It was a Celestia-given miracle that Rarity had managed to find clothes from her Femme Mystique Chic line on this island. Even if she was stuck on an island occupied by giant hoof puppets that move around on their own for Celestia knows what reason, she couldn’t resist the chance to once again play detective and look stylish while doing so. And yet, despite his static facial features, she could tell her current detective partner was less than impressed.

"What's with the outfit?" Eggs asked.

"Obviously, I am channelling Shadow Spade with these gorgeous garments," Rarity replied.

Eggs tilted his head, "Who?"

Rarity gasped, "You've never read The Adventures of Shadow Spade?! Oh, darling, you have no idea what you're missing out on! The mystery, the suspense, and the fabulous costumes!"

"Sounds like pulp fiction," Eggs bluntly responded.

"Technically, it is," Rarity said "But it's far more sophisticated than low-brow works like that one about the thestral going out at night and beating the snot out of the mentally ill."

A sudden thought popped into Rarity's head. Why was she telling a puppet all of this? Was it his accent that made her forget she wasn't talking to a real pony? And even if he wasn't real, how could he have not read Shadow Spade? She shook her head and refocused her efforts on the task at hoof, which was to see if any of the other puppets at this 'funeral' had a hoof in the deaths of the two ketchup-covered puppets she and her friends found earlier. Rarity observed the room, her keen eye noting every detail of the puppet funeral attendees.

It was very quick how they set up the funeral for Velvet Judge and Marine Capri, Rarity narrated to herself, Perhaps too quick. Maybe these puppets experienced time differently from normal ponies. Maybe not. I surveyed the room for any suspicious characters, and looking tres chic as I do so, while my temporary partner, Eggs Benedict, just stood there. For somepony who looked like the classical image of a detective, Eggs was an uncouth sort. But he may have a point about his 'wake the baby' conspiracy. Still, no matter how much I looked, most of the puppets here mourned in a more…superficial manner. As if they had rehearsed this a hundred times and are just going through the motions.

"Is that from the Femme Mystique line?" a puppet in a tailored black suit asked, interrupting Rarity’s train of thought.

Rarity turned to face him, her face lighting up. "Why, yes it is, darling. I designed it myself."

"Wait, you’re Rarity?"

"The one and only," she replied confidently.

The puppet stood from his seat, "I’m a fan of your work."

"Well, I’m not," another puppet interjected, her goth attire contrasting sharply with the suit puppet's polished appearance.

Rarity blinked, glancing at the goth puppet.

"Most of her stuff is too bourgeois," the goth puppet said.

"Oh, you would think that, wouldn't you?" the suit puppet spat venomously at the goth puppet, "Bucking secessionist."

"Turnip flank-kisser," the goth puppet shot back.

"Hey!" the suit puppet shouted, "Turnip Wolf is an honest stallion that has done great things for our economy! What the buck have you and that witch Harriet done for Equestria?"

"We keep fascists like you in line!" the goth puppet replies passionately, "If you and Turnip had your way, you would throw out every non-pony person off this island. Tartarus, you would throw them out of all of Equestria if Celestia herself allowed it!"

"You would allow changelings on this island?!" the suit puppet asked.

"Why not?!" the goth puppet asked,"They've changed!"

"Like Tartarus, they have!" the suit puppet shouted, "They probably brainwashed you with their changeling magic into thinking we should get rid of our own monarch! Which we should not!"

"And why shouldn't we?" the goth puppet asked, "I hate to break it to you but Celestia isn't as powerful or wise as you think she is. If she was, she would have kicked Tirek's flank herself instead of leaving it to her student. And speaking of who, would you want to live in a country where a neurotic mess like Twilight Sparkle is sitting on the throne?"

"I would actually," the suit puppet defiantly replied, "Wanna know why? Because like Turnip, she's actually loyal to the crown. So if Our Majesty was to somehow be indisposed, I know our great nation is in good hooves."

Things were getting heated up, Rarity narrated to herself as she stood back and watched the two puppets argue, While I'm no stranger to seeing the common pony discuss recent events with varying degrees of civility, I've never seen two ponies have such a strong debate over how Equestria was being run. Although there have been a few murmurings among the rabble outside of this island questioning Celestia's leadership after the Tirek debacle and Discord's hand in it. While it would have done wonders for his numbers, perhaps it was good thing that Turnip Wolf wasn't here to pay respects to one of his ardent followers. He strikes me as a rabble-rouser.

The suited puppet turns to face Rarity, "What do you think, Rarity?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm not brave enough for politics," Rarity quickly replied, "But now that you two appear to be done with your argument, perhaps you can tell me where you were at the time of the murder."

"I don't know what she was doing but I was buying myself a newspaper," the suited puppet replied.

Rarity turned to face the goth puppet.

"Voting for Harriet," the goth puppet answered as she showed off a badge confirming it.

"I see," Rarity said, "And how did you know the recently departed?"

"Marine and I were drinking buds," the goth puppet replied.

Rarity tilted her head at the goth puppet. "Drinking buds, you say? Did Marine ever mention anything or anypony troubling her before this?"

Marine stood in her modest kitchen, the soft clatter of wooden bowls echoing faintly in the quiet of her home. Her three foals, painted with youthful grins and wide eyes, sat at the small dining table, waiting patiently. She gently set down their bowls of steaming vegetable stew, the warm scent filling the room.

"Eat up, my darlings," she said, her voice soft and melodic.

The foals dived their heads right into the bowls, smothering their faces in the stew.

A loud knock at the door reverberated through the small house. Marine froze, her eyes darting toward the door. Visitors were rare this far from the settlement and something about the knock felt... wrong.

"Stay here," she whispered to her children, though they didn’t seem to notice her words.

With hesitant steps, she approached the door and opened it slowly. Standing in the doorway was a unicorn cloaked in black, their face obscured by a carved wooden mask that gleamed faintly in the light.

"Marine Capri," the figure said, their voice calm yet unnervingly hollow.

Marine’s grip on the door tightened. "Uh...Can I help you?"

The unicorn tilted their head, "Do you ever wonder what lies beneath the surface of your perfect little life? Do you ever question why your children never change. Never grow?"

Marine stared at the mysterious unicorn, each individual fur on her coat standing up as she listened to their questions.

"Or what about the gaps in your memory?" the unicorn continued, "The loss of time. That feeling that every waking moment of your life are just segments. Episodes, even."

"I think you need to leave," Marine sternly replied before closing the door. The unicorn’s magic forced it open again, the door swinging wide as they stepped inside.

The unicorn ignored her words, taking a step closer. "You’re not real, Marine. None of this is. Your children, your memories, your life? It is all make-believe."

"What are you talking about?" Marine asked, her voice quivering, "I...I'm real. I have a husband and three beautiful foals. I have friends. I have a life!"

The unicorn approached her, their horn glowing as they did so, "Do you?"

Author's Note

Detective Raity strikes again.

Kinda wanted a more light-hearted (up until the flashback at the end, of course) chapter to highlight how the majority of the Mane Six, after getting over the initial creepiness of an island inhabited mostly by life-sized puppets, are having fun with their assignment. Key word being "a majority" since Twilight's gonna take this seriously and Fluttershy would still unnerved by the situation.