Of all the smells that Spike had to endure, rotting corpse had to have topped the list. He never smelled something so vile and horrid. He stood in the doorway staring at the pale and lifeless face of Bon Bon. He leaned against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest. He was still mad that Luna accused Rarity of murder. Spike knew what kind of girl Rarity was, she would never do anything like that. She couldn't. She did not have the stomach for it, at least from what Spike knew about her.

Spike turned as he heard a familiar male voice call out to him, "Hey Spike!"

The young man turned and saw a tall man clad in dark violet and gold plate armor. He looked very masculine and cut from stone, his features powerful but very soft as well. He had long navy blue hair with a large stripe of dark sky blue. Spike knew him as Shining Armor. Spike answered unmoving, "Hey Shining."

Shining Armor stopped next to Spike and said, "Spike? Do you mind filling me in on what's going on I just got here."

Spike looked over at his brother figure and replied very monotoned, "In the middle of the night there was a murder here. And Rarity and Pinkie Pie are missing."

Shining seemed unmoved from his somber and neutral face. Shining Armor stepped past Spike and knelt next to the corpse, the guards inspecting the corpse stopped what they were doing and saluted, "Guard Captain!"

"At ease." Shining responded in a commanding and order filled tone. Shining said aloud, "(sigh)...not another one..."

Spike uncrossed his arms and asked inquisitively, "Wait, what do you mean another one?"

The captain of the guard stated not taking his eyes off of the corpse of Bon Bon, "For years there have been a series of murders. Four six years ago, it was the only murder that slipped away from us. I only just became Captain of the Guard at the time so I was still getting used to the job...yeah, this has been one killer who has been moving around. Five victims so far."

Spike rubbed his chin with his index finger and his thumb as he inquired, "Do you think that Rarity was the killer?"

"No." Shining Armor stated with a gentle shake of his head, "She would be too young to do so. I suspect that the killer captured Bon Bon and killed her here. At least that is what I hope. And Pinkie came to get Rarity and they left together."

It seemed believable, but Spike has watched enough TV to know that it was never this simple. If he learned anything from watching Castle, it was that it is usually never the first suspect. So that ruled out Rarity. Spike thought hard about this but tucked away his thoughts as Shining Armor stood up and turned to Spike and asked, "So, why was Princess Luna so angry when I came here?"

"Oh. I got in an argument with her claiming Rarity's innocence. We exchanged some words."

"Ah," Sining said lifting his head in reply, "Yeah you have to be careful with Luna. She has a very short temper."

Spike was about to ask another question when he felt a gentle paw touch his leg. He looked down and saw Opal pawing at his jeans. She looked up at him with large icy blue eyes. She said gently, "Mreow!"

She pawed at him one more time and went and stopped at the door, turning her head as if to say, 'Well? Are you coming?'

Spike felt like she had something to show him. Maybe it was important to the investigation. Maybe it was just a dead bird. Or she just wanted to be fed. But a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that she had something important to show him. Spike stood up. It was a gamble, and one he was willing to make. Spike looked at Shining Armor who was getting a full report from one of the guards. He was about to tell Shining that he was going to step outside for some air. But he looked busy.

He turned back to Opal and he followed the ivory feline. She lightly trotted down the hall and stopped at the stairs. She waited for him to catch up and then she gracefully flew down the stairs. Spike slowly sneaked down the stairs. He tried to stay out of sight, he stopped at the bottom and looked around. The princesses were convening in the other room with Twilight and Rainbow Dash. That was one thing he did not understand. It made sense that Twilight was here; she was Princess Celestia's prized student. But Rainbow Dash? She was a racer. What good did she have to be there? Not that he had no faith in the flyer, but it just seemed like her actual purpose allieviated him.

"Mreow!" Opal called angerly at him. Spike came back from his thoughts and as he approached Opal he said, "Sorry Opal! I was just thinking."

As if to respond to that, the white cat grumbled, "Mrrr..."

Spike rolled his eyes at Opal. He could not shake the feeling however that Opal held some sort of deep sorrow inside of her. Opal was a very loyal cat and loved Rarity to death, often helping Rarity with a few of her dresses. Telling her what was good and what was not. Opal as well was one of the only one of the many pets of his friends that seemed to always express what was on her mind. She was not afraid to tell people what she thought, Spike also somehow always knew what she was saying. Same with Rarity. Opal had proven to be a very odd cat.

Spike followed the bright white feline to the basement door. It was a large dark oaken door that Spike gingerly opened. What did Opal want in the basement? Rarity kept her wet food in the fridge and her dry food in one of the cabinets nearest to the fridge. As she glided down the stairs with a feminine grace she looked back breifly calling out to Spike to follow, "Mreow."

Spike lifted his hands and said quietly as he slowly descended the dark stairs, "Alright. Alright. Don't piss your fur, I'm coming. I'm coming."

Spike smiled smuggly at his comment which the cat answered wittily, "Mreow."

Spike could only guess that she made fun of him somehow. He rolled his eyes as he looked over the dark corners of the basement level of Caresoual Boutique.

The walls and floor a dark midnight blue color. There were discarded furniture and other miscellaneous carboard boxes, filled with items from Rarity's past. She inherited all her mother's belongings and when she finally bought the old town hall she moved her stuff from her old house to Caresoual Boutique. And the Mayor left a lot of some of the old town hall stuff in the basement, neglecting to take what was never hers. She always tried to avoid talking about the basement of the old town hall. Spike always wanted to know why, his best guess was purely on the fact that it was as creepy as Tartarus down there.

Spike said to the stark white feline, "Okay, what did you want to show me Opal?"

"Mreow." Opal ushered Spike to follow and they wound there way through a sea of carboard and damaged furniture. Opal skillfully jumped on various flat surfaces, doing well with keeping up with Spike and his long strides. Opal had lost a lot of weight in the past year. The cat now actually had feminine curves to her, making it easy to tell by the way she walked that she was a female cat. Spike followed the ghostly specter and she stopped an old looking wardrobe in the back right corner of the hoard of stuff.

It was aged and lightly scratched over the surface of the wood. Spike felt a chill run down his spine and felt a lump start to gather in his throat. As if the basement did not creep him out enough. Spike stood staring at the doors to the wardrobe. He could not will himself to open it for some reason, he did not know what it was but some force gripped him and held him against opening the doors. Spike normally never had a problem with stuff like this. But something about the whole situation and where he found himself. It was all too unsettling.

Opal rolled her icy blue eyes and pawed at the wardrobe and said with discontent, "Mreow!"

Spike sensed the measure of impatience in her voice. She looked at the wardrobe and then back at Spike. Her eyes were filled with slight anger. Without anymore delay to further anger Opal, Spike moved his hand to open up the door.

Sweat dripped from his nervous brow as the cold metal handle gripped him, rather than it. Flying the door open inside the ebony shadows, there Spike saw a sight he dared to never see again. Lying in the corner was the rotten and decaying form of another murder victim. The stench wafted into his nostrils and assaulted his nose, the deathly odor sending more chills through his spine. The iron blood staining his shirt and a crimson pool gathering beneath him. Resting lifeless in his hand, was a stained knife. The silver metal shining with a scarlet sheen. Smiling at him almost as if he was its next victim.

His stomach wrenched and attempted to upchuck the contents of his stomach, for full display. Spike clenched his hand over his stomach and forced down the chunks left over from the dinner before. Spike stared into the shut eyes of the victim. He wore clothes as if he was a hired assassin or mercenary. Spike leaned in closer dry heaving as the stench grew stronger.

He searched through the various pockets this assassin had and found a letter. The aged parchment echoed the sound through his ears as he unfolded it. The writing on the paper gently and carefully scrawled. Almost as if the writer was in a rush. It read,

We have found her. She is hiding in Ponyville. I will alert the rest of our family so a proper hunt for her can begin. We will avenge Obsidian and Sweetie, and her lost children.

Spread the word that the Machine lives.

Spike was appalled by the letter. It spoke of murderous actions and vengeance, reeking of lies and alcohol. Spike folded up the letter and shoved it into his pocket.

He remained at an impasse. He needed to give this to Twilight or one of the Princesses, but this would only make more ammunition against Pinkie and Rarity. Although he doubted that they did kill someone, but he needed to keep both eyes open. He was torn. It did not feel right keeping secrets from Twilight and the Princesses. But he was doing this to further protect Rarity and Pinkie.

Spike looked at Opal and said to the cat, "Thank you Opal. You were very helpful."

The cat snidely turned her head and said, "Mreow..."

As if to say, 'Don't patronize me.'

Spike needed more proof if he was to prove Rarity's innocence. But as it stood right now, Rarity was the prime suspect. This meant patrols and search parties. Lots of them too. They needed a way to stay ahead, to not get caught-

"Hey Spike! Watchya doin'?"

Spike nearly jumped out of his shoes as he heard a familiar voice behind him. Turning abruptly and shakenly to find the source of the voice. He turned and saw Scootaloo. A dark violet haired girl who are clothes almost the exact same as Rainbow Dash. Faded dark jeans, knock off converse, and a jacket. Scootaloo crossed her arms waiting for an answer. Spike snapped, "Scoots? What are you doing here?"

"Oh you know. Enjoying the scenery and also I want to know who killed who." Scootaloo answered with more enthusiasm than she needed. She casually waltzed in front of the wardrobe and saw the dead body. She whistled, "My goodness...that one is fresh. I'm guessing that this one died last night."

Spike did a double take, but decided against asking. She looked at Spike again with agitation and letting out a sigh he answered the previous question, "Okay fine...two people died last night. They came here, and no one knows why, and were murdered. The wound on this one is definitely a knife wound. Whoever tried to clean this up, they did a slouchy job. Almost everyone is blaming Rarity for it. I am here trying to find clues on proving her innocence. And I was juat about to leave to follow a patrol."

Scootaloo stored all the careful information away and she answered, "Alright. I'm coming with you."

"What? No."

"Two heads are better than one Spike," Scootaloo answered quickly, "That and I need something to do. Applebloom is working and Sweetie Belle is at her mom's so I am without friends for a while. So, looks like I'm coming along with you."

Spike loathed the thought, but a little company did not hurt. Spike heaved out a sigh and said, "Fine."

Spike could tell that this was going to be a ride that he was not going to enjoy. He could feel it.