idea to build a new library."
"Well things are always so hectic around here you never quite know when she has time for anything. " said Comet
"True, I guess." said Daioblys as he takes a bite of his salad.
The night goes by ponies dance, eat, and enjoy one another's company. Some times during the night the group began to wander to the dance area and began to socialize with other ponies met on the floor. The night was peaceful until as if a gun had been shot the entire room goes silent when an ear piercing scream is heard from the bathroom. A group of ponies walk over to the source of the scream and all began to scream themselves. Corona and Comet walk to the crowd and get a look at what all the commotion is about. To there shock the two stallions see not spilled punch or anything feeble like that. Instead they see the dead corpse of Amethyst Star guts spilled on the flood with her horn missing from her head. Crowds begin running to the exit door but no mater how many of them try to open it the doors won't open. Painic takes the room as ponies begin to run all about the room to hide and cower.
As Twilight approaches her podium to try and calm the crowd she notices a notecard that has something written on it. She approaches the podium and begins to speak to the crowd yelling for everypony to stop. As the crowd begins to settle down she announces "There is a murderer on the lose in this castle. We need to find out which of us are the killer and I see it fitting that I lead the search."
"Why you?" yells a mare from the crowd
"Because" ,Twilight replied, "I have the first clue." As she holds up the notecard. To show the room murmurs and whispering begins to over take the crowd. Corona looks to his friends and asks "What do you five think do we trust her after all she has the first clue to a murder?"
"I have to agree not five minutes after finding the Amethyst dead." said Cookie
"I feel like there is something suspicious about this but I feel like she didn't do it." said Winter
"Look I don't care what she says I'm investing this myself." said Comet
"Don't be stupid Comet a killer on the lose and you want to go alone not happening." said Woody
"You know I could probably figure this out much faster than she can." replied Comet
"Woody has a point we need to stick together if we want to survive this Comet." said Daioblys
"Ok then we stay to listen to the princess's plan if we don't agree we split from this main room and investigate on our own. All in favor of this idea say I." said Corona
"I." said Cookie
"I." said Daioblys
"I." said Comet reluctantly
"I." said Winter
"I." said Woody
"Then it's settled we wait to see what the princess has to say." Corona said lifting his head to look at the Princess of Friendship. The group slowly begins to walk to where the princess was standing waiting for to explain her plan.
Author's Note
This is my first chapter of my first work so please leave constructive criticism below
The six ponies stood in front of the stage area where princess Twilight was standing, waiting to hear her plan to find the killer that was in the midst of the ponies in the castle of Twilight Sparkle. The crowd around them began to calm down, and slowly began to patiently wait for the princess to speak. As the last pony took their spot in the big wide room, Twilight began to count of how many ponies were in the room with her. Once she had finished counting, she moved slowly to the podium and cleared her throat. "I need everypony's attention please! Right then. Now there are twenty-five ponies here in attendance including myself, spike, and Amethyst Star. Unfortunately due to the unfortunate event of tonight, our count is now twenty-four. As well I have found this notecard on my podium."
"Well what does it say?" a random pony in the crowd said.
"I was getting to that." she replied as she clears her throat a second time. "My my princess. You should be careful who you trust, otherwise you may end up like your poor poor friend."
Murmurs broke out amongst the crowd, as ponies began to give each other dirty looks. The small group of friends looked around, trying to make sense of the situation. "What do we do? This is bad. very very bad." Winter said.
"Well the princess never did tell us her plan. We should wait for it. Then make our major decisions." Daibolys said.
"That's right." Cookie said as she remembered the plan that Corona suggested.
"Well what is this plan of yours princess?" Comet said rather irritated.
"Right," Twilight began, "What I suggest is that we split into groups of three ponies and begin searching through different parts of the castle looking for clues as to who had committed this atrocity. We will all meet on an hourly basis in a set location. Now, I will give you all time to talk amongst yourselves and make a decision." She then left the podium to speak with Spike.
"So what do you guys think?" Corona said, looking at his friends.
"It sounds like a good plan." Woody said.
"Good but ultimately flawed. Because if a group gets lost, then nopony has a clue as to where they are in reference to the checkpoint." Comet said.
"He has a point. Not to mention the small groups would make it easier to get attacked, but by staying in a larger group we may be able to get the edge on the killer." Daibolys said.
"That may be true. But if the other be with us, will we be able to even notice weather or not they were our ally or just waiting to kill us?" Comet said looking around the room at the other ponies.
"We may want to stay together, because we all know it was none of us. After all, we spent all night together. None of us left." Winter said breaking her silence.
"I agree. The six of us should stick together. But if we just leave, the princess would just become suspicious that six ponies decided to leave and take their own initiative on investigating this." Corona said.
"What if we asked her if we can just take our group of six and check in with everypony at the given place?" Cookie suggested.
"That sounds like a good idea. But who will be the one to ask?" Winter asked.
"I will." Daibolys said as he turned toward to the princess.
A few minutes after Daibolys had left, ponies began to go toward Twilight, as if they had all made their decisions. Daibolys returned the expression on his face unreadable. The room grew silent again as Twilight began to walk back to the podium. "Now then, those of you who are going on the hunt for the kill, please come to the front of the room." Twilight said as every pony in the room began to slowly move forward towards the podium area. "Well if you all want to, then begin to form your groups. I will give you all your assignments." Ponies began to slowly form into groups. "What did she say, Dai?" Winter asked
"She said there were no exceptions, because if a group was comprised that they were a group into six ponies, the others would want the same size," he said looking down, "we need to split into two groups of three." The other five looked down to the ground. Now they had to divide themselves and separate knowing the killer was someone in the room. "So who's with who?" Corona said breaking the silence amongst the group.
"I'm fine with whoever." Cookie said as she raised her head.
"Dai, I think you and I should stay together." Winter said looking at the pure white unicorn.
Daibolys nodded his head slowly, "That’s two. We need one more." Daibolys said looking at the remaining four.
"I'll go with you guys." Woody said as he walked towards them and stood next to Daibolys.
"Then it's settled," Comet said joining his group. "Me, Crono, and Cookie will stay together."
"Alright then. Let's go to the princess to know where we're heading" Corona said turning towards the area Twilight stood.
"Wait," Winter said stopping the crimson pegasus. "What if something happens? We can't risk being separated. What if the killer comes after us and we lose one of us? What if we can't defend ourselves and each other?" tears began to well up in her eyes as she begins to speak again. "What if none of us get out of this castle alive?" She finished, as tears began to flow down her face.
"Winter, I've known you for a very long time. But I've never seen you lose your cool like this." Woody said. "You always managed to think clearly in some of the most blackest situations."
"He's right Winter. We need you to be strong for us. Please." Daibolys said, staring into the snow white pegusus' eyes. "We will get through this. And if we don't we'll still be together won't we." He smiles putting his hoof on her face. "We've managed through bad things, but stuck with it because we are friends. So come on, let's get ready to go."
She then looked at him and nodded, then slowly wiped the tears out of her eyes and began to walk with Daibolys and Woody to the crowd of ponies sitting there, waiting for their assignment. "You know guys, she has a point." Cookie said as she looked at the other two in her group, "We may not make it through this alive and yet we try anyway, why? After all, we are doomed. How are we going to find the killer that could be one of the twenty-four other ponies in this castle, when we don’t have a single clue of who they are before it's too late?"
"Now what happened to you?" Corona said looking at his spotted friend. "You're usually the optimist! Our happy, carefree, and excitable friend that is always there for another one. Look we can make it through. The killer couldn’t be that good on hiding clues. We'll find them. Trust me." he smiled as Comet walked in front of them. "At least we have each other, am I right?" Comet smiled and walked towards Twilight to join the rest of the ponies with the two following behind him. As they approached Twilight, Comet looks off and Corona nudges him. "Hey, come on! We’re almost about to know where we're headed!" he said with excitement.
"Right, yeah. Sorry.” Comet relayed sounding somewhat shaken.
The first group to reach the front was Daibolys, Winter, and Woody. Twilight looked at Daibolys, who seemed to be the leader of the group. "You three will take the kitchen. After all, this culprit had to get a knife from somewhere."
"Right then, we'll be on our way." Daibolys said in a unhappy tone.
"We meet at the throne room in one hour. No later. Understood?" She said looking intently at Woody.
""Yes your highness!" All three say in unison as they began to take their route to the kitchen.
The final group stepped up, and looked at the princess. Each of them knew the room they were in was now dangerous considering they were the last group to see the princess. "You three will take the second floor library and make sure you leave no book unchecked. Do you all understand?" Twilight said, looking at the small group of friends.
"Of course Miss Sparkle! you can count on me!" Corona said with a slight tilt of his head.
"Perfectly." Comet said bitterly.
"Yep!" Cookie said ready to move.
"Good. We’ll all meet in the throne room in an hour sharply. Got it?." Twilight said in an assertive tone.
"Yes princess, we understand." Comet said jumping in front of Corona.
The group leaves, but as they leave Comet looked back to look at something. But due to him needing to move forward he didn't quite see anything different.
Author's Note
As usual if you guys feel like there is anything just leave a comment and I would like to thank my new editor Woody Hooves.