No One's Star

Twilight worked. She finished setting up her radio in her saddlebags with the antenna. Spike prepared her coffee and meals and helped her with any other menial tasks she needed, keeping her work going.

Since she knew she couldn’t go to town hall or the mayor’s office without risking Lost Sun seeing her and overhearing her plans, she stayed inside. She was the owner of the library, after all, and that meant she had older documents. While they weren’t perfect or as up-to-date as the ones the town hall would have, she could still make use of them. She found all the maps she could and marked them for the brief triangulation she had gotten from last night. She didn’t know where Twisty Pop or Lily lived, but she had to the location of Hughbert. She didn’t think he could travel very far in such a short time, unless Hughbert was the only one who lived close to where Lost Sun broadcast from…

“Dammit. I need to know where Lily and Twisty Pop lived,” Twilight muttered.

“Why do you need to know that?” Spike asked. He was sitting on her radio nearby, chewing on a gemstone.

“Because Hughbert was killed within a half hour of the end of the broadcast. He did it so quickly, I barely had time to gallop over there. That leads me to believe he lives or broadcasts from somewhere near that location. My triangulation came from somewhere around there, too.”

“That sounds a bit difficult.”

“It does! I’m not sure how he does it!” Twilight rubbed a cheek. “Like, how can you say you’re going to kill someone, then immediately do it? What if they’re not there? What if they’re with somepony? You can’t plan for every eventuality like that, can you?”

“You’re right, that’s really strange.”

“I need to figure out where the broadcast is coming from, and to help with that, I need to know where Twisty Pop and Lily lived.” She wrung her hooves. “But I can’t go to the town hall because he might see me there and figure out what I’m doing!”

Twilight mussed her mane with her hooves, agonizing over her predicament. She rolled around on the ground for a moment, then stopped and opened her eyes in realization. She knew a way to find out where they lived: Pinkie Pie.

“Spike! Pack me a lunch, I need to go out!”

“Right now? I thought you couldn’t go see the mayor.”

“I can’t, but I know a way to find out where those ponies lived without her. There’s a pony who lives in town and seems to know everypony to the point where she can detect a stranger in a heartbeat.” Twilight grinned. “She’s even one of the elements of harmony: Pinkie Pie.”

Spike packed her a dandelion sandwich and stuffed it in her spare saddlebags. She put in a few books and some parchment and quills, then slung it all over her back.

“I’ll be back soon, Spike. Have more coffee ready.”

Spike saluted, and Twilight stepped out the doors, glancing around before she fully left the library. She couldn’t’ take chances that he might be watching her, and she intended to keep her movements a secret until the very last moment. She didn’t know how her conversation with Pinkie Pie would go, and she could ill afford to be seen.

Twilight slunk through the streets on her way to Sugarcube Corner. She remembered Lost Sun’s face from last night, but she didn’t know how far his disguise went. Was it merely a vocal disguise, covering for his misdeeds by hiding in plain sight, with a full moustache and a hat? Were those part of it, and he had been keeping himself disguised in his daily life only so that he could commit atrocities at night? Surely that would have fallen apart after long enough, wouldn’t it? He appeared to be well-liked by the ponies in town, and they listened to him when he spoke, so she doubted it was that. Still, she had to be careful, so she watched for anypony following her or paying her too much attention.

When she arrived at Sugarcube Corner she stepped inside, and went right up to the counter, pushing past other ponies, much to their annoyance. She looked over their faces to make sure they weren’t Lost Sun, or at least didn’t look like him, and tapped at the bell on the counter.

Pinkie turned from her current customer and smiled a small smile at Twilight. “Twilight, I’m right here, but you’ll have to wait your turn.”

Twilight blinked, then shook her head. How had she missed Pinkie at the counter? She really was tired, but she had a job to do! “This can’t wait, Pinkie, it’s urgent!”

“So’s filling out baking orders. I’m sad too, but life goes on. I have to help ponies who are still here.”

“It’s about that, Pinkie. I need your help with that.”

Pinkie Pie blinked, then sighed. Her mane wasn’t as bouncy as it usually was. She removed her apron and yelled into the back. “Mrs. Cake, you need to take the counter. I… need a break.”

“I’ll handle it, Pinkie. You take care of yourself,” the chubby mare called from the back.

“I always do, Mrs. Cake.”

Pinkie Pie led Twilight over to a table, but Twilight stopped her with a hoof on her withers. “No, can we go upstairs, Pinkie? I want this to be as private as possible. We can discuss it in your room.”

“Alright, follow me,” Pinkie said as she led the way up the stairs. Her steps weren’t nearly as bouncy as they usually were as she led the way into her room. The room was pink and decorated in a festive manner, but it was still a bit messy owing to Pinkie’s nigh-irrepressible energetic spirit. She sat on the edge of her bed and gave Twilight a tired smile. “So what’s going on, Twilight? What do you want to talk about?”

Twilight plopped down in front of Pinkie and hemmed and hawed about what she would actually divulge to the party pony. She couldn’t tell her everything because that might get too confusing, but she could at least ask for the information she needed.

“Okay, I don’t want to bring up bad news, Pinkie, but I need your help.” Twilight pulled the map of Ponyville out of her bags and point to the spot she had circled where Hughbert had lived. “This is where Hughbert lived. I need to know where Twisty Pop and Lily lived. Can you circle their houses?” Twilight held the quill out in her magic toward Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie said nothing, but Twilight could see her eyes were much moister than usual and her bottom lip was trembling. She was trying not to cry, but she grabbed the quill, circled a smaller area inside the circle Twilight had drawn outlining a single house, then circled another one much further away, and one on the other side of town from it. She even wrote their names underneath, one for Twisty and one for Lily, complete with little hearts and stars, then rubbed her face with a hoof.

When she was done Twilight turned the map back to face her and looked at it. All three of the ponies were located on separate sides of the map, meaning that one area was not where Lost Sun was broadcasting from. Twilight furrowed her brow in confusion.

“But… that’s impossible. He would never be able to make it to those locations from here fast enough?”

“Wh-who wouldn’t?” Pinkie stuttered through her tears.

“Oh, uh…”

“Twilight, I’m excitable, not stupid. You’re hunting the murderer, aren’t you?”

“…yes.”

“Then you’ll need help. I’m going to help.” She pulled a handkerchief from her mane and blew her nose in it, then put it back. Twilight cringed.

Twilight worked her jaw for a moment as if she would say no, but just sighed. “Okay. I suppose I can’t stop you. What I’m confused about is that the murderer, who I call Lost Sun, was broadcasting from over here—” She pointed to the spot Hughbert had died. “—But managed to kill Lily and Twisty Pop way over here.” She pointed at the other two circles Pinkie had made. “Now Spike brought up an important point that there is no way he would be able to plan for something like them being with somepony else or not being at home, so that leads me to believe he is killing first and broadcasting after, or he is carrying all his equipment with him. I can’t figure out which it is.”

“Broadcasting what?”

“Oh, he announces the pony he is going to murder over the radio before he does it, but I’m not sure how he can say that with such certainty. He would have to know everything about them, like where they live and where they’re going to be. It’s too convenient and it leaves confusing holes in the message that don’t make sense. How can he announce it like that?”

“It takes me about twenty minutes to hop from one side of Ponyville to the other if I’m doing it casually. Now, taking into account that I’m a bit faster than other ponies, it might take an average pony forty minutes, or a half hour if they’re especially fit and trotting at a good clip. But, if you factor in my need for multiple parties or something when two ponies have their birthdays on the same day, I could cover the distance in five or less when I’m trying really hard.” Pinkie’s mane got a bit fluffier as she explained, interested in stopping Lost Sun as much as Twilight. “Now if an average pony were to do that, they would have to be traveling at quite a clip, meaning they would have somewhere they really needed to be. I don’t know of many ponies like that except maybe Rarity, but she wouldn’t run that fast because she wouldn’t want to get sweaty, but! If there were a pony who really really REALLY needed to be somewhere over here and they lived over here.” She poked Hughbert’s circle and then Lily’s circle on the opposite side. “That meanie, stinky pony would have to be galloping WAY too fast and be completely unencumbered, OR they would have to have their ugly radio equipment with them, which would mean he wouldn’t be able to run away!” Pinkie looked up from the map with an oddly serious expression on her face. “Twilight, this meany-pants did the murders before the broadcast. The only pony who could cross Ponyville that fast and with such certainty is me, and I do. Not. Murder.” Pinkie leaned in and stared at Twilight with scarily intense eyes.

Twilight leaned away from Pinkie. “I… believe you, Pinkie. But that still leaves us confused on how to stop him or find him.”

Pinkie leaned back, still staring with wide-eyed intensity. “We do it the only way I know how, Twilight…” She lifted a hoof and stuck her chin out, then shook the hoof at Twilight. “With friendship!”

Pinkie grabbed Twilight by the hoof and started dragging her downstairs. Twilight hurried to grab her map and other items with her magic, shoving them into her saddlebags while she was ponyhandled back down to Sugarcube Corner proper, where Pinkie shoved her to the side and reached into her mane. She pulled out a megaphone and pointed it at the gathered customers.

“ATTENTION PONIES! I DON’T MEAN TO ALARM YOU, BUT THERE IS A MURDERER ON THE LOOSE! PLEASE NEVER SPEND ANY LENGTH OF TIME ALONE IF YOU CAN AVOID IT UNTIL THE MAYOR ANNOUNCES THIS MEANIE HAS BEEN CAUGHT! IF YOU NEED A FRIEND TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU AND DON’T HAVE ONE, PLEASE COME SEE ME AND I WILL MATCH YOU UP!”

The gathered group had their hooves over their ears and slowly removed them when Pinkie stopped speaking. Pinkie turned to Twilight, her mane more angular than rounded and an angry frown on her face. “If this pony wants to play hardball, Pinkie’s a pro.” She pulled a piece of parchment out of her mane and passed it to Twilight. “Here’s a list of ponies and their addresses that live inside the circle you had on your map.”

“When did you have time to write this?” Twilight asked.

Pinkie ignored the question. “Go warn Applejack and Fluttershy. They live outside town, but they need to be warned, too.”

“But—!”

Pinkie pushed Twilight out the door. “No buts! They’re your friends, Twilight!” Pinkie started trotting off in another direction, megaphone held high. “I’ll meet you tonight, Twilight!” Then she was gone, shouting at every pony she passed about the murderer in Ponyville.

Twilight wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad result of her letting somepony else know about what she’d discovered, but there was no changing it now. If Mayor Mare had created a police force, Pinkie was telling ponies how to take care of themselves, and that was important. Maybe it would make it harder for Lost Sun to kill anypony.

…Or it would let him kill two at once.

Twilight shook her head and followed Pinkie’s advice, heading out to Fluttershy’s cabin first. Fluttershy had her animal friends, so she didn’t see Fluttershy as being a target, but with a murderer it was best not to make assumptions, and Pinkie Pie was right: She needed to be made aware, no matter how much she didn’t like it.

Twilight dragged her hooves down the path, her exhaustion taking its toll on her. Her hooves felt heavy, but she couldn’t quit now. She had a job to do! She knocked on the door and waited until she hear a small voice come from behind and above her.

“Um… hello?”

Twilight started, hooves scrabbling at the doormat as she whipped around. “Gah!”

Fluttershy squeaked and flew up to her roof, hiding. She eventually poked her head over the edge and peered down. “C-can I help you, Twilight?”

Twilight gripped her heart and panted, wide awake now. “I just came to warn you about the murders, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy ducked back behind the edge of the roof again. “Ohhh, I heard about those! I haven’t been into town since the first one! I have Harry watching the cottage, and Angel’s prepared, too.” A bear’s paw came out of the bush right next to the door and gave a little wave. Twilight jumped.

“Ack! Well! I guess you have it under control, I just wanted to let you know to not be alone. Pinkie and I should have it fixed within a day or so, if my plan goes well.”

Fluttershy perked up at that. “You know who it is! Then hold on!” Fluttershy flew down and opened the door to her cottage. She swept inside and came back holding her rabbit, Angel. The rabbit was dressed in a small suit of armor with a little knife against his side. “Angel hates ponies like that. He’ll help. I’ll stay here with Harry.”

“Uh… thanks?” Twilight held out a hoof and Angel jumped onto it, crawling onto her saddlebags where he sat down.

“I won’t come out until you come tell me it’s okay, Twilight. I promise.” Fluttershy shut the door, not waiting for a response.

“Uh… okay,” Twilight said. She scratched her head with a hoof, then looked back at Angel. He was facing backward, watching her back, she supposed, with a paw near his little knife.

Twilight shrugged and trotted away, heading down the road toward Sweet Apple Acres. Again, she doubted Lost Sun would get out this way, but it was better safe than sorry. A family of earth ponies against a unicorn wouldn’t stand a chance if he was good enough, and she wasn’t willing to take chances with anypony’s life anymore. She knocked on the door of the farm house and Granny Smith answered.

“Hello, yung’un. Lookin’ fer Applejack?”

“Anypony, really. I just needed to let you know about the murders happening in Ponyville, and that you should be on the lookout for any suspicious unicorns,” Twilight said in her most professional tone.

Granny scratched her chin and sniffed. “I don’t like any o’ those, ponies, and if I see any, I’ll give ‘em a good wallopin’ for bein’ such an awful sort. We’re aware, missy, and we ain’t leavin’ anypony alone. Big Mac is with me, and Applebloom is with Applejack out in the field. T’ain’t nopony alone here.”

Twilight nodded and gave a small smile. “I’m glad to hear that. You’re far away from town, but I was still concerned. Pinkie Pie demanded I come and warn you, telling you to stay with another pony at all times until we tell you it’s okay.”

“That’s all well and good, but what the hay are you doing walking around alone, then?” Applejack’s voice came from behind her.

Twilight gave a little start but turned to look at the approaching farmer. “Applejack! You startled me!”

Applejack frowned. “No wonder. You look like you haven’t slept. Not gettin’ much rest with the killer on the loose?”

“No, not at all. I’ve actually been trying to solve it,” Twilight said.

“Solve it? By yerself?” Applejack scoffed.

“Well… not entirely by myself. I asked Pinkie for her help, and this was her idea. She’s alerting ponies all about town.”

“Oh, yeah? And here you are walking along an EMPTY ROAD out to Sweet Apple Acres. And who’s with Pinkie Pie?”

“Uh…”

“That’s what ah thought. Your idea was sound, Twahlight, but you didn’t follow it for yourself. Alright, I’ll come with you back to Ponyville and help you sort this mess out,” Applejack said as she moved closer to Twilight. “Applebloom, stay with Big Mac. Big Mac, stay with Granny. Wherever you all go, stick together, okay?”

“Gotcha sis!” Applebloom piped up.

“Wotcher, Applejack. You take care in town, now!” Granny said.

“Eeyup,” Big mac said from somewhere inside.

“Good. We can finish up the harvest, later.” She turned to Twilight. “Now, come on, Twahlight. If I know Rarity, I know she’s too wrapped up in her work to hear Pinkie Pie, and her boutique is fulla things you could kill a pony with. We gotta warn her, too.” She started marching back down the empty road toward Ponyville, the sun low in the sky.

“Oh… uh… okay? See you all later.” Twilight waved and turned to follow Applejack. Angel sat on her saddlebags and glared as they left the farm.

They made their way back, Twilight’s hooves dragging in the dirt as she stumbled gamely alongside Applejack. Applejack looked but didn’t comment. She already knew what was causing it, though she didn’t have the full story. She just kept pace with Twilight until they reached Rarity’s Carousel boutique. Applejack knocked on the door while Twilight swayed nearby, and they waited until they heard hooves coming up to it. The door swung open by magic to reveal the blue-maned fashionista herself.

“Applejack! Twilight! What a surprise and a pleasure! To what do I owe thanks for this visit?” Rarity said.

“Not here for pleasure, Rarity,” Applejack said.

“Unfortunately, Rarity, this is a very discouraging visit. We’re here to warn you about the killer on the loose,” Twilight added.

Rarity’s face fell into a frown. “Oh. That whole mess. Do you want to come in and talk about it, then?”

“We’d love to, Rarity, but Twahlight here’s been up all last night and all day trying to get everypony organized and protected. We just wanted to make sure you had somepony else you can rely on for help if’n it comes down to it.”

“Well, I have Sweetie Belle here with me. I’ve been keeping her inside because of it all.”

“I don’t think Sweetie Belle can properly help defend you from a killer.”

“Well… Opalescence is here as well.” Rarity’s cat looked up briefly from her spot on a bolt of cloth across the room, then laid her head back down.

“Rarity, I don’t mean to be picky, but Opal is a cat.”

“She does a perfect job of defending the house! She can’t stand muddy hooves, and she’ll scratch anypony who dares enter with filth on them!” Rarity stuck her nose up in the air.

Applejack rubbed her face with a hoof. “Twahlight, I’ll stay here with Rarity, and you can go home with Spike and Angel, alright? I suspect Rainbow is fine up in her house in the clouds, so we don’t need t’worry about her, alright?”

Twilight nodded. She was having difficulty following the conversation as it was.

“Perfect! We’ll come fetch ya when the night starts getting’ deep, okay?”

“Okay. Thank you, Applejack. Thank you, Rarity.”

“For what, darling?”

Twilight tottered around and began shuffling home to her library. Her hooves felt like lead, and when she arrived she took her saddlebags off, dropped them to the floor along with Angel, who hopped to the side and stamped his foot while he glared at her.

“Oh, sorry, Angel. I forgot you were there.”

His face softened a small amount at her clear exhaustion. He hopped to the side and took up a post near the door, standing at attention, while Spike came running up.

“Twilight! Are you okay? How did it go? Do you need anything?” he asked.

“No, thank you, Spike. I’m just really tired. I need a bit of rest before the broadcast tonight, okay? Can you prepare me something for when I wake up? Don’t let me sleep past midnight, okay?”

“Gotcha, Twilight!” He saluted and dashed off, leaving Twilight to collapse into her bed.