At 3:37pm, a package at the Ponyville Post Office and General Delivery Service exploded. The explosion spread flame and heat. Fire licked at the envelopes, charred letters, burned papers, melted stamps, blackened books, invalidated forms, destroyed labels, and consumed packages. The flames devoured paper and attacked the more solid pencils, wooden desks, and mailboxes. The heat shattered windows and let in more air. The once-small fires engulfed the wooden structure, burning everything from ceiling to floor.
When the package exploded, no customers were in the store. Only one employee was there; all others were delivering mail and packages. The blast killed her instantly: a mail mare pegasus with a grey coat, a light yellow mane, and two eyes that had rarely focused on the same object.
When ponies saw the explosion, smoke, and flames, they frantically galloped: some away, some with a purpose. Pegasi moved clouds to rain on the building. Outside the post office, earth ponies and unicorns filled buckets with water, raced to the burning building, and splashed water on the fire. At first, a few scattered ponies acted independently. Then they cooperated and formed a bucket-brigade, passing filled bucket from pony to pony and throwing empty buckets back to an open spigot. The earth ponies at the head singed their manes fighting the fire but fought on. A burning ember landed on a mare’s back; she rolled in the dirt to knock it off and extinguish it, then returned to fight the fire more.
The walls crashed, and the ceiling caved in, barely missing the volunteer fire ponies. Smoke filled the air, and embers flew from the burning building.
Twilight coughed as she emerged from the library and looked around. Near the post office, Fluttershy and Twilight spotted each other. Fluttershy blinked twice, then the silent, gray pony with three butterflies on her rump ran and joined the bucket brigade.
Twilight looked at the library’s wide-open windows. The metal glint of the kitchen sink reached her eyes. Her horn glowed, and a spigot in the library’s kitchen turned. Her magic lifted water from the library's kitchen faucet, over the ponies' heads, onto the smoldering building. She saw two more open kitchen windows. She magically turned on those kitchen faucets and added them to the water flowing overhead.
Buckets of water and sand quenched the fire with a hiss. When the smoke plumes had calmed, Twilight shut off the three faucets.
A small, pale purple filly with two dolphins on her flank raced toward the still-smoking building. “Moooooooooooooooom!” cried out Dinky. “Have you seen my mom?” she called to anyone listening. “I think she was in there! Moooooooooom!”
At a fast trot behind Dinky was an older, pink filly with three diamonds on her flank, equally frantic. “Dinky, come here!” called Sparkler.
Dinky raced to her sister. “I haven’t seen Mom anywhere. Wasn’t she supposed to be working now? Where’s Mom?”
“I’m sure she’ll turn up somewhere soon. I hope.”
Twilight looked at the charred husk that had been a building. Burned, wet paper and bits of charred cardboard blew with the wind. Smoke obscured the sun. She pressed one fallen beam with her hoof, and the weakened wood splintered. She took a deep breath. She smelled burned wood. She opened her mouth widely and breathed both with her mouth and nose. This time, she also smelled a touch of metal and rotten eggs. She shook her head and walked away.
=***=
When Twilight returned to the library, Spike was shelving newly arrived books. “What happened?”
Twilight laid down on the library floor. “Someone blew up the post office. I think there were ponies inside.”
Spike dropped the book that he was shelving.
“I – I couldn't stay. I've never been around d-- d-- death before. I've read about it, but I don't-- I mean, when I saw that the fire was out, I couldn't--” Twilight caught her breath. “I've been there so many times, and it's gone and all the mail is gone and packages are gone and maybe some delivery ponies are gone too and...”
Spike wrapped his arms around her neck as far as he could reach. Twilight wrapped her neck around the little dragon. Her breathing became more regular.
At the library's mail drop fell a printed card. “The Mayor of Ponyville regrets to inform you that Derpy Hooves, a long-serving mailmare, died in an explosion this afternoon. All of Ponyville is invited to a memorial about Derpy's life. The memorial will take place at the town square pavilion tomorrow at 10:00am.”
Twilight’s voice cracked. “Why would anyone do something like that, Spike? What has Derpy done to deserve that? Who could hate her so much?”
Spike's stomach rumbled. He belched fire, and the smoke resolved itself into a scroll closed with a white ribbon and seal. Twilight broke Celestia’s seal and read:
My Dear Twilight:
I was recently informed about the explosion at the post office, and about the death of Derpy Hooves.
You have my deepest consolation. I know that this is a hard time for you, as it is for all of Ponyville.
As difficult as this time may be, you remain my representative in Ponyville. I task you to find the perpetrator of this heinous crime.
I am certain that you will carry this out with the care and due diligence that this task deserves.
Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia
After reading the letter, Twilight’s demeanor changed. She wiped the tears from her cheek, sat up straighter, and focused her eyes on her assistant. “Spike... let's research explosives.”
For the next hour, Twilight read about chemistry while Spike brought books, tea, and an eggplant sandwich. She muttered to herself, “I know I smelled rotten eggs. That means sulfur was in there. And I smelled metal. According to this book, the explosive was probably black powder: easy enough to make, if one can get saltpeter. I have two questions: Who wanted to kill Derpy, and how did they make the bomb?”
=***=
At 9:30am, Twilight and Spike joined the crowd crossing a bridge to the town square.
The central stand had been covered with black cloth. Pinned to the black cloth were images of Derpy: Derpy placing a blanket over Dinky, Derpy with her friend Doctor Whooves, Derpy signing her autograph for the Wonderbolts, Derpy pretending to deliver Scootaloo in her mailsack, and dozens of others.
Octavia’s Miniature Orchestra played Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D Minor. At the second story of the stand were the Mayor, Dinky Doo, and Sparkler. The smaller filly had puffy eyes and shaking legs, but she stood resolutely by the Mayor. The Mayor whispered something into Dinky's ear, then handed a green-and-yellow handkerchief to the filly. Dinky blew her nose. Sparkler looked a little embarrassed at being on stage.
Next to the three of them was a portrait of Derpy Hooves at twice life-size, a dozen muffins, and three dozen garlands of roses and lillies. The picture of Derpy was taken during a Winter Wrap-Up. She was wearing a blue vest, pushing a cloud, and revealing the sun. Her smile was ecstatic and guileless.
Almost every pony in town had arrived for the memorial. Most wore black. A small line lead to a creamy half-filled book, where a purple unicorn carefully wrote her memories of Derpy. In soft tones, all the attendees whispered among themselves until the Mayor took the stand.
“Yesterday, a terrible tragedy happened. Our town lost a beloved citizen.
“Derpy came from humble beginnings, far outside any town. Her family had little money but much love. She came here seeking a better life, and she found it.
“Derpy knew every pony in town, and every pony knew her. She was hard-working and loyal; she was often the only pony working at the Post Office. She was a steady presence in the town for years.
“She had an excellent sense of humor, even joking about her strabismus.
“She always kept her heart and home open. She was a mother by birth to Dinky and Sparkler but also to the many fillies and colts who visited her to play games.
“We are here to celebrate her life, cut short.
“Both of her daughters have prepared a few words.” The mayor gently nosed Sparkler.
The pink unicorn filly with three diamonds on her flank walked forward. “Uhm... I’m not very good at this...” She lifted her notes a little closer to her. “Whether you knew her as Derpy or as Ditzy Doo, my mom knew and loved everyone. She always made extra for dinner, in case I brought friends -- or in case friends showed up. She was always there--” Sparkler bit her lip, “--there for me, either pushing me to study harder in school, or to give me a shoulder to... ” A tear fell from her eye. “...to cry on. I miss you, mom!” She stepped back from the stage, and the Mayor handed her a blue-and-white handkerchief.
The younger filly moved forward quickly and with conviction. “Whoever killed my mommy, I hate you! You make me and Sparkler cry, I’m going to make you cry! You’re a bad pony, and I hope you get sent to your room and have to eat mushy vegetables forever and never never see the sun again!” Dinky banged her left forehoof against the stage. “And I’m going to do everything I can to make sure of it!” She turned around and swished her tail at the crowd.
With those words, the memorial service was over.
=***=
Twilight found Derpy's boss, Boxxy Brown, at the site where the Post Office used to be. The large, stubble-cheeked pegasus with a box on his flank was loading debris from the burned shell into a large cart. He saw her approaching.
“Say... wasn't you da mare Derpy almost killed wit' a piano? Yeah, dat was you. 'Bout two years ago, am I right?”
Twilight nodded.
“After dat piano, I demoted Derpy to jus' carryin' letters an' light stuff. Droppin' dem don't raise my insurance cost so much. What can I do for you?”
“Do you know anyone who could have hated Derpy so much as to do this?”
“Hoo? Derpy? She didn't have no enemies dat I knew of. An' I don' know of anypony hoo hated dis company, neit'er.”
“I'm curious... why are you here, so soon after the explosion?”
“Hay, I was in da army, keeping da roads t'rough Everfree Forest safe. Lost five good friends. I learned to deal wit' loss by working t'rough it. I don’t know what else ta do, ‘least ‘till I find da body and can let da family know.”
Twilight got close to the area Boxxy had cleared and took another deep breath. “Spike, smell this...”
Spike took a deep breath from the area she pointed to. “Smells like burning paper and maybe a little metal. I like that part. And a little something I don’t like so much... like rotten vegetables.”
She tilted her head. “Nice? Anyway, do you smell any sulfur -- you might know it as brimstone, and it smells a lot like bad eggs?”
He shook his head. “Nope, don’t smell any. And I’m a dragon. Of course fire smells nice to me!”
“Then this confirms what I read before. The sulfur changed into sulfuric acid. It’s already gone. Anyway, one ingredient for making black powder is saltpeter. It’s often used as a fertilizer. Applejack will know more about it, and about the farmers around here. Let’s go.
=****=
When Twilight arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was watering tomatoes. She waved to Twilight. “Howdy.”
“Hey, Applejack, do you have any saltpeter?”
The blond pony shook her head. “Mah pappy used t'keep some around, but we haven't needed that kinda fertilizer for a long time.”
“Where would you get it from?”
“Ah have t'special order it from a company outside Fillydelphia. D'you need some?”
“No. Do you know anyone else who might use it?”
“Well, the Carrot family might, but Ah doubt it. Both our families went mostly organic a long time ago. What's the sudden int'rest in fertilizer?”
“Saltpeter is part of making gunpowder. It’s probably how they made the bomb that destroyed the Post Office.”
“I’m sorry, sugarcube. I don’ know anyone who’s bought saltpeter. But I’m out here, not in the center of town. If you want rumors of what ponies have done, you should visit Sugarcube Corner.”
=****=
Though Sugarcube Corner Cafe was closed, Pinkie let Twilight and Spike into the kitchen. Her curly mane and tail half-drooped, and she walked instead of bounced.
“Nopony wants to be open, but we have orders to fill for tomorrow.” Her voice was at half her normal speed and flat. She pulled two layers of chocolate cake from the oven. With a spoon, Pinkie spread frosting over both layers, then built the cake.
“Pinkie,” said Twilight. “You know everypony in town. Do you know anyone who hated Derpy?”
“I've been asking myself the same question. Nope, nope. Nopony.”
“Or the Post Office?”
“Nope. And I know everypony in town.”
“How about outside town? Maybe somebody outside town hated Derpy and wanted to get revenge--”
Pinkie stared at Twilight. “That’s silly, even for me. Derpy rarely went outside Ponyville.”
Twilight hung down her head. “Then the murder just doesn't make sense.”
“What if Derpy wasn't supposed to die?”
Spike stared at Pinkie Pie. “What?”
“What if the bomb were in a package, with an address for someone else, but it went off too soon?”
Twilight's eyes widened. “I never thought of that.”
Spike tilted his head. “So, we've gone from not knowing the murderer and not knowing how that pony got explosives... to not knowing the murderer, how that pony got explosives, OR who that pony was trying to kill?”
“Yes, I'd say we're making headway. We know that we have to focus on the explosives.”
“Explosives! Say,” said Spike to Pinkie. “Don't you have a cannon of some kind?”
Pinkie nodded, pointing to the cannon that had not been in the corner just one second ago. “I always have it.”
Twilight looked at the large button under the false fuse. “Spring-powered, right?” Pinkie nodded. “Not what we're looking for. You wouldn’t know anyone buying a lot of explosives, like black powder or saltpeter or anything like that?”
Pinkie shook her head. “Nope. I haven’t heard anything like that. I’ve never heard any folk talk about explosives when they’re buying cupcakes.”
Twilight turned back to Spike. “I read a little bit about how saltpeter could be made from manure, and Fluttershy’s animals make a lot of that. Let's head to her cottage, to see whether anyone has been digging around there.”
While Spike rode Twilight, Twilight kept up a running commentary. “Black powder is made of saltpeter and charcoal, and maybe sulfur. Even the charcoal is a maybe; sometimes, they use sugar or anything else that would burn. But the saltpeter is vital; it supplies the oxygen for the reaction.”
They crossed the bridge to Fluttershy’s home, passed a flower garden and a large oak tree, and started walking around the cottage.
“Uh, Twi – you know I haven’t read much science, right?”
Twilight continued talking as they walked. “Saltpeter is a natural breakdown product from animal waste. Microbes in nightsoil expel it over months. It's soluble in water, so one way to gather it is---”
“So, we should look for someone who dug up well-fertilized fields, washed the soil, filtered the wash water, and then left it to dry?”
Twilight grinned as she turned to her friend. “You got it! How did you know?”
Spike pointed to the set-up placed where it would not be visible from the path. Amidst lush, growing grasses, someone had dug deeply. The dirt itself was piled to one side with large cloths tangled with charred wood. On the other side were broad but shallow containers with thick, brown water.
“That's it. We should ask Fluttershy who made--”
From the sky a gray pony with three butterflies on her rump fell onto Twilight. Her face was twisted in rage, and her mane was wild and uncombed. With all four hooves, she struck the lavender pony on her face and back, barely missing Spike, then flew up to land another strike.
Twilight bucked Spike off her back. “Run, Spike!” She reared up, both to free two hooves and to be less of a target from above. A trickle of blood dripped from her muzzle.
Fluttershy dove, then spread her wings to level out at a fast speed. Her right front hoof clipped Twilight’s chest, spinning the unicorn and dropping her back to four hooves. The gray pegasus landed on the ground less than ten feet from Twilight.
Twilight’s horn glowed. Before she could cast a spell, Fluttershy raced toward her with teeth bared. Twilight jumped to one side, dodging Fluttershy’s bites. Both ponies faced each other.
Fluttershy spooked and jumped away when Spike breathed fire on her haunches. Twilight’s horn glowed again, and a purple sphere surrounded Fluttershy. The gray pony struck, bit, and kicked the sphere, but nothing got through.
Her breathing calmed. In a deep voice, Fluttershy said, “Congratulations. You found me.”
Twilight recognized the voice. “Discord!”
Fluttershy bowed. “At your service, Twilight.”
“How do you... You were turned to stone!”
“Any time chaos happens, any time disharmony occurs, a bit of me is there. I watch. Especially the six of you. And I can still occasionally act, though not with my body.”
“What do you mean, ‘Especially the six of you’?”
“Only the Elements of Harmony, working together, can stop me. I’ve been carefully following all of you in the years since you six took them up. Listen to me:
“I’m not just the element of chaos. Before Celestia usurped me, ponies had freedom. What is now a dull, backwater village was once my capital. The soapy roads take a little getting used to, but they’re much faster than the dirt and stone roads you use now.
“When I ran Equestria, everypony could call on powers unknown today. Those long-legged rabbits figured it out first: their strength is in speed, so they grew new, long legs. The buffalo wanted to be more graceful, so they became ballet dancers. Those that don’t actively oppose me find their abilities multiplied and find new possibilities.
“Aren’t you tired of an ecology that depends on hard work? Wouldn’t it be nice if Equestria were like the rest of the world, with weather that ran itself? Wouldn’t it be better to let everyone reach potentials even beyond what their current bodies allow? To let everyone unleash their full creativity?
“Twilight, join me. With your knowledge and my power, we can rule Equestria together.”
Twilight glared at Discord. “Out of respect, I gave you a chance to talk. I had hoped that you showed remorse over the death of my friend, or trying to kill me. Now I promise I will do everything to make sure you never, ever affect anyone ever again.”
Twilight unfocused her eyes, and her horn glowed. For a moment, a pale gray thread seemed to lead from Fluttershy's chest to the west, toward Canterlot. As if cut by scissors, the thread snapped and faded out. The pegasus collapsed as her color shifted from gray to yellow.
Immediately after Twilight brought down the shield spell, Spike raced to Fluttershy's side. Fluttershy breathed softly, but steadily, her eyes closed tightly. Fluttershy's tears ran down her cheeks as she pressed her head against Spike. He petted Fluttershy’s nose. “There, there... It's all better now...”
“It was terrible... I could see and hear everything, but I couldn't control my own body. I watched myself make the bomb, put it in a package, and deliver it to the post office, and... and I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't scream, I couldn't even close my eyes!”
Fluttershy's tear-filled and bloodshot eyes looked to Spike. “The worst thing is: I remember everything. How...” She sobbed again. “How can I ever get over this horrible time?”
Spike said, “Just remember: Discord took over your body. It wasn't you.”
Fluttershy put her muzzle under the baby dragon. “I just want to hide myself forever. I can’t stand living with myself. My whole body feels contaminated.”
Twilight gently stepped forward toward Fluttershy. The pegasus, breathing heavily, tried to dig herself under Spike. Twilight stopped moving. Spike hugged the yellow pony’s neck, just above her shoulder blade.
In her softest, quietest voice, Twilight asked “Fluttershy... who was the bomb supposed to kill?”
Fluttershy shuddered. “Luna and Celestia forgive me...” She turned away from her friend and wrapped her wings more tightly around herself. With a quiver in her voice, she whispered.
“You.”
Thank you, Valaris and dastrdlyW, for your extensive pre-reading and suggestions for the story. It would not have been half the story without your help.
