“Ah, good to have you here. Miss Rarity, please, have a seat.” A mean-looking colt was standing at one end of a long table. The seat Rarity was instructed to sit in looked hard and uncomfortable, with a few stains of something Rarity didn’t want to think about scarring the dull silver color. She glanced at the pony, hesitating. He motioned to the seat with his head. She carefully sat down. The coldness made her shiver.

“Thank you.” Said the pony. He leaned forward over the table. “My name is Mr. Buck. But you, my sweet, can call me Alexander.” He winked slightly, looking Rarity up and down. He pulled out the chair and sat down, touching his hooves in front of his face.

Rarity was already disgusted by this pony, and glared angrily at him. The officer had kept his promise, Rarity was given a meal. A shower, too. She looked much better, but felt all the same, if not worse. She was in no mood to spend her time talking to such a… a… repulsive and distasteful pony. “Just get on with it then, this is no time for flirting.” Rarity’s eyes glinted dangerously with anger, and Alexander sat back, nodding.

“Oh, yes. I suppose you're right.” He grinned, but it wasn't comforting. “Listen,” he continued. "I'm not going to be as easy on you as Ms. Mareanda was. If there is any suspicion of you doing anything against the law, I can and will have you taken to the station for questioning. Do you understand?"

Rarity snorted. "I haven't done anything against the ordinance of the law, so don't even bother having me questioned. I don't plan on telling anypony anything more, for that matter. I'd like to go home now, sir."

Alexander shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that." He told her, a hint of sympathy in his voice.

Rarity frowned. "Then I just won't say a word. No matter what you do, I won't say anything"

"But why, Rarity? What makes you hold back?"

"I... I just can't do it." Images of the mutilated body of one of her best friends flashed before her eyes. "It's just too much."

Alexander sighed. He understood why she was holding back, but he really needed the information. The police colts took pictures and such, but in order to find the killer they needed every last drop of information. Things like this never happen in such tranquil environments such as Ponyville, so the detectives and police ponies weren't very qualified.

Rarity saw the confused and fallen look on the colt's face. She felt... torn. In one hoof, there was her sanity. Although she barely had any left, she'd like to stay somewhat sane. In the other, was the killer being found and brought to justice. Being the Element of Generosity, Rarity decided the safety of other ponies was more important than her sanity. "On second thought," Rarity started, smiling at Alexander. "I could tell you, seeing as it's really important."

Alexander nodded, clearly happy with her decision. "Thank you, Rarity. It's very generous of you to tell me this, even if it is hard for you."

You have no idea... Rarity thought to herself. She sighed, readying herself for a very painful story telling. "O-of course," she stammered. "I hate to see you ponies work so hard when I could offer a hoof." She blinked a few times, then forced herself to start the story, no matter how hard it was for her. I have to help these ponies, before somepony else gets hurt.

---

There came a knocking on Rarity’s door. “R-rarity? Are… are you in there? Are you okay?” It was Twilight’s voice. Rarity hurried to the door, dropping the funeral gown she was creating for Applejack’s ceremony. “Coming, dear.” She called.

Rarity pulled open her door, showing a nervous looking Twilight Sparkle. Spike, the young dragon, was sitting upon her back. He was looking at Rarity with awe, as always, but a sad look was also on his face.

“Oh, Twilight! Thank heavens you’re safe!” Rarity gave out a sigh of relief. Ever sense the day they found Apple Jack’s body, everypony in Ponyville was acting jumpy. They always walked in pairs or groups, never alone. Royal guards were scattered about for safety, even though Princess Celestia was hesitant to send them out. No pony ever questioned the Princess, but they did think it odd.

Twilight shook her head, a tear glistening on the edge of her eye. “Rarity, I’m so worried. I… I haven’t seen Fluttershy all day.”

As Twilight said this, a heavy silence fell over the ponies and dragon. They were all thinking the same thing, but it was too horrible to say. “Well, have you checked her home? Maybe she’s taking care of animals.” Rarity said, her voice half hope and half dread. Fluttershy can't... I mean, it just can't happen. She's so nice, who would ever want do anything to harm her? Rarity wondered to herself nervously.

Twilight nodded. “Let’s go check on her then. Can’t be too safe now-a-days.” She laughed nervously, the tear falling from her eye as she laughed.

The two ponies trotted quickly down the road towards Fluttershy’s. A few other ponies called out greetings to them, and they returned with curt nods. Pinkie Pie popped her head out and started to say something, but when she saw the solemn stare in her three friends’ eyes, she quickly retracted into her home. She didn’t want anymore nightmares filled with the thoughts of dead ponies.

Finally, Twilight, Rarity, and Spike reached Fluttershy’s house. Rarity walked slowly up to the door, and knocked. But there was no answer. She knocked again, and again nothing. She started to become frantic.

Knock knock.

Silence.

Knock knock knock.

More silence.

Knockknockknockknockknockknockknockknock!

The silence was deafening.

Finally, Rarity burst into the room, on the verge of tears. “Fluttershy!” she called, “Fluttershy, no! Please be here, please! Don’t leave us.” Twilight came in beside her, looking around. They all saw nothing. Then Spike made a horrible, half gagging half gasping sound.

“Look.” He choked. “Look up.”

And so they did. Twilight screamed, and Rarity stared in pure horror and disbelief. It was horrible, it was hideous. It was the most disgusting thing Rarity had seen in all her lifetime. She put her hoof to her mouth, and tried to hold back the nausea. She blinked away the dark spots in her eyes that threatened to overtake her and cause Rarity to pass out, again.

There, hanging above the ponies, was a limp, dangling Fluttershy. She was hung from the ceiling like a macabre chandelier by a series of ropes. The ropes twisted around her, and would have been sort of pretty. If it wasn’t for the torn butterfly wings and mock-dead-stuffed-animals sewn on them, yes, it could have been a strange but interesting gown, maybe seen in a fashion show by Photo Finish.

The ropes were wrapped tight in some places, loose in others. There was a pattern, too. Butterfly, bunny, butterfly, bird, butterfly, mouse, butterfly, bunny. The animals were so bloody and torn, they almost looked real. The stuffing that fell from them was the only thing that gave away that they were toys. Fluttershy’s head hung low, a grin plastered on her face. Her pretty, big, sad looking eyes were replaced by flower heads, poppy flowers to be exact. As they stared, a petal broke from the flower and floated silently to the ground.

The threes’ eyes trailed over the body, until they found the cutie mark. Instead of Fluttershy’s cutie mark of three little butterflies, which indicated her fall from a cloud and being saved by a group of butterflies years before, was replaced, like Applejack's. The thin ring of blood circled a picture of the heel of a glass slipper, impaling a small clothed mouse. It was an obvious reference to Cinderella, but a horrendous one.

Spike cried out and clung to Twilight as if she were his mother. Out of the corner of her eye, Rarity almost thought she saw the two exchange a few whispers. She didn't think anything of it, she was too engrossed in the disturbing current situation.

Sobbing loudly tears falling heavily to the ground, Rarity used her horn to bring Fluttershy down. As she laid the yellow body on the floor gently, she noticed a small cut in the skin on her stomach. Rarity leaned forward to look at it, and nudged it gently with her snout. She jumped back and screamed with horror as the cut broke open, and a thousand dead butterflies poured out of Fluttershy’s stomach. A few even trickled out of her mouth. Then a typed note fell out too. It read: “I always get butterflies in my stomach when I think about you.” It was signed with a heart.

Twilight turned her head away and gagged. She spluttered out noises that could have been words, but she was so horrified to speak correctly. She swayed from side to side as if she might pass out, her eyes rolling back into her head. Spike steadied the unicorn, petting her mane. “It’ll be ok. We can get through this. I promise.” He said, attempting to sooth her.

---

“That’s quite enough, Miss Rarity.” Said Alexander. “I needn’t know what happened afterward.” He looked down at the table, frowning, eyebrows furrowed, lost in thought.

“I thought I was here for therapy, not to explain murders to you." retorted Rarity.

He glanced at her. "In all truth," he began, "You were brought to Ms. Mareanda for therapy. I, her manager, was the one to told her to get information from you. You see, we really need all the details in order to catch this criminal. Twilight Sparkle refused to help with investigation, we thought it odd, but she is the Princess's student. We can't really ask that much of her. So it's you that holds all the information."

Rarity sighed. "I... I just want to go home. I want to lay down, listen to some soothing music, take a nap. If I become inspired, maybe make a dress. If I keep fretting over this, It'll drive me insane."

“Ah, but Miss Rarity.” Said Mr. Alexander Buck. “Insanity is such a short drive.” He clapped his hooves together once, and several large colts rushed into the room, picking up Rarity and dragging her out.

Rarity flailed her hooves, trying to wiggle free. "What... What are you doing!?" she yelled.

Mr. Buck held a hoof up, halting the other colts. "Miss Rarity," he began, "I have a feeling that we will need you int he future. I also have a feeling that by then, you may leave Ponyville."

"Wh-what? If you want help that bad, It would be completely inconsiderate of me to leave! Trust me, Mr. Buck, I'll stay in Ponyville." Rarity begged, tugging her arm away from one of the colts.

He shook his head slowly. "The fact that you're fighting this makes me even more worried that you plan on running out on me."

"P-please, no, I don't want to go. I just want to go home!" A whine showed in her voice, similar to when she faced the Diamond Dogs. This time, however, she was truly whining. She really just wanted to relax at her own home, it was the only thing she wanted at the moment.

"Sorry, Rarity, but I can't do that." Alexander waved his hoof at the colts, and they dragged her out. She screamed and squirmed, but it was all in vain.

Dear Celestia, Rarity prayed silently. give me the strength to outlive this horrible predicament.