Night, a period of the natural time sequence that invokes the moon to rise and ponies to curl up in the security of their home with loved ones.  For some it is also a time of celebration, mischief, and at the most unfortunate of times, murder.  This night was like most.  The crisp grass beneath the boots of the royal guards crunched ever so softly.  The smell of the air was tinged with the scent of pine and fallen leaves, as was the case with the autumn season.  One thing that was uncommon for the season was a mass of gold armored and dark armored guards gathered outside a small concert hall.  It had seen the signs of a most eventful night ponies from the ages of late adolescent to adulthood either lingered nearby or had long passed out on benches.  The hall itself had been closed off to the public due to an unfortunate and horrifying crime.  Guards were keeping the ponies at bay well into the hour until a chariot pulled up.  Two ponies disembarked from the newly arrived mode of transportation.  The first was dressed in a black coat with matching pants and shoes, to some he almost looked like The Reaper incarnate. He was an elderly stallion with a ash coat and faded chestnut mane cut short and slicked back.  The reaper comment was always put to rest whenever his gold badge of chief inspector was displayed on his lapel.  

Beside him was a younger mare dressed in a white shirt and wearing a beige raincoat.  Her coat was a creamy yellow with a chocolate mane cut in a cascade, her sapphire eyes scanning the area.  She wore the badge of a lower ladder inspector on her black pants belt loop.  Her dark brown shoes as well as her superiors clacked slowly on the pavement as they made their ways inside.  The elderly stallion approached the one in charge of the scene.

“Lieutenant Solstice, it’s good to see you again.”

The guard nodded, “Likewise Earl Deeds.”

Earl sighed, “So what’s the skinny?  I didn’t get much info on the ride over.”

“Well I’m sorry to sound blunt but it’s….tragic,” the guard visibly steadied himself; “It’s a double homicide.”

The guard led them back stage as he continued, “Currently there are no suspects,” the lower inspector picked up a flyer that displayed a logo in flaming letters, “the band that played here was a new one, “The Ash Bringers”, fresh blood and this was their first stop on a tour.  From what we’ve been able to gather from the staff around here they left a half hour before the call was made.”

Earl pondered on this, “So it’s safe to assume they might have caused it?”

The mare beside him shook her head, “Don’t think so, could have been anypony back here.  Maybe they just left because they were tired.”

Earl rolled his eyes, “Which makes this all the screwier,” he glanced at the guard as he opened a panel near the far back, “Who are the vics?”

The guard led them into a massive room illuminated by red bulbs.  The room had long since been used.  Surrounding the interior were chairs that were arranged in a fashion that a pony might use to watch a performance.  There were ten in total and what they were watching was a section of the floor that had two black sheets covering two bodies.  Surrounding the area was a series of burnt out candles and a couple of assorted bloodied knives.  Earl approached the one sheet and pulled it back and cursed.

“She’s just a filly, what sick fuck would do this?”

The mare then lifted the other sheet and widened her eyes, “Wait a minute boss.”

“What is it Gleam?”

“I know this mare,” she pulled it back revealing the face; “she was a dress maker in Ponyville, names Rarity.”

Rarity stared with what could be described as sorrow and utter agony at the other sheeted body.  Her mane was frayed and reddened by blood and she almost seemed to be reaching out to the other cadaver.  The clothes she wore were tarnished and shredded; bits of flesh hung from some of the deeper more primal looking cuts.  Gleam shook her head with matching sorrow; it did not take a genius to guess who the other victim was.  Gleam looked across the room and noticed cracked glass that had a heeled shoe in it.

Earl gingerly took a ticket from the guard that was wrapped in plastic, “This ticket was reserved and found on the second victim, name, Sweetie Belle.”

Gleam stood and refused to look under the other sheet, “What now?”

Earl sighed in a defeated fashion, “We inform the loved ones.  These two deserve nothing short of a proper burial and the upmost respect.  Rarity was an element of harmony after all.”

In the coming hours many calls were made and the scene was cleaned up.  The remains were sent to Ponyville and a grand funeral was held for the two mares.  Many tears were shed that solemn day at the funeral.  During the procession one question plagued all the minds who attended, why?

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