The Se7en

The horrors of the day’s events caused an insomnia attack, the likes of which Twilight hadn’t dealt with over a lifetime of cramming for tests and projects.

Images of Pinkie Pie and Spike during happier times flashed around the insides of her eyelids, interspersed with the conditions Twilight found them in not twenty-four hours prior. At times, she would call out to them, begging to know why. Other times, she simply gazed at them, reminiscing about what once was and now never could be again.

Then the realities set in. There was still a funeral to plan … now two funerals, even if one would be mostly a private affair for her number-one assistant. And most of the others didn’t even know about Spike; how would she break that news to them, so shortly after they had lost Pinkie Pie. Both of their deaths … so many unanswered questions.

Was Pinkie’s death a cry for help that no one recognized? Why did Spike invade the cavern of another, more powerful dragon? And what was to be made of the words ‘gluttony’ and ‘greed’ found at each scene. What message was each trying to get across?

And what if the messages weren’t from them? If not them, then who? And why?

…

“Twilight? Twilight, dearie, are you all right? Twilight? …

The alicorn’s eyes flicker several times before fully opening. Sunlight shines through the open windows in her room; she rises with a start and sees Rarity standing beside her bed.

“What … what time is it?” Twilight asks groggily.

“Just after two, dearie.”

“2 PM??? As in 2 in the afternoon?” The news strikes Twilight like a bucket of ice-cold water; she leaps from the bed and scurries around the room, unsure what needs to get done first.

“In light of yesterday’s … unfortunate …” Rarity pauses, needing a moment to compose herself. “I think we can both be forgiven for not being at our best.”

“Where are the others?” Twilight asks as she slows her scurrying. “We need to let them know what happened to Spike.”

“Applejack and Fluttershy are in the Cutie Map room; they haven’t been waiting long, though I admit that I do not relish having to relive last night.”

“And Rainbow Dash?”

“Probably practicing with the Wonderbolts right now. The distraction should prove beneficial; she took Pinkie’s … demise … worst of all.”

Twilight nods in agreement. “Then there’s no more time to lose. Come on.” She quickly trots out the door, with Rarity following closely behind.

Navigating the myriad of hallways and staircases, the twosome make their way to the Cutie Map room; upon their entrance, Applejack and Fluttershy turn from a personal conversation to face them.

“I’m so sorry for keeping you waiting,” Twilight states. “Please … how is Rainbow Dash doing?”

“Not great, Twi. We found her lyin’ face-down in the branches of a tall tree, sobbin’ her eyes out. We did the best we could to console the poor thing; ain’t that right, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy nods in silent agreement, and Applejack continues her description.

“The truth is, this hurt all of us. Ah mean, she ‘n I were family … there’s no getting’ over losin’ a loved one. Never gets easier, and ya never get completely over it; Ah can tell you that much first-hoof.”

“Is she still in the tree, then?” Rarity inquires.

“She didn’t wanna move for a long time … but after all of us exchanged our own favorite Pinkie Pie stories, she eventually started to come around.” Applejack chuckles. “Did Ah ever tell y’all ‘bout our Hearthswarming spent with the Pie family?”

The solemn stares from the others causes Applejack to reconsider her question. “Shoot, Ah … Ah guess Ah forgot that we’ll need to inform them ‘bout Pinkie. Sorry, all.” She then bows her head in shame.

“No, don’t go beating yourself up over this,” Rarity states. “We all have wonderful memories of the past, and perhaps Rainbow Dash is right when she says it’s better to celebrate the life rather than mourn the death. More than anypony else, she would be the first to say you can’t spell ‘funeral’ with ‘F-U-N’.”

Rarity’s comment elicits a small laugh from the group.

“I remember when Pinkie Pie cloned herself, and we had to get all the Pinkies to watch paint dry to figure out which one was the real Pinkie,” Fluttershy recollects. “Oh … I wonder if there are any clones of Pinkie still around. I mean, I know it wouldn’t be exactly the same, but … never mind,” she meekly concludes.

“I remember when I first came to Ponyville,” Twilight remembers, “and this crazy pink earth pony decides to just throw that stranger a party.” She smiles at the thought, then sighs. “I’m sure we’ll eventually have more parties … even if we can’t imagine doing so now.”

Determined not to bring up any more stories related to the Pie family, Applejack attempts another anecdote: “Remember when Rainbow Dash an’ me got caught up in racing each other during the runnin’ of the leaves? Ah can still remember Pinkie Pie hoverin’ over all of us in that balloon, announcin’ all the action with Spike.”

The mention of Spike’s name causes Twilight and Rarity to frown, tears forming in their eyes anew.

“Ho boy, what’d I say now?” Seeing the twosome have a difficult time regaining their composure causes fresh concerns for Applejack. “Twi’? Rare? Is there somethin’ else that Fluttershy an’ me need to know?”

Twilight sniffs and wipes the tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry, I really am … we all got so caught up in the moment, that I forgot.”

“Forgot what?” Fluttershy innocently asks.

Twilight takes a deep breath, then resolutely addresses the matter at hoof: “Not long after the two of you left, Dragonlord Ember paid us a visit. She led us to a cavern not far from here, where we found …” fresh tears begin to form in Twilight’s eyes. “… where we found …”

“No,” Applejack pleads. “Please don’t tell us what Ah think you’re … it can’t be …”

“Spike is DEAD!” Rarity blurts out before crumpling to the floor. The news catches Applejack and Fluttershy hard, and neither is able to hold in tears as the two embrace each other in a hug of solidarity.

“What … what happened to the little fella?” Applejack asks through numerous throat-chokes and a haze of tears.

“We don’t know,” Twilight responds, mentally pushing through the fresh feeling of regret. “All we do know is that the dragon who resides in that cavern found Spike lying atop his hoard of gems. Dragons being what they are, he attacked Spike, and … I can’t really say more; I’m sorry.”

“Where is Spike now?” Fluttershy asks. “Is his body still in that cavern?”

“No,” Twilight responds with a sigh. “Rarity and I were able to bring his body back. I’ve converted one of my basement labs to a ‘cold room’; his body lies next to Pinkie Pie’s, until such time comes that we can prepare … two funerals.”

Applejack ponders the new revelation for a minute. “Twilight,” she asks, “Ah don’t mean to sound selfish or anything, but I hafta ask this: is there reason to think these deaths are related?”

Fluttershy turns to Applejack, fear in her eyes. “You mean … somepony out there wants to … kill us?”

“Look,” Twilight tries to reassure, “I think right now is too soon to make any wild speculations.”

Her thoughts turn to the ‘sin’ words found at each scene. You need to warn the others, Twilight.

We don’t know if there’s anything to those words!

Right, so it’s just COINCIDENCE that a splotch of whipped cream spelled out ‘gluttony’?

I know it’s not coincidence, but maybe Pinkie Pie put that word there herself. Maybe it was one final message to the world.

You don’t really believe that!

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE, OK???”

Twilight turns to the others; her outburst is met with strange looks from each of the other three.

After a long pause, Applejack strolls over to Twilight and puts a foreleg around her friend’s shoulder. “Look Twi. We’ve all been through Tartarus these last couple days, especially you. None of us know what’s goin’ on, but we’ll figure it out, together. Like we always do.”

Tears of sadness give way to tears of relief, as Twilight fully embraces Applejack. Rarity, herself finally re-composed, walks over to the group along with Fluttershy, and the foursome lock forehooves in a hug that feels like an eternity …

…

“Sorry, did I come at a bad time?”

The foursome quickly break off their embrace and turn to face the leader of the Wonderbolts. “Spitfire!” Twilight calls out. “I’m sorry, none of us heard you come in.”

“My apologies; I let myself in,” Spitfire remarks. “I heard through the grapevine about Pinkie Pie; I speak for all the Wonderbolts when I express my deepest sympathy about her untimely demise.”

“We are very grateful for your kind words,” Twilight responds, “but is that why you flew all the way over here?”

“More or less; I really wanted to check in on Rainbow Dash, figuring she would be mourning with the rest of you.”

Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy turn to each other, exchanging quizzical looks. Twilight turns back to Spitfire. “She’s not with us. We thought she was with you.”

“Yeah, she’d be all about usin’ work and such to clear her mind,” Applejack adds.

“Well, she didn’t come around for training today. I’ll give her another day or two, but she’s gotta report back by the end of the week. Give my regards when you see her.” Spitfire gives the group one final look, turns around and flies off.

Rarity turns to Applejack. “You said she started to come around, after you were all sharing stories and such. What happened next?”

Applejack shrugs. “Not much. She said she wanted to just go home and get some rest. Said she’d ‘get her head right’ in the morning. I just thought that meant she’d be reportin’ back to Wonderbolts Camp first thing.”

“Well, it was a long day for all of us,” Fluttershy admits. “And, well, we all know how she can sometimes get a bit lazy.”

Fluttershy’s final word triggers a sense of dread in both Twilight and Rarity. Applejack quickly notices the look of horror on their faces.

“You two look like the early worms catchin’ a flock o’ birds. What’s wrong?”

Mumbling to herself, Twilight suddenly casts a spell that hits both Applejack and Rarity flush, knocking both of them back a few steps.

“What in tarnation was THAT for?” Applejack calls out.

“Preparations,” Twilight curtly responds. “Now everypony close your eyes!”

Not willing to argue, the remaining three do as told. Moments later, a loud *POP* resonates throughout the room as the foursome disappear.

Applejack hesitantly opens her eyes and looks down at the ground … the white, puffy ground that somehow continues to hold her weight. Looking back up, she immediately recognizes the residence of her friend Rainbow Dash. “So that was—”

“The same spell I cast on you back during the Young Fliers’ competition, yes,” Twilight abruptly acknowledges as she turns to the front door and starts banging on it with her hoof. “RAINBOW DASH, IT’S US. PLEASE COME TO THE DOOR!”

Seconds pass like hours as the ponies wait for a response that never comes. She attempts to push the door open, but finds it locked tight. “OK everypony: Plan B. Close your eyes again.”

The others again follow instructions; one *POP* later, the four find themselves in the main foyer of their friend’s house. Twilight wastes no time rushing to the bedroom, with the others quickly following from behind.

Upon stampeding through the bedroom doorway, the four come across their friend, curled up in bed and completely serene, her head lying comfortably upon a cumulus pillow. Twilight exhales in relief at the sight.

“Sorry everypony, I honestly thought something horrible happened to Rainbow Dash.” She turns to Rainbow Dash and begins nudging her body. “Rainbow Dash, wake up; there’s additional news we need to share with you.”

Sensing no reaction, Twilight give Rainbow a harder nudge … causing a small cylindrical container to dislodge from the latter’s clutches and roll off the bed. Rarity’s horn glows as the container hovers to her eye level; moments later, she lets out a gasp as her horn’s aura disappears and the container falls back to the floor.

Twilight looks up at Rarity; upon seeing her face, she turns back to Rainbow and begins shaking the pony vigorously. “Wake up, Rainbow Dash … WAKE UP, DAMMIT! DON’T DO THIS TO US!!!”

Fluttershy turns away and leaves the room, tears once again welling in her eyes. Applejack closes her eyes and hangs her head down. “Damn,” she silently says to herself. “Why, Rainbow?”

The shaking quickly gives way to Twilight clopping her forehooves together and slamming down on Rainbow’s chest, in an effort to somehow force life back into the pegasus. An aura soon restrains her from causing any more physical harm to the body, as Rarity pulls Twilight back.

“That’s enough, Twilight,” Rarity insists. “There’s nothing we can do now. I’m sorry.”

“NO!!! THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING AGAIN!!! IT’S NOT FAIR!!! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING???”

Applejack walks up behind Twilight and augments Rarity’s magical restraint by putting her forelegs around Twilight’s body. “You gotta calm down, Twi. It’s gonna be all right.”

Twilight breaks from Applejack’s grasp as Rarity eases off her restraining. She turns to face AJ and eyes daggers at her. “LIAR!”

Applejack turns away, attempting to maintain a cool demeanor. “Yeah … I ain’t never been much of a good liar. But there’s nothin’ we can do now. You see that, right?”

For one more time too many, Twilight feels her anger wither away, with pain and sorrow filling the void. “What is happening to all our friends?” she pleads to nopony in particular.

“If anything, it’s mah fault, Twilight. Ah thought she was getting’ past Pinkie’s … unfortunate end. Ah guess she had me ‘n Fluttershy fooled. Ah just wished Ah coulda seen the signs sooner.”

Twilight shakes her head in disbelief. “It’s not your fault, Applejack,” she quietly says. “It’s my fault. I should have seen this coming, but didn’t want to believe it.”

“Now how can you say somethin’ like that?” Applejack asks with a slight undertone of resentment. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Rarity staring at a section of the wall. “Rare, what’cha fixatin’ on?”

Rarity ignores Applejack’s query and stares at the wall. Applejack walks over to get a look, and notices a word chiseled into the concrete:

SLOTH

“Now what the heck is that word doin’ etched in Rainbow’s wall? Ah know she liked to ‘chillax’ a lot, but I didn’t think she’d be usin’ it as a mornin’ mantra or somethin’.”

Rarity sighs. “ ‘Sloth’ is a sin,” she points out. “Just like ‘gluttony’ and ‘greed’ … just like how we found those words at the other scenes.”

“The other scenes? You mean …”

A fire ignites within Applejack; she turns to Twilight and tackles her to the ground. Standing over Twilight, she barks accusations at the hapless alicorn.

“YOU KNEW … YOU KNEW ABOUT ALL OF THIS, AND YOU LEFT THE REST OF US IN THE DARK, DIDN’T YOU???”

Twilight simply nods, bawling uncontrollably as Applejack continues her verbal assault.

“SO ANYPONY COULDA BEEN NEXT! FLUTTERSHY COULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW, INSTEAD OF RAINBOW DASH! OR MAYBE RARITY!”

“Actually,” Rarity corrects, “I, too, knew about those words at the scenes.”

“YOU … YOU KNEW TOO???” Applejack releases her grip on Twilight and confronts Rarity muzzle-to-muzzle. “Ah thought we could all count on each other! Guess the notion of ‘loyalty’ died with Rainbow Dash, didn’t it!”

“Please, Applejack, we honestly didn’t know there was this strong a connection,” Rarity pleads. “We both thought it possible that Pinkie Pie and Spike were leaving final messages behind. It was a perfectly rational explanation.”

“And look where your fancy thinkin’ got us! Now get us all outta here, Twilight Sparkle!”

Lying upon her back, Twilight nods and closes her eyes. Another *POP* later, the threesome find themselves back in the Cutie Map room. Twilight rolls over and gets back on her hooves, still stinging from Applejack’s assertions but otherwise regaining her rationality.

“Waitaminute,” Rarity says, “what about Fluttershy? We can’t leave her in Rainbow Dash’s house alone … not like this.”

“You all can go ahead and teleport yourselves back and do whatever you think you all need to do!” Applejack turns and heads for the hallway.

“Wait, Applejack,” Twilight calls out. “Where are you going?”

“Ah’m goin’ back home to be with family that Ah can trust … before Ah let loose mah own sin and beat y’all to death with all the wrath Ah gots inside me! And as for you two, you can both go to Tartarus for all Ah care!” Applejack reaches the entryway and quickly departs.

Rarity turns to Twilight. “So what do we do now?”

“First, we go back.” Twilight closes her eyes yet again and *POP*s back with Rarity to Rainbow Dash’s bedroom. After so many teleportations, Rarity feels the need to prop up against a wall.

“I’m sorry, Twilight, but I haven’t been teleported so many times in such a short span.”

Paying little heed, Twilight races out of the bedroom … and is relieved to see Fluttershy lying down on a couch, breathing heavily as she processes the most recent turn of events. “Fluttershy,” she says quietly, “how are you holding up.”

“Not very well,” she timidly replies.

“Believe me, I never meant to keep you or Applejack in the dark. From now on, I’ll be open with any new information that comes to us. Do you trust me?”

Fluttershy nods, causing a brief glimpse of a smile to form on Twilight’s face.

“I want to go home now,” Fluttershy admits. “Can I go home now?”

“Honestly? I don’t even know if it’s safe for any of us to be separated from the others.”

“Well … I really want to be back with my animal friends. And I’m sure you’re exhausted from all your teleporting. I’m … I’m sure I can make it back OK. I’ll just be extra-careful.”

Fluttershy’s response catches Twilight off-guard. “Wow … you really have come a long way from when I first met you. You’re really somepony special.”

“Thanks,” Fluttershy quietly responds. “But what about Rainbow Dash? We can’t just leave her here, can we?”

“I’ll take care of her. You just get yourself home safely … and if you can, maybe you can reach out to Applejack. She’s still very bitter about things now.”

“I’ll do my best,” Fluttershy promises. She gets to her feet, spreads her wings, and flies off towards Ponyville.

Twilight trots back to the bedroom, where she finds Rarity examining the wall. “Anything else?”

“Sadly, no.” Rarity turns to face Twilight. “So what do we do now?”

“ ‘Now’, we transport Rainbow Dash’s body to the ‘cold room’ with the others. Tonight, I will start examining their bodies.”

Rarity gulps and turns her nose up in disgust.

“I know, Rarity, believe me … but if there’s any clue to be found, maybe their deaths won’t be in vain. There’s still four sins left … and four of us. Whoever is doing this cannot be allowed to complete this twisted legacy.”

“What do you need of me, then?”

“I need you to spend some time with your sister. She’s going to need a lot of consoling … and Scootaloo too, once she learns about this. Apple Bloom as well, but it’s probably best for us to steer clear of the Apple family, at least until the morning.”

“But her life is in danger!”

“All our lives are in danger,” Twilight retorts, “but at least nopony’s gonna sneak up on us any more. Forewarned is forearmed.”

Rarity sighs and nods in agreement.

“You ready for one last teleport tonight.”

“As ready I can be, under the circumstances.”

One final *POP* sends Twilight, Rarity, and the body of Rainbow Dash back to the Cutie Map room.

“You going to be OK to get back to the boutique.”

“Don’t worry about me, Twilight. You just do what you can, and I’ll meet with you in the morning.
Rarity and Twilight exchange one final hug. Rarity takes one final look at Rainbow Dash, shakes her head in disgust at the events over the past two days, and trots off.