To Kill a Princess

Sleuth and Applejack followed closely behind Nurse Redheart, keeping to the right all the while. Eventually the nurse stopped and looked at the detective. “Well, here we are! Twilight is right in here. Just holler if she needs me.”

“Mighty thanks, Redheart,” Applejack replied before flinging open the door and quickly setting her sights on a resting Twi. “Twilight? Are you okay?” She took one step into the room before being tackled to the floor by a rainbow blur.

Sleuth instinctively pulled out his gun before aiming at the attacker who was… hugging Applejack?

“Oh, it's you,” Sleuth said bitterly before holstering his gun and stepping around the two ponies.

“You’re safe!” Rainbow Dash accidentally spat into the face of her victim as she spoke. “I was- I mean, Rarity was worried sick about you!”

Applejack chuckled. “Ah’m sure she was, sugarcube.” She looked directly into Rainbow’s eyes, holding her gaze for a couple seconds before coming back to the reality around her at the sound of a sudden and violent coughing fit.

“‘Tective… Girls? You’re all…” Twilight struggled to get the words out of her mouth. “You… made it… to safely?” Her glazed-over eyes scanned the room before watering up a little. “And you decideded to come h-h-here?”

“Well, of course we would come, darling. It’s what friends are for!” Rarity approached the side of Twilight’s bed. “We couldn’t live with ourselves if we ignored you in your time of need.”

Applejack slid out from underneath Rainbow Dash and walked over to stand next to Rarity. “Is there anything I can get’cha?”

Twilight nodded. “Water…” She looked at Rainbow Dash. “Raimbow, you don’... look so... good.” She yawned. “Your face… red.”

Rainbow quickly covered her face with a wing, quickly drawing the attention of everypony in the room. “I-It’s nothing, I swear!”

Applejack looked back at Twilight. “Ah’ll get you yer water, sugarcube. Don’ try an’ talk too much.” She left for the door.

“H-H-How long was I out? And wh-wh-where’s Fluttersheh and Pink?” Twilight slowly sat up, wincing as she did so. “An’ the mare?”

Rarity opened her mouth to speak but was quickly cut off by Rainbow Dash as she approached the bed, lowering her wing. “Fluttershy had a panic attack and was rushed to the hospital. Pinkie is helping calm her down.”

Twilight’s eyes started to tear up before she returned to a hacking fit. By the time she looked up the watergates have already overflown. “F-F-Futtershy?” Twilight blinked away some of the tears. “I need to see F-F-Fluttershy.” Twilight tried to roll out of bed, moaning and groaning as she moved, but was prevented by a stone-faced stallion. “I need to see Fluttershy…”

“No. You need bed rest.” Sleuth’s voice was slow and coarse. He looked at the bandages the princess revealed when she rolled over. He shuddered. ‘Why is this getting to me? I see injuries far worse than this.’ He looked right into Twilight’s watery eyes. ‘But… not on living ponies, with the exception of…’

He sighed and slowly shook his head, removing his hat. “Perhaps coming here right now wasn’t the best idea.” He turned to leave, but somepony had gripped his coat. He turned around to see Twilight hanging half out of bed, clutching to his jacket. “Fluttershy…” she mouthed.

Rarity walked over and removed Twilight’s grip from his coat. “You should be ashamed on trying to walk out on Twilight like that!” Her cheeks reminded Sleuth of a zebra. “Have you the nerve to come here, uninvited, mind you, and then immediately leave without so much a thought of sorrow? Even a simple, ‘I’m so sorry,’ would have sufficed! Well then fine! Leave!” She spat in his face as she spoke. “Twilight wouldn’t want to deal with a pony as rude and- and- uncaring as you!” They were both shaking now, albeit for different reasons.

As she tried to open her mouth for more angry comments, Twilight interrupted. “Rarity… No. He… He… He’s… He’s…” Twilight trailed off. “He didn’t know any better.”

Sleuth looked back to Twilight, all tangled up in bloodied bandages, cables, and tubes. ‘Had that clock always been ticking this loud?’ Sleuth looked at her pleading face. “Fluttershy… Fluttershy… Fluttershy…” it cried. He looked to the where the walls met the ceiling, only to see mascara dripping from the molding. He looked back at the angry unicorn. “Please, sir… save her,” it screamed. The ticking became synchronized with the pounding of his head.

Sleuth frantically looked around at spinning walls, breathing harder and harder as the walls started closing in. Images and sounds starting playing on repeat: Case files, gunshots, getting fired, breaking in, a crying filly, and, finally, the colour red.

The clock gave a final tick, and he looked at Twilight, and blinked, and he looked to Rarity, and blinked.

And then he looked at Rainbow, who was no longer there. He blinked anyways.

“She left a while ago, darling,” he heard Rarity say. “And you couldn’t save her.”

Sleuth shook his head. Did he hear that correctly? The ticking returned, continuing its sync with his pounding head. He looked back to where the walls met the ceiling, and the mascara was showing images. Images he thought he’d never have to see again.

The mascara was flowing much faster now, finally reaching the floor, its tendrils of darkness oozing their way to the detective.

Sleuth panicked and ran towards the door, the mascara engulfing him with every step until he passed out. “Why couldn’t you save her?”

-~-~-~-

Blurry. Everything around him was blurry. Everything was silent. The air was still.

A sharp sound pierced the silence. Beep. The air started to move again.

Sleuth turned his head in the direction of the sound, putting a blurry metal box into view. Beep.

Conversations filled the room. Quiet conversations. Conversations that felt as if he were listening under water. He didn’t remember any of the voices.

“I don't know... possibly done this…”

“It looks like he… am I right?”

“Ah think he's wakin’ up.”

That last voice, he recognized it; that filly who helped him back at the house. The orange one; Apple-... something.

Sleuth spoke slowly. “Applesnack? No, Apple… Applejack. Is that… Are you talking?” He looked around, finally setting his eyes on an orange blur at the foot of his bed. “What happened?”

“Ah don’ know, sugarcube. All’s I know is that I came into Twi's room just in time to see you collapse on th’ floor.”

Sleuth's eyes widened as he shot straight up. “Princess Twilight! Is she oka-” he burst into a fit of coughing. “Anypony have a glass of water?”

Applejack walked to his side, picked up a cup, and held it to his lips. He started swallowing the refreshing substance. “Don’ be jumpin’ aroun’ all crazy-like, Sleuth. We don't need you out of action any longer.”

Sleuth finished the cup. “How long was I out?”

“You passed out a bit after I woke up, so I would say… nine, ten hours?” A mystery voice said on the other side of the curtain.

A mystery voice that sounded awfully familiar. Sleuth sat in thought until he remembered the purple pony moaning in pain, calling out “Fluttershy… Fluttershy… Fluttershy…” He began to panic, breathing very short, heavy breaths until an orange pony placed a hoof on his shoulder. “What’s the matter, sugarcube?”

“Nothing,” he lied, frantically trying to regain control of his breathing.

“Well, something must be th’ matter, ‘cause you’re breathing awful heavy-like.”

“It’s nothing, I swear. Hey! Where’s that white pony? The one with the purple mane, Rare Tie? I believe her name was Rare Tie, or maybe it was-”

“The name’s Rarity,” a voice interrupted. “And I am so terribly sorry about how I reacted earlier. I just… You were there, and you weren’t doing anything, and I thought… I thought it was your fault Twilight was injured, I thought you killed her.” She pulled back the dull green curtain that previously split the room in two. Her cheeks continued to remind Sleuth of zebras. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, you better be sorry, Rarity, you-” Sleuth caught himself, and sighed. Rarity had moved back about five paces. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to lash out, it’s not your fault. It’s just so… frustrating!” Sleuth slammed his hoof on the neighboring machine, letting out a yelp of pain and surprise. “Sorry for yelling. I tend to do that too often.”

Rarity took a couple cautionary steps forwards; after all, he is a crazy, hospitalized, armed pony. Or, he would be armed if the staff hadn’t confiscated his gun after stripping him of his attire. “Perhaps we should start off on the right foot this time, detective.”

“That would be silly, no offence.” Sleuth said coldly. “While I’m sure you’re a nice pony, I’d much rather keep our poorest introduction as opposed to making small talk. At least this way there’s something interesting to talk about.”

Rarity frowned. “Oh, you’re one of those ponies, the ‘always in a bad mood’ kind of pony.”

“Rarity!” Applejack interjected. “Now that wasn’t very nice.”

“No, Applejack, I get what I deserve. I’m kind of an asshole, and I’m going to stay an asshole because ponies don’t change.” The detective looked at the orange pony. “But I will apologize for my rudeness, especially to you, Applejack, considering I almost shot you earlier.”

Rarity leaned over and whispered into Applejack’s ear. “Is he always this frustrating, or is it the drugs?”

“Well, he-” Applejack was cut off almost immediately.

“Oh, it’s definitely the drugs,” Twilight chimed in, looking up from her book. “Steroids can cause high irritability.”

“Ah don’ think Sleuth uses ‘roids, he seems too… he ain’t no athlete.” Applejack chuckled. Sleuth looked back at her, unamused.

“When will the drugs wear off?” Rarity asked.

“Very soon,” Nurse Redheart walked into the room. “Rarity, Applejack, I’m going to politely have to ask you two to leave; Visiting hours are now over and we need to… work with Sleuth and Princess Twilight a bit more before they go to bed.

“As you wish, Nurse. Come along, Applejack. We have a certain yellow pegasus to visit.” And with that, the visitors left.

Once the door shut, Sleuth turned to Twilight, who was getting an IV change. “Twilight, I’m really sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to be so weird, I just… I was reminded of something. Something I tried so very hard to forget.”

“It’s okay,” Twilight reassured. “I don’t think you’re a bad pony, either, despite what you think of yourself. You just have some issues to work out.”

“Sleuth, now that you’re awake, the staff has a question for you: Do you abuse alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, or any other substances?” Redheart asked Sleuth as she started changing his IV.

“Perhaps I do have a couple issues.” Sleuth sighed. “Can you help me, Princess Twilight. I mean, you are the princess of friendship, after all.”

“So… is that alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs?” Redheart asked.

“Oh, uh, alcohol.”

“Well, it looks like we have a place to start,” Twilight chuckled. “Although I have a feeling you want me to help out your social issues, not your addiction.”

“Yeah, although clearing my addiction would also be nice. They get kind of expensive.”

“And they’re incredibly unhealthy,” Redheart chimed in “We can help you with your addiction, free of charge.”

“I’ll consider it. My addiction is like a safespace for me. The world continues to change around me, but alcohol is always a constant. It has my back.”

“Well, there are other constants you can have in your life that are positive, like friends, or a lover.” Twilight stood so that Redheart could take off her bandages and put on clean ones.

“Well, I’ve never had friends before, and a lover is something I don’t think I’d ever have the pleasure of acquiring.” Sleuth looked over to Twilight, seeing the large hole in her side. “How come the hole is so… I don’t know how to explain it. I expected a lot more gore.”

“Blood clot spell, internals protection spell, anti-bacterial spell, and a few more,” Redheart said.

“Well, Sleuth, I’ll be your friend. After all, it looks like we’re going to be here for a couple days, me much longer than you.” Twilight flinched at the cold touch of a new bandage. “And if you’re ever interested in romance-”

“Twilight, I’m not interested. No offence,” Sleuth said flatly.

“I was going to mention Applejack.”

Sleuth sat up quickly, eliciting complaints from the nurse. “How could you insinuate such an idea? I’m not interested in Applejack. She’s my partner, not my… partner.”

“I don’t know, I was just throwing that out there.” Twilight got back into her bed and another nurse arrived with some medication for the two. “Something to think about.”

“I guess.” Sleuth took his pills. “Is there anything I can wash these down with, Nurse?”

Redheart frowned. “The only alcohol we have is of the rubbing variety, and you’re not drinking that.”

“That’s not what I… you know what, nevermind. How long am I out of action?”

“About two days while we run tests and get a diagnosis,” the second nurse said as she gave Twilight her pills. “But, it could be longer.”

“Two days outside the field and without any alcohol. This is going to be a challenge. And I didn’t have any today! Unbelievable.”

“Well, Sleuth, I guess I can give you your first lesson in friendship tomorrow,” Twilight yawned.

Sleuth yawned too. Today had been draining. “Alright, sure, that’s fine.”

“Sleuth, we ask that you sign this form saying that the hospital has the right to analyze sleep patterns, brain waves, and breathing patterns while you sleep.” Nurse Redheart handed him a piece of paper and a pen, and soon after had it returned, the pen slightly lighter.

“Well, goodnight, Sleuth,” Twilight said as she turned onto her side.

“See you in the morning,” he replied, adjusting his covers.

Sleuth stayed up late that night. He didn’t know if it was the whirring of the machines, the talk of staff in the hallway, or his own head. After several hours, he came to the conclusion that he had been keeping his eyes open the whole time.

Closing them definitely helped.