Sherlock: The Magical Murders

John and Twilight walked through the crowd of ponies, who were slowly, but surely, leaving. When they finally found Sherlock, there were only a dozen or so left. The gray detective was conversing with Applejack.

"And that's all you know?"

"That's all I can remember from when they came 'round here."

John cleared his throat. "Um, hi there, Applejack. What are you two talking about?"

She turned to him with a friendly grin. "Well, there's the lucky winner! Congratulations, John! Well, I was just tellin' Sherlock 'bout two swindlin' business ponies that came 'round these parts, named Flim and Flam."

"And it was especially interesting when you told me about their cider-making contraption," said Sherlock. "She said it ran on magic as a source of energy, and was very mechanical."

Remembering what the business card said, John realized that this was important information. Just as he was about to ask a question about Flim and Flam, they all heard a familiar voice from a few feet away.

"John, I must say that was a marvelous race! It was simply thrilling!"

Everypony except Sherlock turned their heads to see Rarity coming up to the group, looking as perfectly groomed as usual.

"Oh, hey Rarity," said Twilight. "I was actually hoping you would be in the crowd."

"Of course! I wouldn't miss this for- GAH!" The fashionista shrieked in surprise. "Sherlock, what in the world had happened to your mane?!"

Sherlock finally lifted his head up to look at Rarity. His mane resembled something close to a small bird nest.  The attack from the night before had already messed it up, add that with galloping through a dark forest and not combing it after sleeping, it wasn't surprising. The ebony curls were sticking up in every direction and some dried bits of leaves were in there also, left over from the investigation in the forest.

John was too tired and nervous to notice the messed up mane, and Applejack thought Sherlock might've been trying out a crazy, new hairstyle. Only Twilight noticed and she had another little trick up her sleeve for the gray detective.

Sherlock shrugged, an indifferent expression still on his face. "I was too busy to comb it. Anyway, John, I think we-"

"Oh, we can't let you go around looking like that, darling!" Rarity walked over to a nearby tree and reached inside of a hole in the trunk. She took out a hairbrush. "Pinkie Pie helped me keep hairbrushes in a few locations around Ponyville, in case of mane emergencies," she said, eyeing the consultive detectives messed up do. She held out the brush for him, but he shook his head.

"I'll do it later, right now I have to discuss something with Twilight and-"

"Do I have to take matters into my own hooves?" The alabaster unicorn sighed, and then started to look like she was getting into a position of some sort.

The gray detective figured out what she was going to do and turned to run, but was stopped by Twilight, who was slyly smiling. A second later, Rarity lunged, and the detective was pinned to the ground with two white hooves on his shoulders, with Rarity fiercely running the brush through his mane with her mouth.

Applejack and John tried hard not to snicker at the scene before them, while Twilight was silently giggling. Sherlock was shaking his head and struggling against Rarity's surisingly strong hold on him.

"OW! Get off me-! Ow! That really-! OW! You're going to pull my hair ou-! Gah! What is wrong with-! OW!"

Soon, his cries stopped as the fashionista stepped off of him and he got to his hooves. He stood up straight, his mane now tamed, and brushed some dirt off of his coat. He glared at Rarity with intense anger, but she seemed oblivious to it.

"There darling, now it's fixed! No need to thank me."

Sherlock still glared at her before turning around and walking off. "Come on, John, let's go. We have things to do." He kept walking off towards Ponyville.

"Well, we better follow him," said Twilight, turning to Rarity and Applejack, "but I hope we can see you later!"

John and Twilight said their good byes to the two before they left and caught up with Sherlock. He was half-way back to town already, his expression showing both deep thought and annoyance. When the two had reached him, he turned his head to Twilight.

"You planned for that to happen."

The smile on the purple unicorn's face said all that was needed. Sherlock groaned and complained to no one in particular.

"Why does this place want to get on my nerves? I just want to find a mysterious, impossible murderer. Is that too much to ask?"

"To some ponies, yes," answered John. "Speaking of which, should we investigate these Flim and Flam ponies?"

"Obviously. They're clearly connected to the case."

"Now, hang on," interrupted Twilight, "I know that Flim and Flam aren't the greatest ponies ever, but I don't think they would do something as horrible as killing somepony."

"They're not the murderers," Sherlock said, annoyed that they couldn't see the obvious. "Of course not. We're going to investigate them because they have a business. And what do buisness people do?"

"... Sell stuff?" guessed John, after a few seconds of silence.

"Exactly! And to sell machinery, they have to..."

"... Make stuff."

"Very good, John. If they built our murderer's weapon, they must have information on how it works and how to de-activate it."

"Hold up, I'm lost," Twilight complained. "How do you know that the killer bought a weapon from them? It's only a business card you guys found lying in the woods. It might be a dead end!"

The dirt road they were walking on soon turned to cobblestones as they reached the outskirts of town. As they walked to the library, a feminine cry pierced the air.

John was the first to run. "Somepony's in trouble!" he yelled, before galloping off. Twilight and Sherlock were close behind. They slowed down a few feet away from Sugarcube Corner, where a small crowd of ponies had formed around someone laying on the ground. John pushed them out of the way to make a path for him and his friends.

"I'm a doctor, let me through."

A few seconds later, he was standing in front of a bright yellow unicorn lying dead on the ground. She had a blue, curly mane and blue hearts for a cutie mark, and her features were twisted in agony. Twilight gasped as she recognized the cadaver, a sad frown forming on her face.

"Lemon Hearts.... who could have done this to you?"

"I think you know who," said Sherlock. He didn't look affected at all from seeing the dead body, and was searching through one of his pockets. He tossed the magic detector to John, who was examining the body. "What are the readings?"

The army doctor caught the detector in one hoof and started to scan the body. "The same as the others. All magic gone." He lowered the device and it started to show more readings. "Wait, it says there's some detected on the other side of her body."

Lemon Heart was lying on her left side, leaving her right exposed. Sherlock walked over to John and helped him roll her over. When they saw the left side of her body, their eyes widened in surprise. Parts of her coat were burned neatly, and were precise enough to form words. The scarred fur and flesh read:

Just a little

warning, S&J

.