Sherlock Sparkle: Anonymous' Game

>He is here.
>That's the only thought that's running through your head as he smiles down at you, hands in his pockets.
>"You know," he says, "I've always found those with intelligence to be fascinating, and you are by no means an exception, Twilight."
>Your throat goes dry, and you can't find the words to respond.
>"I wasn't expecting you to pop in on the case in Manehatten, but you did." He sits cross legged next to you and turns his gaze towards the night sky, "I have to say I'm rather impressed. A whole year of incompetent investigators, and then you show up and rain on my parade."
>You grit your teeth, trying to think of something clever or witty to say, but you're too strained. There's a knot in your stomach and you're not sure how to handle this.
>Did he come here to kill you?
>To kidnap you or silence you in some way?
>No... if he wanted to do either he would have already done so.
>"It's strange really. He never really had any friends. Well, he had a few, but he wasn't the most open individual. You, on the other hand, are surrounded by people you care about." He turns his eyes back to you and smiles, "That can be a disadvantage. You might want to think on what to do about that."
>Is he threatening you, or is he giving you tips?
>Is it both?
>There's no use asking him how he knows about your friends. It's easy to presume that he has connections, considering as he's been orchestrating murders.
>No, the real question would be how he came about possessing said resources.
>A question he would not answer, you're sure.
>You opt for something else.
"Who is 'he'?"
>Anonymous nods and takes a deep breath, looking back up to the sky before continuing. "Sherlock Holmes. You remind me of him, except not."
"How so?"
>"Your intellect, your tenacity, your inability to give up. Do you know what that makes you Twilight?"
"..."
>"It makes you a monster."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Normal people... they're not like you and I, Twilight. Normal people have families and boring jobs, and go about their days in a sort of haze. 'Normal' is the brain set to auto pilot, governing the person's every move and desire with chemicals and signals."
"Why wouldn't we be normal then? I have desires and aspirations just like anyone else."
>He smirks, "Where do you think you would be today if you didn't have an exceptional magical ability?"
"I suppose... I would still be in college. I would probably become a professor. Of course, I don't know what other talent I could have."
>"And therein lies the crux of the matter. You would have spent your days going to some boring school, teaching a boring class, doing boring paperwork..."
"I would have never met my friends. I would have never become the Princess' student."
>"You would have eventually settled down with a mediocre stallion in a mediocre home, working to pay the bills and feed the loud children. You see, Twilight; you are special, and you always have been. Being different does not mean the absence of a mind with desire, it simply means that you are... different. You are not satiated by normality. I am the same way. I am not from Equestria, and I tried the normal routine when I first arrived a year ago. It wasn't for me."
"What is it that you want from me?"
>"I simply wanted to meet you," he says, standing up and dusting his legs off.
"And?"
>"I won't be surprised if I end up hanged again."
"What? Hanged?"
>He turns, still smiling, and clasps his hands behind his back before walking away, humming a cheery tune.
>You let out a breath you didn't know you had been holding.
>What is he?
>More importantly, what is he planning?
>This was not a run of the mill criminal. A normal criminal would not just sit down and talk with the person trying to detain them.
>Come to think of it...
>Why hadn't you detained him?
>That had been the perfect opportunity.
>Yet...
>You frown.
"How does he know me so well?"
------
>You spend all day locked up in the library and reading book after book on the species of Equestria.
>You find nothing.
>By the time the sun sets you feel tired and frustrated, and you have nothing at all to show for it. You've never seen anything like Anonymous before, and that makes him even more of a threat than he already was.
>Obviously trying to figure it out will do you know good.
>You'll be better off finding out what he's planning.
>To do that... you'll need a lead. Something to go on.
>As horrible as it is you find yourself hoping for another case that involves him somehow.
>Tired from a day of reading, you're grateful and relieved when you finally get to lay in your soft bed.
>You stare at the ceiling for about a half an hour before closing your eyes and letting out a sigh.
"I should have captured him when he came here."
>You still don't understand why you didn't.
>Eventually sleep manages to take you.
>The next morning you awaken feeling a bit refreshed, but still stressed and frustrated.
>You decide to take a walk after breakfast, maybe some fresh air will help you clear your head.
>As you leave the library and start your walk, you can't help but start thinking about what happened last night. After hours and hours of reading the best you could come up with was that he's part of the hominid family.
>That would imply a lot of things, however.
>A few species of hominid are able to speak, but you've never seen anything like Anonymous. He stands tall, his face is very flat compared to his species brothers, and he is not built for swinging through trees.
>This would all reinforce what he said last night about not being from Equestria.
>You still don't know why you didn't lock him up.
>Not only would you have stopped a criminal, but you would be able to study him, find out what makes him tick.
>His appearance alone opens up amazing scientific and magical possibilities.
>You find yourself unwittingly excited at the prospect of being able to examine him.
>Not only that, but he appears to be extremely intelligent, more-so than many of the ponies you've met. Maybe even more intelligent than yourself.
>You could have done the easy thing last night and detained him.
>He could have done the easy thing and killed you.
>So why had neither of you made a move?
>As you turn the corner into the town square you let out a soft sigh.
>You know the answer... at least as far as your own actions go.
>You want to know what he does next. Not only are you curious, but detaining him would accomplish nothing. If he has extensive enough resources to sponsor murder and not be caught for an entire year, than he is smart enough to have a failsafe in the case of his arrest.
>More than likely he has a partner that's been briefed on everything, and a plan to escape if he is thrown to the dungeon.
>No, to stop Anonymous you're going to have to outplay him in his game.
>You're going to have to destroy his plans and crumble the structure under his feet.
>However, all of this still does not answer why he had not killed you.
>He seemed like he'd known you would get in the way of his plans, so why not simply be done with it?
>He was also rather amicable and charming.
>...
>Perhaps you need more sleep than you thought.
>"Heya Twi, why's your face all red?"
>You let out a yelp of surprise and fall back onto your haunches.
>Rainbow Dash floats in front of you, smirk on her face. "You look like you've got something... or someP0NY on your mind. What's up?"
"Not somep0ny."
>"Oh? Then what's up, and why are you lapping the square?"
"I needed some thinking time, and I figured the best thing to do would be to get some fresh air."
>"Those murders still bugging you? Pinkie's been telling me all sorts of crazy stories." She lands by you and laughs, "She tends to embellish a bit."
>You smirk.
"Since when has your vocabulary been so extensive, Rainbow?"
>She blushes and frowns, "Shut up. It's your fault, you know."
"And how is it my fault that you enjoy reading so much?"
>Dash only sticks her tongue out at you.
>This is nice. Talking with your friends like this has become your way of taking your mind off the murders and all that's been happening lately.
"Hey Rainbow?"
>"Yeah? What's up?"
"What do you think about all this?"
>"About what? The whole detective thing? I think it's totally awesome! I never expected you to get into something like this."
>You smile.
"I never expected it, either. I don't mind, though."
>You continue to talk with Dash for what feels like hours. You just want to forget that Anonymous came to see you. Trying to think about his intent would be useless, as you have no evidence of what exactly it is he intends.
>For now, the best you can do is keep solving the cases.
>Like a jigsaw puzzle, things will come together in time.
>You're just worried that you might not have enough time.
-------
>Two days later you receive a call to come to Canterlot.
>Pinkie is busy with the bakery, so you're on your own for this one.
>You can't help but get a heavy feeling in your stomach as you depart the train at Canterlot station.
>Iron Lance is there to meet you.
>What strikes you odd is that there is no one in the station, and as soon as the other passengers get off the train they are escorted quickly away from the premises.
"Iron, what's happening? Has there been a murder here?"
>He shakes his head and frowns, "Something more worrying than that, Sparkle. Yesterday the guards at the palace received a letter requesting you be here today. The letter was signed Anonymous. He didn't say anything about coming alone, so the perimeter is surrounded by guards."
"I doubt he'll be coming here then."
>"Hm?"
"We're not dealing with a normal criminal Iron. I believe he has ties to the models being killed."
>"What do you have to base this on?"
"Anonymous came to my home."
>"He what? How come you didn't say anything?!"
>You turn away, letting your gaze trail of the crowd being led by the guards. A lot of them are angry, probably wondering why they're being shoved out of the station.
"Because it wasn't worth panicking over. I could have detained him, but I chose not to."
>"And why is that?"
"Because we don't know what he's planning, and that scares me. Listen Iron, we aren't dealing with a typical mob boss here. I know you've seen things in Manehatten, but this is an entirely different beast."
>You laugh and shake your head.
"I know he has partners and connections, and I know he has fail safes. If we arrest him now it won't accomplish anything."
>"I'm trusting you on this Sparkle. Why would he request you, though?"
"I don't know. Were there any other details?"
>Iron opens his mouth to speak, but is interrupted by a guard rushing to the two of you, "Sir! A familiar just dropped this letter at the entrance while we were guarding it. It flew away before we could catch it."
>The guard pegasus digs a paper out of his armor with his mouth, and you float it to yourself, opening it up.
"What kind of familiar?"
>"An eagle, Ma'am."
>Mid level magic.
>An adept unicorn, partner number one.
>The contents are unnerving.
>'Dearest Twilight,
>You will find a magazine, an address, and a wine glass inside of employee locker number twenty. You have eight hours to answer the riddle. I'll be watching.
>-Anonymous'
>"What does it say?" asks Iron.
"It..."
>Wait... why is there a time limit?
>"Twi!"
>You look up from the letter and see Applejack barreling from the crowd of ponies. The guards try to stop her, but she pulls away.
"Let her through! Applejack, what are you doing here?"
>By the time she reaches you she's clearly out of breath.
>Applejack isn't out of breath unless she's really pushing herself.
>She sprinted here.
"What happened?!"
>"It's Rare. She... I... I was in the city pickin' up supplies when Spike sent me a letter sayin' she's gone."
>You feel like you've been hit in the chest.
"Rarity? Wha... are you sure she's not just out doing something?"
>"Twi... she was gonna be in her shop pushin' a new dress, but when it was time she wasn't there!"
>It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together.
>You take a deep breath and close your eyes.
>The letter falls to the ground and you step forward, giving Applejack a hug, "Don't worry Applejack, I'll find her. I promise. Go back to Ponyville and tell everyone that I'm looking for her."
>She nods and takes a deep breath, "I don't know what's going' on, but... be careful."
"I will."
>You turn back to Iron.
"Anonymous has my friend, and unless I play along... who knows what he'll do."
>Iron steps forward and eyes the letter, "Is that what he called you for? We should look for her. Criminals don't usually let their hostages go."
>You frown.
"He'll let her go... as long as I manage to solve this riddle of his in time."
>"How are you so sure?"
"He's testing me. We need to get into that locker."
>"Alright, they're this way."
>Iron leads you to the opposite end of the station and into the 'Employee's Only' area. The back of the station looks more like a warehouse than its clean and sterile main area.
>Farther back, past the break room and several more places, is a line of tall lockers.
>Iron takes you to locker number twenty.
>It's locked, but you crack it open with your magic.
>Iron smirks, "Impressive, a standard lock is warded against basic force magics."
>You smile.
"High level unicorns tend to not be common thieves."
>The locker slowly swings open.
>At the bottom is a magazine and a piece of paper, both held down with a decorative wine glass. You pick up the glass with your magic.
"We can't physically touch this glass, it probably has some sort of evidence on it that we'll need."
>The magazine and the paper with the address are the next things you pick up with your magic.
>The magazine is for mares, and has what looks to be a famous singer on the cover. She's a mare in her early twenties with a cream coat and a light pink mane. Her cutie mark is not shown due to the angle of the picture on the cover.
"Who's that?"
>Iron grins, "Hey that's Light Echo, she..."
>You turn to him and raise an eyebrow, and he coughs.
>"Ahem... she was a famous singer before she was poisoned by her husband."
>You smirk at him.
"Big fan?"
>He blushes.
"Did you have anything to do with that case?"
>He shakes his head. "No. That was two years ago, before I even got the position here in Canterlot. I was just a gumshoe back then."
"So you're a new Captain then?"
>"Well... yeah."
"How about this address?"
>You float the small slip of paper in front of his eyes.
>"75th Mustang Drive. It sounds familiar, but I can't remember it off the top of my head."
"Maybe it has something to do with our singer and her husband."
>"I don't get this, Sparkle. Light Echo's case was solved two years ago. What riddle does he want you to solve?"
>You frown at that. It's an extremely good question. On the other hand...
"What if the case hasn't been solved?"
>"What do you mean? All the evidence points to her husband as the culprit. He's been locked up for life. How could anything be left?"
"That's not the question I'm interested in."
>"Excuse me?"
"What I want to know is how Anonymous can know about this case. He's only been in Equestria for a year. He told me so himself."
>"How do you know if he's telling the truth?"
"I don't think he lied to me. Kept things from me, yes, but everything he HAS told me I have to presume is true."
>"Why?"
"He's playing a game Captain. A game he wants me to take part in. A game with rules."
>"What rules?"
>You chuckle.
"Who knows? For now we should probably check out this address and see if we can find anything there."
>"What about the evidence?"
"Do you have a saddlebag we can use?"
>"Yeah."
-----
>Saddlebag full of evidence on your back, you leave the station and head to the written address.
>The home that the address leads you to is on the outskirts of Canterlot, far away from the palace and the hustle of the inner city.
>You'd go so far as to say it's near the edge.
>You try not to think about how long of a drop that would be.
>You and Iron stand in front of the home. It appears that it used to be a humble little place. Two floors, and rather small in size. There are various shops on this street, and a few other homes like this one.
>The only difference is that this home appears to have been abandoned for some time.
>The structure looks like it's about to crumble in on itself, and it clearly hasn't been maintained in a long time. Vines and other greenery are growing on the outside walls.
>"Sheesh," says Iron, "This reminds me of those places I used to go as a kid on a dare."
"Stay in the haunted house for a night?"
>"Ha. Yeah, something like that. Ladies first?"
>You smile.
"Well aren't you the gentleman?"
>You trot to the front door and pry it open with your magic.
>"Hey, we don't have a warrant!"
"There's no time to get one."
>"You know, the Princess talks about you a lot. I thought you were a stickler for rules."
>You turn to him and grin.
"Well, I'm more of an organization freak, really. Besides..."
>Your grin fades.
"Rarity is in trouble. I don't know what Anonymous is planning to do if I don't solve this in time."
>Iron takes a deep breath and nods firmly, following you into the house.
>Just as it appeared from the outside, it's a rather small and humble home.
"Is this where Light Echo lived?"
>"I don't know. I wasn't one of those crazy fans that followed her every move. I always thought famous people lived in big mansions, especially in Canterlot."
"Some upper class ponies like to live below their means. It's an easy way to save money for future troubles and family."
>The lobby of the house leads into a living room, and the hall twists around to lead into some stairs and a kitchen.
>The living room is empty save for a lone table.
"Iron, can you check upstairs?"
>"What am I looking for?"
"Anything related to the Light Echo case. This has to be where she lived... or at least somewhere she visited often. There would be no point in giving me this address unless it's a piece of the puzzle."
>"Right."
>You trot to the table.
>Save for the minimal light coming in through a small window, there isn't much to help you see.
>You light your horn up with magic.
>Under the table is some shattered glass.
>Bending down to get a good look... it looks like the remnants of a wine bottle, judging by the wide end that's been left partially intact.
>No label anywhere in sight.
>You might have to find the husband and interview him. There's not much to go around. Unless...
>You open the saddle bag on your back with magic and pull out the magazine, flipping it open in front of you.
>The date of the magazine is two years ago.
>Convenient, if nothing else.
>After flipping through a few pages you reach an article about the mare on the cover, Light Echo.
>'Light Echo in Counseling'.
>Your eyes narrow, and you continue reading.
>'Light Echo, famous singer and talent extraordinaire is having home troubles. We caught up with the singer for this issue, but she withheld comment. In an earlier interview with us she stated she'd been having troubles with her husband and home life, but other than this statement, appeared to be her usual cheery self. What's going on behind closed doors that has her so frazzled, and why won't she talk about it? Several reporters have spotted her going in and out of counseling, no husband in tow. Could their marriage be on rocky terrain?'
>Well, that just brings up even more questions.
>Had it been an abusive relationship?
>You decide to reserve judgement until you get a chance to talk to the man himself.
>"Sparkle, you might wanna come look at this!"
>You rush up the stairs and are greeted by Iron in the hallway. There's a few rooms lining the hall. Probably bedrooms, but Iron is just standing there, his gaze turned toward the roof.
>Then you see the extractable ladder leading into an attic.
>"Poke your head up there."
>You shudder involuntarily.
"Y... you're joking, right?"
>"Ha, you afraid of spiders or something? There's nothing that'll bite you up there. Just look."
"As long as they're not giant and trying to eat me, I guess I'll be fine."
>"What?"
"Nothing... long story."
>You walk to the ladder and step onto it.
>Your horn still glowing, you peek over the edge and into the attic.
>Your eyes widen.
>A tipped over box lays in front of you with its contents bare.
>Decorative wine glasses, some of them broken, but all the same type that Anonymous had left for you at the station.
>You step down and nod at Iron.
"This is the house where she was murdered."
>"Wha..."
"I want you to go back to the station and open up the evidence file. I'm going to stay here and look around some more. Take the wine glass with you and have the lab look at it."
>"It takes a week to get DNA results, even with magical means."
"I'm not looking for DNA matches, I'm looking for if the glass has been used by two people."
>"You think it was meant to be a murder suicide?"
"... I don't know. I'm just narrowing things down. How long will it take?"
>"A few hours at most."
>That's still pretty long. It would only leave you with a couple of hours to spare.
"Alright. I'll teleport you to the station."
>You float your saddlebag from yourself and put it on Iron's back.
>"Wait... teleport? You mean..."
"Alright, I'll see you in a few hours. I'll let you know if I find anything else."
>"Wait, hold on. I've never been teleported. This isn't exactly..."
>He doesn't have time to finish his sentence before he flicks out of existence.
>You construct a quick mental bridge to the destination, and when you confirm he's arrived you cut it, but not before you catch an image of him heaving and coughing from the shock of the teleport.
>After looking through the other rooms upstairs you see that they're just as empty as the living room had been. After a couple of hours checking for loose floorboards or secret compartments in the house you figure it's time to get a move on.
>You decide to check the attic one more time, and a bit more thoroughly.
>You climb the ladder and peek your head through once more, amplifying the light coming from your horn.
>It appears there's one more box in the back.
>Then your vision is filled with pink, "Heya Twilight!"
"GAH!"
>You fall from the ladder and land painfully below on your back.
"Guuuuhh..."
>"OOOOO, lookie what I found!"
>Shortly after that exclamation a lone box flies from the opening in the attic and lands right next to your head.
>Your breath hitches in your throat.
"Pinkie! Are you TRYING to kill me?!"
>"Oh relax you old fuddy duddy. There's just a pile of papers and folders inside..."
>You breathe a sigh of relief...
>"And a lot of books."
>And then you take back the air you sighed.
>After you gather yourself a bit, you stand and start to shuffle through the box.
"How did you even get here?"
>Pinkie jumps down from the attic with a huge grin, "I walked, silly!"
"Wait, you... never mind. I thought you were busy with the bakery."
>"I was, but then Rarity went missing and I got super worried, so I came to Canterlot to help you! I knew you'd be looking for her, and you can't have a detective without their super duper best partner!"
>You sigh and shake your head.
>After a moment of shuffling through the papers in the box something catches your eye.
>A folder.
>You pull it up with your magic and flip it open.
>It appears to be a medical record.
>The name at the top is...
"Light Echo."
>"The famous singer? OH, I love love LOVED her music!"
>After skimming the record you realize it's from a mental care facility.
>You start checking for a diagnoses.
>It doesn't take you long to find it.
>Manic Depressive.
"She had bi polar disorder. Look at this Pinkie..."
>You show her the record and frown.
"Thoughts of suicide, regular mood swings, night terrors, abusive behavior and guilt."
>"Um... what are we doing again?"
>You throw your hooves around Pinkie and grin.
"Thank you Pinkie! You cracked this case wide open!"
>"Heh... well gee Twilight, all I did was find some papers."
"Come on, we have to get to the station! We're teleporting."
>"Okie dokie lokie!"
>You grab onto Pinkie and concentrate, and after what feels like a whirlwind you're in the middle of Canterlot's guard station... the cafeteria specifically.
>There are a few guards around that scream when you pop out of thin air.
"Where's Captain Lance?"
>One of the guards sitting at a table points down a long hallway, "He uh... went to the labs."
>The guard sitting next to him glares, "Hey, she's a civilian, isn't she? She's not supposed to be back here."
>"You idiot, that's the consultant detective."
>"The what?"
>You ignore their bickering and head down the brightly lit hallway, Pinkie hot on your tail. You pass office after office. There's a small red line on the wall labeled 'Labs'. Easy enough.
>You don't expect Iron to intercept you in the hall leading there, but he does.
>"Sparkle, I was just coming to see you. The glass had two different ponies' DNA on it. Also, get this, that glass was lifted from the evidence room. The case isn't that old so we still had it, but apparently someone managed to get their hooves on it for Anonymous. Did you find anything else?"
>Pinkie steps forward with the medical records in her mouth and sets them at Iron's feet.
"I need to see Light Echo's husband."
>"Alright. I figured you'd want to, so I got the papers processed for a recorded sit down."
"Thank you. We should get going. Both of you hold on. I hope I'm right, because this will probably be the last teleport I can do without exhausting myself."
>You hold out a hoof.
"Let's go solve this riddle, and save Rarity."
>Pinkie and Iron nod firmly, and put their hooves in as well.
>With another whirlwind, you're in front of Canterlot Prison. It's a rather large place, about thirty miles away from the actual city and the mountain it resides on. Surrounded by tall walls and guard towers... it makes you uncomfortable to say the least.
>You've never been here before, you just knew where it was.
>Iron clears his throat and shakes his head clear, "Never gonna get used to that. I'll go talk to the gate guard and get us through. There's a small room set aside near the entrance of the prison we can use to talk to the husband."
>You nod and look to the sky with a deep breath...
>There's an eagle circling above.
------
>The room that the guards had led you to is indeed small. It reminds you of those interrogation rooms in the crime novels you've read.
>A single square table and one-sided glass completed the picture. Pinkie and Iron are on the other side of that glass, watching this unfold. You stand on one side of the table, and Light's husband is sitting on his haunches on the other.
>The only thing different is how brightly lit the room is. There is not a single bad hanging light, but rather a few fluorescent ones installed in the ceiling.
>He looks like he's been through Tartarus and back.
>His brown coat is matted in a few places, and his black mane looks haggled. You can't even see his cutie mark, and his eyes are bloodshot. "What am I here for?"
"What's your name?"
>"Does it matter?"
"It matters to me."
"... Lucky Spur."
"Your wife was Light Echo, correct?"
>"Mmm."
"She didn't take your name?"
>"It was my idea. I liked her name." He looks away and frowns, "The kids would've had my name."
"Did you poison her?"
>His eyes narrow, "I'm in here, aren't I?"
"Why did you do it?"
>"Tabloids said I was abusive, and that's what was causing her depression to flare up."
>You frown.
"That's what the tabloids said. What do you say?"
>"..."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ceLdI5MZeA
"There were two ponies who drank from that glass the day Light Echo was poisoned. Normally this wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary; murder suicides happen sometimes when a relationship goes off the deep end. However, I'm not convinced Mr. Spur."
>"Oh? And why are you not convinced?"
"A magazine."
>"A magazine? That's all you have to go on?"
>You smile sadly.
"A few words can paint a rather large picture Mr. Spur. The few words I'm talking about are in that magazine, and they say that you and Light Echo had been together for years. How long was it, Mr. Spur?"
>"... Eight. Eight years."
"On average, abusive relationships don't last that long. There can be a number of reasons why that is: Divorce, friends intervening, murder on the part of the abuser or the abused. Eight years in an average abusive relationship is not commonplace."
>"Oh? I could have been manipulating her."
"Victims who are hypnotised or manipulated usually can't handle having a career path, especially if said career path involves music. A culprit who enslaves someone is more likely to lock them in a basement than let them fly free... as Light Echo did."
>"What are you getting at? Who are you, anyways?"
"My name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm a consulting detective for the investigative branch of the guards here in Canterlot. I'm here today to solve the death of Light Echo."
>"Like I said, already been solved. Otherwise I wouldn't be locked in here."
"I think you're lying to yourself Mr. Spur. Light Echo had been diagnosed with Manic Depression, better known as Bipolar Disorder these days. Whenever she got on stage she was the typical singer, I presume; smiling and waving to the crowd. However, behind closed doors had been a different story. Can I safely assume that she was seeing mental health professionals on and off, or would I be wrong?"
>"..."
"You were there to support her every minute, weren't you? You loved Light Echo with all your heart, but her depression started to get worse."
>"What the hell do you want, lady?"
"I want the truth, Mr. Spur. That's the only thing that matters to me right now. There was no abuse in the relationship, at least not on your part. You didn't kill her because you were tired of her and wanted her gone, you killed her because she wanted you to."
>His eyes widen, and you know you've got the truth.
"I presume she was getting worse and worse, and the stress of being a performer only amplified that. I can imagine that her emotions rubbed off on you quite a bit, Mr. Spur. That must have been a hard time for you."
>"Shut up..."
"She wanted to leave the world that put her through so much pain, and she asked you for help, didn't she?"
>"I said shut up."
"You planned on going with her... but the poison wasn't enough to kill you. You're here now..."
>"SHUT UP!" He shouts, leaping up onto the table and slamming his hooves down.
>"Get out."
>Without a single word you leave the room.
>Iron and Pinkie are there waiting for you in the dark prison hall.
>You shut the door of the room with your magic, and take a deep shuddering breath.
>Iron steps towards you and gestures to a small envelope on the ground. "This letter appeared wrapped in magic flame while you were interrogating him."
>You pick it up and open it with your magic.
>'Dearest Twilight,
>Congratulations, your friend will be returned safely to Ponyville. She will be there when you return. I look forward to playing with you again.
>-Anonymous'
>"What's it say?" Asks Iron.
"Rarity is safe."
>Pinkie smiles and nods, "I knew you could do it Twilight!"
>"You know," says Iron, "If he confessed... he could have had a chance to get out of prison if he wrote an appeal."
"No..."
>"Hm?"
>You turn to look through the glass. Inside the room, Light Echo's husband is crying.
"He wants to be here."
>"That doesn't make any sense," mutters Pinkie.
>You give a sad smile.
"I think it does. Have you stopped to wonder why he hasn't tried to kill himself inside the prison? Maybe he sees the fact that he lived as punishment, and... and he thinks he deserves it."
>The hall falls silent.
>Iron clears his throat, "You know, Anonymous keeping an eye on us like this makes me nervous. It could mean he has insiders in a lot of places, including the guards. In any case, you should probably uh... get back to Ponyville and make sure your friend is okay."
"I will. Thank you for everything Captain."
>"Anytime, Sparkle. It's great working with you. Let me know if you get anything else on Anonymous."
"You too. Let's go home Pinkie."
>"Okay!"
-------
>When you get back to town there is a crowd of ponies in front of the boutique.
>Just seeing that alone is enough to ensure you that Rarity is okay.
>You and Pinkie push your way through the crowd and are greeted by the excited laughter of the rest of your friends.
>Rarity is there, in the middle of it all.
"Rarity!"
>She sees you calling to her and beams. "Twilight, are you alright, dear?"
>You frown.
"That's what I should be asking you!"
>You rush forward and wrap your hooves around her, smiling the whole time.
"Listen, I know this is gonna sound weird..."
>You pull away from the hug before continuing.
"But did you get any details while you were kidnapped?"
>"Details? Perhaps... where I was or the brute who took me?"
>You nod firmly.
>"Well, I'm afraid I was unconscious for most of it."
>Figures...

>"However, there was one little thing I happened to peek."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLlt0cK4uA0