New Plantation

Chap 3

Building a case

I woke up to the sound of banging on my door, it was just horrible, I have a headache and the sounds is not making it better, I got up slowly to find myself in the living room. Little by little I walked to the door, I hate being sluggish but I am just not the kind of pony that likes working during the day, I see the clock on the wall and as I suspected it was way too early for me to be up 7:30 in the morning after spending two nights awake and a full day, I was at least hoping to wait until it was dark before getting up.

“Going!!… for Celestia’s sake quit with all that noise!” I said shortening the distance between the couch and the door; as soon as I opened the door I regretted my lack of manners, standing right before me was a Solar guard that seemed not to be very happy.

“Are you OK?” he asked unconcerned

“Well I have a bad headache, I am sleepy and now I have some authority figure standing at my door… I am not sure if I am actually” I said hoping to lighten the mood

“Is Celestia here” he asked flatly

“Wait… you mean like Princess Celestia ruler of Equestria” I said also flatly

“Yes there are some that say that they saw her walking this way and talking to you… aren’t you Shadow Spark?”

“Yeah I am… if you had any idea about the “Dark Skies” court case you should know that I am like her least favorite pony… yet she was here, asking for help regarding the “Scarlet Harvest” case but she left short after I told her that I couldn’t help her” I said knowing that such would have being Cely’s wishes.

“Well… there are rumors that she and a set of three ponies where looking around at the old theater site… Luna thinks that it isn’t healthy for Celestia to be looking around places that could bring her back memories of Twilight Sparkle so if you see her again please make sure to let a guard know, we are searching for her since she actually did spend the night out from the castle” the guard said unsatisfied with my answer.

“Fine… now can I go back to bed?, as soon as they reopen my branch I want to be able to go to work at the university”

“Yeah sure, by the way sir… you have a bad nose bleed you should clean that up and try sleeping in the right pose” the guard said as the gave a salute and turned to walk away

I closed the door and turned to go back to my room when I remembered that Celestia was actually there, oh right, that was why I was in the living room. Celestia is still sleeping on my bed, I fell from my couch and that is why my head hurts and I have a nose bleed. I got back in the couch and prepared myself for bed when I heard some shuffling from my bedroom.

“Good job Shadow, we are getting in good synchronization here, perhaps we should think of getting a little closer, why don’t you climb in bed with me” Celestia said from my bedroom

“Ok, Cely… I know you are trying and all but I am interested in Shine and I won’t cheat on her if I can help it” I said trying to get back to sleep

“So how do you know she isn’t cheating on you right now” Celestia said with a low voice

“Why would she?”

“She did…” Celestia said flatly

“Is not working Cely I trust her”

“Do you trust Dust?”

“Yeah, he is my best friend”

“Do you trust him with Shine?"

My eyes widened “you are not saying…”

“She and Dust were together since we got here… and they were busy to” Celestia said turning to face me from the room

“Yeah, she knows where I sleep, but I wasn’t in my bed she must have being hungry Cely is not her fault, Changelings have a bad disadvantage when they haven’t much love to feed on… besides probably I have to explain to her why it was you on my bed and not me… I still need to talk to Dust, but I trust shine” I said remembering Shine’s first week at the university, she was known to be loose.

The discussion didn’t go too far Cely went back to sleep and so did I it was going to be a long day and night if we wanted to avoid the guards and still have the investigation.

~~~

Four in the afternoon and I am finally well rested, Cely was up working some breakfast and Shine as well as Dust where already in my living room getting ready for the trip to the Everfree.

“Ok so what are you all doing here, and why is Cely cooking” I asked to neither one in particular

“Well you were a sleep, we need food and we need to leave before it gets dark to see a little while in there” Shine said a little harshly.

“Ok now what did I do…”

“You slept with Celestia” Dust said with a smile

“Ok… no I din’t”

“Does not matter you weren’t there when I needed some of your… care” Shine said still upset

“Celestia can’t sleep on my couch it is too small” I said getting annoyed

“Well… I am really sorry but I needed to feed” Shine said emotionlessly

“Yeah, dude you screwed up… you know” said Dust

“Ok cool so what do I do now… damn it!” I said knowing where all this was going

“Well I discovered that you are not the only one I can love… I also discovered that you are not the only one that can love me… and I feel safer with someone that does not kill for pleasure” Shine said still emotionlessly

“Fine… so I loss… damn… lest just finish this, then I can just… go away” I said feeling my eyes watering

“You are giving up?” Shine asked still without even showing any interest in me

“You know, I was close to ask you… the question… I was going to, at the park, before Cely came to me for help, I protected you, and I gave all my sanity for you… I killed to keep you safe… and now you tell me that you can love other just because they feed you with pleasure… go on be happy I won’t stand on your way but I am tired of all this drama I am going to finish this and then… well… I guess I am going away… with you or without… if you can I can to” I said as I stood up and walked to the bathroom

Shine tried to say something but all her talking got muffled by the sound of the water as I was taking a shower.
When I came out I told everyone to be quiet including Celestia, food was eaten, dishes washed, and equipment was packed for our trip, all my friends looked like strangers to me but I was used to this, there was always some ways for other ponies to find me… complicated but this time, it was them two, my two best friends the ones that I actually cared for, and it was me the one left out, so I just focused on my work, if Cely was going to keep her word I had a change with her but my world is falling apart because the one that I wanted is now thinking on easy exits to my current involuntary situation.

~~~

“So Cely you will have to take us all there with a teleportation spell, you can take us all with your magic and that would make it hard on the guards to find us, once there you have to use an invisibility spell on you and must of our stuff, you should also keep one of us invisible in case there are guards… lastly you need to sign a permit for whoever is visible, not me, to dig and look for clues regarding the new case, also during my bath I wrote the new case and sent it to Luna so that she can get the court ready, the new case is known as “hooves on Hooves” case Luna sent a reply saying that we should not help you Cely, but that if we go on with this that it would be hard to find Hooves guilty over a closed case, Knowing what you want for him Cely I think it would be best if we just have him pass a bad time but allowed him to win the case and then find him outside a dungeon, if he loses the case then you wait about a week before you go biology on him” I said as I was getting ready with my saddlebag.

“Are you ok?” Cely asked concerned
I gave her a look, I don’t know what she can be thinking about of curse I am not "ok" I just lost my feelings for the one that I wanted to marry “I am good to work Cely leave it at that please”

“I am sorry ok I just wanted to be sure…” I cut Shine as she tried to apologize “Keep it to you self… you should think before you talk… I don’t wanna hear from you anything unless it has something to do with the case” I said coldly

“Shadow look it was only to have her strong for today there was no feelings...” Dust started

“Keep it Dust… our friendship is on hold as if now, don’t say anything that is not related to the case” I said walking to the center of the group

“Time to go Cely… don’t make me wait” I said coldly even to Celestia
They all gave each other a look and then paper and pen flew to Clestias site “I Celestia Princess of the sun and co-ruler of Equestria allow Star Dust to find the team he need to investigate the ruins of one of the Lunar revolution interrogation forts in the Everfree Forest where “the Scarlet Harvest” massacre toke place” Celestia said as she wrote; the paper flew to Dust’s saddlebag and as if nothing had happened at all we weren’t in my living room but in a pile of rocks and Celestia nor shine where anywhere to be found.

“So it is Shine who will remain invisible with me and you two get whatever you may need before the guards get here” Celestia said from behind us and then we were alone

This place is different from anywhere I had ever being before, there were trees everywhere and after only a week some have even started to grow from the ruins, a large pile of rocks and rubbish is all that is left of what once was a large building, over all it seemed beautiful, if it wasn’t because the air was stale with the smell of death I would be thinking that we were at the wrong place.

The place had not yet being cleaned up which mean that all the evidence is still here, yet that very well means that it could be dangerous and that some traps may still be set for unwelcome visitors, it toke nothing but a single step to realize that I wasn’t wrong, every step needed watching and with careful eyes.

As soon as I took my first step the ground bellow me cracked and I fell, it was a short fall and I didn’t get hurt but I was sure I needed more caution that what I was prepared for, I landed on my hooves, the rubbish just landed around me, I was safe at least from the piles that made what was left of the room.

This must have being some sort of interrogation room, there was nothing more but a small holding wall which was still holding its last victim.

In a stone plaque that was the holding wall near the center of the round room was still hanging from the front hooves the body of a young filly. Messy mane and cream body the young filly was bore in two halves, maggots eating what was left of her both halves boiling with the larvae of flies, something about as horrid if not even worst of the scene at my apartment.

A closer look gave it all away, it was Twist her big glasses and what was left of her face meant no possible mistake, the question now is, how did she die?, looking around I found nothing of interest, I looked up to see where had Dust gone and why haven’t he helped me yet, what I saw made my heart sink, his eyes where filled with tears, his hooves trying hard to hold what was left of breakfast and I heard the horrid sound of crying while puking, such a stallion wasn’t made for this carnage.

“Dust! A scan please I need to know how to get out of here and I need to know if there is anything else but a body and maggots here, scan for stone structures and bio matter please” I said loud to get his attention from the scene.

He looked back at me and his horn glowed, the pattern of the ruins materialized in midair showing every passage and all the bio matter, I was standing in the first room which seemed to be right below the entrance, one of the few places that was still standing after the place was stripped from the magic that was holding it up.

“Shadow there are several pebble size creatures around you, not maggots, that are little by little getting close to you… perhaps you should get out of there” he said looking at what I was seeing myself on the floating tridimensional map in the center of the room.

“Ok find a way the get me out of here I can’t really climb up you know” I said a little annoyed

Looking around I saw nothing walking towards me so I suspected of insects, little did I know that insects where a close fit for what was coming my way, little after I started looking to the ground in suspects of insects I saw something move, I saw something that gave me chills, it wasn’t an insect it was an arachnid, an Everfree beetle was slowly making its way to me, I know very well, where there is an Everfree beetle there are several nearby, I looked up to the map there where hundreds, nearing on my location, almost next to me a big pile of bio matter, I looked around and saw pink hair, with my magic I got a three bottles from my saddlebag and had them floating before me, I picked with magic the closest beetle and a hoofful of the pink hair and a little bit of the of the hair from what was left of Twist.

Without any more time to wait for Dust I packed my bottles and jumped to the air, as soon as I was of the ground my back glowed and reviled a pair of wings that even when trans lucid had enough force to lift my body and allow me to fly thru the same whole I felt in, landing awkwardly next to Dust who was still trying to transmute some rope out of plants I gave out some air in relief and readied myself for the obviously incoming questions.

“So you can fly” Celestia said from somewhere on my right

“Why didn’t you tell me” Shine’s voice rang from the same direction

“Why didn’t you just come out of the whole before then?... why did you ask me to get you out if you could fly?” Dust asked a bit upset

“Ok I wasn’t ready for you all to know, I was keeping it a secret, and you must to, I don’t use magic unless I need to and I don’t fly unless there is no other option” I said harshly “please don’t ask anymore of me, I wanted to be more, to be special, to help pony kind with my intelligence, instead I am a deviant, I hide and love enemies of the crown, and I kill the very stallions that my books train to protect royalty… I am none of what I wanted to be and all what I hated to even think about” I said as I turned around to bring up the map from the whole.

“You aren’t the only one with secrets” Dust said behind me

“Whatever you wanna say, I don’t wanna hear much less when we are being watched” I said looking at the map that now showed more bio matter nearing our location.
The mares went quiet and Dust got out his permit from Celestia, as soon as the paper was out half a dozen solar guards appeared on the scene, one of them walked before me, he was the one who knocked on my door this morning. “Good afternoon Spark… May I ask you what you are doing here?” the guard ask in a half friendly tone.

“I am assisting Star Dust here to collect some samples from this crime scene, we have a permit from Celestia to work this area in order to shed some light on a case that even when close it should be re-opened” I said calmly

"You said that you couldn't help Celestia just this morning"

"I am not helping her I am helping Dust, he asked me to help him find and work the samples to see if could be considered evidence" I said with a friendly tone to my voice

“Star Dust have you seen Celestia today” the guard asked my friend who seemed confused by the question
I just turned to look at him, my eyes told him what he needed to know and he wasn’t a stupid stallion so he found the right words in short time.

“I haven’t seen her she wrote to me sent me the permit I am just here investigation and sampling some stuff, I may not even be part of the case if it re-opens but I was asked to help given my expertise” Dust explained.

“And what may that be” the guard insisted

“Well for example, we had some believes that there where acid involved to clean the scene at the theater, if there was any acid and somehow that could be proven, then I can say that Twilight the believed guilty party at the event would be hardly a suspect given the fact that her expertise involve merely magic, she has some knowledge of alchemy and potions but not enough to figure out what would be best to clean organic matter, that alone may point out to somepony with experience with lab equipment” Dust said sounding as the teacher that he was

“Well sounds interesting” a commanding voice sounded from the right

The guard turned and let out space for his superior, it was no other than Shining Armor who was still a bit down from last week’s events.

“You two think that you can prove Twilight innocent” Shining said with a frown

“Well we are studying the evidence on the princess' requests” I said watching my emotion over the situation

“Ok I am not saying that isn’t a good deed… but what is it important FOR?!!!, my sister is dead…” Armor said with watery eyes

“Well it may not bring her back but, do you really want her to go out as a blood thirsty killer, or would it be better to prove her a victim of an unfair trail” I said slowly

To that everyone in the campaign turned to look at Armor who looked back at me with the long lost hope flourishing again in his eyes “go on we will not disturb Celestia's wishes, find as much evidence as you can, my sister was no killer and you may be able to prove that, with just that I will be able to live with my wife without thinking what was that made my sister go out to do such heinous things” Armor said leading his party away from us.

The afternoon was ours; we studied every room of the maze finding horrible things in each, we found the rests of Pinky Pie, it was easy to take samples of each, but I was heartbroken when I saw that Pinky’s head was resting on Rainbow Dash’s hind legs I saw a sharp object in Pinky’s chest, Dash somehow was forced to kill Pinky, then I saw Dash’s body, she dug out the arteries on her own neck she killed herself after Pinky. We found a syringe; it was strong evidence specially knowing that Twilight didn’t have much medical experience.

Applejack was unrecognizable samples where still taken of a mess that seemed more like modern art, and we found Rarity at two side of a torture donkey, room after room sample after sample the evidence pointed out in many different ways but we haven’t actually found anything to prove Twilight innocent yet.

Finally we found Spike, he was the best preserved body, because he was a dragon his scales protected him from the environment, taking samples of him was hard but we managed from the scale less spot on his chest, all the tissue was a bit old and contaminated but we could ID each of them with some of Dust’s technology at the lab once they let us back in.
Celestia and Shine have actually being away, we haven’t heard or feel them in some time, it must have being a little too much for them, heck Dust was leaving a bit of his breakfast in every chamber, I just assume they were just watching for Lunar guards.

~~~

In our way back I somehow managed to fall back in the same whole that I did earlier, I was prepared for the beetles but something got my attention, mosquito net on a rectangular window, on the other side of it a well preserved room, there was a blanked and a makeshift pillow, but under the pillow was a pink rectangle, something similar to a book.

I used my magic to grab it and pulled my way, I removed the mosquito net and the book was in my hoof. It was hoof written on the cover in darker pink was carefully written the words “how to care for a good garden development” and inside a great set of instruction of how to care for a garden, after a few pages the book started to get a little estrange, especially regarding a theater play and ways to set different items, tools and traps to eliminate weeds.

Of all things I understand about eliminating weeds I can’t think of anything that would need a theater play, the analogy clicked and I was finally smiling, Twilight wasn’t guilty of the theater killings, nor the one behind the events of "The Scarlet Harvest” I can’t prove Cheerilee guilty but I can prove Twilight innocent now.

I once again flew out of the whole happy to have good news to Celestia, our case was wide open, we have real evidence and samples, if Hooves was as smart as everypony thinks he is maybe he would have found all this, apparently he was more interested on getting that branch at the university.

I stood at the same place where we arrived and spoke clearly “time to go home I have something interesting to read” and as soon as I was done talking I was back in my living room, Celestian and Shine where in front of me and Dust was at my side, the floating map was still on the air at my right clear for all to see, I stepped to the center and positioned myself to use the map as educational aid.

“Fillies and gentle courser I am here to announce that we have a case and I am about to explain every event in the ruins in order to bring everypony to my level: as you all can see here are the ruins that we were at today, I can’t say for sure but I think they all die around the same day, except for Twist, I can’t tell when she died due to the work the Everfree beetles did on her, I can say however that she was put in there and used to incubate the beetles, the beetles killed Fluttershy who was in that same room for some reason, then we have Applejack, she was squashed on a torture table I think there is not much to go on regarding her body, Rarity was cut in half from her privates to her head on a torture Donkey which is just a wage in between her legs, for some reason her yaw was missing, Pinky was cooked alive before Rainbow Dash finished her off, then she killed herself I assume because she was drugged somehow, Spike died from blood loss and lung trauma due to the penetration of a sharp object, it could have being a knife, and last we have just a pool of dry blood that I assume it was Twilight's except that it was way too big, Twilight would have died out of blood loss, according to the case she said that she was given life by the Elements of Harmony, I don’t know how those work but from what I see we need to identified every piece of evidence” I said preparing my next speech

“Now thanks to Dust modified locating spell we have a good map of the ruins and the kind of bio matter that we can find in there, plus we have this book that tells in detail how everything was done during the killings, including the incubation period of the beetles, Twilight’s harsh stabbing is here too, and something else I quote “I got her last breath” which I assume mean that whoever killed Twilight was happy with her on performance” I said looking at my students

“Now Cely get ready, you have a case, we have tomorrow to prepare it, and a hearing the day after, it will be hard to get any kind of conviction for Hooves but you don’t want that you want him to walk free, we can scare him but we want him free, if he is free we can get him on our terms and you can play biologist, all in all we can prove Twilight innocence, I will help you all you want but you have to be very careful on how you manage things ok?” I said looking at Celestia in the face.

“Dust get your bio kit, we need to know who is who with the samples that we have no identification”

“Shine you will have to turn into a Lunar guard and work yourself inside, we need to make sure everything will be in place for out hearing”

They all nodded at the same time and Celestia started walking towards my room, Shine gave me a look, which I returned with the same intensity and she lowered her view “I am sorry you know please don’t forget that” and she walked away Dust tried to get next to her but she wasn’t happy about it.

“I am free Shine… I am free to moan my pains and to cry my memories away, you do what you want but you today told me what I needed to be free once more” I said coldly

She turned and looked at me for a moment, that was it, I was remembering why I liked her, she knew what she did and then became a bit more happ,y she knew that I saw in her the same filly I saw when we met, but I was way too broken and tired tonight I may not have sex but I am going to share the bed with Celestia and Shine knew it but she also knew that I was back on the track to ask her the question.