Part 2: The Meeting *(ARK)*

Ark sighed as Twilight stormed out, understanding her feelings.

"I guess that's the end of the conversation." Summer Breeze said, and looked at the closed door.

Rarity hovered over to the detective. "Twilight's right, you know. Applejack isn't a killer."

Pinkie Pie nodded. "I'm more of a killer than Applejack is or will ever be!" She said, giggling.

The room stared at her, confusion painted on their faces.

"Not like I'd ever!" Pinkie Pie quickly added, her laughter dying down as she realized what she had just said.

Ark suppressed a laugh. "And we know where you'd hide the body to make it seem unassuming." He joked.

Everypony in the room gasped in shock and confusion.

Summer sighed. "Alright, you two, tell me what in Celestia's name you two are on about," she said, her eyes darting between Ark and Pinkie.

"Well, Pinkie can view into alternate timelines where she's a... let's say, psycho. Who turns her kills into cupcakes," Ark said with a straight face.

Pinkie groaned. "I told you not to tell anyone about the 'millions of different Pinkie Pies' theory," she muttered, her cheeks flushing pink.

Ark put his hoof over to his mouth.

Summer laughed. "Well, that's... something new."

"Okay, back to business," Ark said, his tone shifting to one of seriousness. "We need to consider every possibility here, and that includes Applejack's involvement."

The room fell silent again, and Twilight's absence was palpable. Rainbow Dash, ever the pragmatic one, spoke up. "We can't just ignore the evidence because we don't want it to be true. We've got to find out what's going on. And even if the evidence pointing to AJ is real, she probably has a good reason to kill somepony."

"There's no 'if'. She didn't do it," Fluttershy spoke up, her voice firm despite her quivering wings. "We have to believe in Applejack. You especially, Dash. You're the element of loyalty, so for Celestia's sake, be loyal!"

"Sometimes, loyalty means believing in your friend. Sometimes, it means asking yourself that if indeed your friend did do something terrible, trying to understand why," Rainbow Dash said, her eyes meeting Fluttershy's. "We're not betraying Applejack by considering every possibility. We're just trying to find her. And if she indeed is, as the clues say, the murderer, she has good reason."

Ark nodded. "As a matter of fact, the ID of the deceased pony matches someone from Apple Bloom's accidental death."

"See?" Rainbow exclaims. "What if, in fact, the death of Apple Bloom wasn't, in fact, an accident, but a murder committed by the now deceased..."

"Who." Ark Sight clarified.

"Wait, you don't know the name?" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Oh, not this." Summer whispered, her eyes welling up with tears. "Not this Abbott and Costello routine again. The real name is Firetreader."

"You take the fun right out of this, Summer." Ark complained. "Can't you appreciate a good old fashioned 'who's on first'?"

"Anyway!" Rainbow said, clearing her throat. "As I was saying, what if Apple Bloom's death was a murder committed by Firetreader and other ponies?"

"And Applejack is out there, taking justice into her own hooves?" Ark finished.

"You two have a point." Summer replied.

"Glad you admit that I, and Dash, are both smarter than you." Ark quipped, a smirk playing on his lips, as he knew what Summer would respond.

"Quit while you're ahead, Ark." Summer replied, rolling her eyes.

Ark mentally applauded himself. "I knew you were going to say that," he said with a chuckle.

"Celestia, give me strength," Summer Breeze whispered under her breath, her eyes closed for a brief moment. She took a deep breath and turned to the others. "Alright, let's look at this logically. If Applejack is seeking vengeance, we need to understand why. And if she isn't, we need to find out who's framing her."

The ponies nodded in agreement, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on them. Ark Sight broke the silence. "First, let's get Twilight back. She's not going to be much help if she's off on her own, getting herself into trouble," she said, her voice a mix of concern and determination.

"She's probably not gonna be much help anyways," Summer Breeze replied, getting looks from everyone in the room except Pinkie Pie, who was busy examining a mysterious stain on the floor. "But you're right, Rainbow Dash. We need to be united on this."

So Ark and Summer went off to search for Twilight.

"Did you know, Summer?" Ark asked.

"Know what?" Summer replied, her eyes searching the rain-soaked streets for any sign of Twilight.

"This." And then Ark gently booped her on the nose.

Summer groaned. "I love you, Ark, but sometimes you can be so annoying."

"It's part of my charm," Ark quipped, giggling. Then he noticed an alicornesque silhouette in the window of a restaurant. "Look, Twilight's in there," he pointed.

They found Twilight sitting alone at a corner booth, her head buried in her hooves.

"Twilight?" Ark asked.

Twilight looked up. "Well, if it isn't the dynamic detective duo," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "What do you want?"

"First of all, sorry for saying Applejack might be involved," Summer Breeze began, her voice sincere. "But we have to explore every lead, no matter how much it hurts. But you're highly likely to be right, and she's not the one we should be looking for. Someone's using her grief to their advantage."

"But even in the very, very, *very* slim chance she's involved," Ark began, his voice tentative, "she has reason."

Twilight's eyes met his, the sarcasm draining away. "What do you mean?"

Ark took a deep breath. "The pegasus you saw in the alley, Firetreader, had a history of causing trouble around Ponyville. I've had reports of him being involved in shady dealings, even before Apple Bloom's death. And the way he was killed... it's personal, Twilight. Too personal for it to be just some random act of violence."

Twilight's gaze sharpened. "What are you suggesting?"

Ark steeled himself, taking a deep breath and speaking fast. "IsuspectthatFiretreaderandhiscohortsmurderedAppleBloom."

"Huh?" Twilight asked.

Summer sighed. "Ark Sight said, 'I suspect that Firetreader and his cohorts murdered Apple Bloom'."

Twilight's eyes widened. "What?!" She leapt to her hooves, knocking over her chair in the process. "Why wasn't this looked into before?"

"Actually, Twilight, I was trying to tell you before, but your emotions got the better of you." Ark Sight replied.

Twilight's expression softened, and she took a seat again, her mind racing. "Well, we need to investigate this. If Applejack is being framed, we must find the real culprits and bring them to justice," she said, her voice firm. "But if it is Applejack, as the death of Firetreader suggests, we need to understand her motives and help her before she goes too far." She then puts a hoof to her heart. "I am terribly sorry my emotions overruled my logic. This is a serious matter, and we must handle it as such."

Author's Note

Hey again! There's a ship with OCs here. I ship myself and Summer! There we go. I said it.