"Uncle Cobalt? Hello? It's me, Rarity." The unicorn squinted into the mirror at the blue pony on the other side. The magic that allowed her to talk through mirrors to her uncle was weak, so the picture was a little fuzzy.

Cobalt smiled. "Oh, Rarity! What is it, darling?" he asked.

"Um, Uncle, I'm sure you've heard of the Ponyville murders. Well, I think I know who's the killer. I need you to investigate, however." Rarity sat down and frowned at Luna, who was pacing angrily as she talked. Whenever she was doing something and not paying attention to Luna, the princess got irritable. Is scared her a bit.

"Oh, do you now? I'll come right over to help. Be there in a few, darling." The mirror blinked back to Rarity's reflection. She set the mirror down and turned to Luna. "Luna, dear." she said. "Pacing is not a very ladylike thing to do. You are a princess, you should act like one!" Rarity moved towards the princess, steadying her into one spot.

"Hold your head high," she put her hoof on Luna's chin. "Keep your back straight. Always walk lightly and with grace. Do not flick your tail around often, keep it steady and high. Hold your expression with either a slight smile or a bored, tired look. And always, always try to be polite as possible."

Luna did as she said, standing tall and straight with her head high, eyelids half closed. "how's this?" she asked, hoping for Rarity's approval.

Rarity smiled politely. "Very nice, dear. But try and talk with a more... oh, how do i put this... with a more proper demeanor." Luna lowered her head, a fallen look on her face.

What is wrong with this pony? I only gave her a little criticism and she acts so upset! Rarity tried to hold back her annoyance. "Oh, don't be upset darling. It takes a little practice. I will be opening up the shop today, so you can work on your speech with the customers!"

Luna smiled and nodded at Rarity, who smiled back and trotted toward the main room. As soon as she rounded the corner, the princess's smile fell. "Darnit!" she growled, kicking at a cushioned couch. "Just one day, I only got one day of Rarity. And now she'll be letting strangers into the shop, and she'll only pay attention to them! Irk!" Luna yelped as she felt a sharp twinge in her stomach, her whole body cringing. "What the... oh no. It's happening again, that feeling... gah!" another sharp pain rippled throughout her body. Luna rain to the nearest mirror, terrified of what she might see.

Looking back at her in the mirror was her normal self, curly blue mane, dark blue fur. But what she saw deep in her eyes was something ancient that she had never wanted to see again. The same crazed look... the same evil darkness. "Nightmare Moon..." she whispered. "No, it can't be. Ah!"

"Hello, old friend." Luna heard the voice, she saw her mouth moving in the mirror, but it didn't come from her.

"Leave me alone! I'll never turn to you again." Luna growled. She squeaked and cringed at the stab of pain that pierced her, much more painful than the last.

Deep, manic laughter filled her ears. "Oh, but you will. Rarity obviously doesn't care for you. You have to catch her attention with something… bold!" The terrified princess backed away from the voice as it hissed in her ear. A dark purple cloud shrouded the room around her. More angry laughter echoed in the room.

"Luna?" Rarity's voice called from the other room. "Luna, dear, I need your help with setting up these mannequins."

"Just a moment, Rarity." Luna answered. Glaring at the purple cloud that shimmered around her, luna began to back out of the room. "I may crave her attention, but I will not turn to you for help!" she snapped, then turn and quickly trotted into the main room.

Basking in the happiness of helping the wonderful Rarity, Luna was content. She moved around decorations, dusted off the mannequins, and dressed them up with Rarity's newest creations. Finally, the main room looked just like Rarity wanted, and she happily turned the sign to "Open."

Luna smiled sadly as she watched Rarity fluff and ready the dresses for the customers. She knew that her love of the unicorn's attention was not the healthiest, but she didn't care. Someday Rarity would be hers, and for now she'd have to cooperate with her and make her happy. She needn't turn to Nightmare Moon's help to gain Rarity's affection. She could do this on her own. Luna learned many years ago that it's best to wait for someone's attention, rather than force it from them.

Soon, customers began to fill the main room, Rarity was happily buzzing around, tending to their needs. Luna conversed with a few of them, testing how "proper" she could talk. Most of them kept away from her, or simply bowed their head in respect and didn't start up conversation. Soon, Rarity was swamped with ponies begging for dress designs. Luna took this chance to slip unnoticed into the guest room she was staying in. She pulled out a large wooden box. She opened it up to reveal her own personal shrine dedicated to Rarity. Several pictures of the unicorn were tied together with a small string. A bundle of purple hairs were laid delicately in one corner. An old, ratty hair brush was also in the box. The whole thing smelled of a mixture of several of Rarity's perfumes. A pile of old, used fake eyelashes sat in the center, accompanied by old makeup that Rarity has supposedly thrown out and misplaced bobby pins.

Luna breathed in the wonderful scent of the shrine. She lit up several candles that had been once been used by Rarity, and added a few hairs to the bundle. She brought a camera from under the bed, and used a spell she had learned not too long ago that developed the pictures straight from the camera instantly. Soon, she had a small pile of pictures of her own obsession; Rarity.

Luna spread out the photos she had, admiring the beauty of her idol. She picked out her personal favorite and held it close. In the picture, Rarity was bending over to pick up a fallen needle, her muzzle close to the ground, tail high in the air. Her pose was completely innocent, but had a seductive look to it, In the curvature of her body and her half-closed eyes. Luna drank in Rarity's beauty with her eyes greedily.

Holding the picture in a tight embrace, the princess sighed. Ever sense the night she was saved from Nightmare Moon's grasp, Luna had been interested in Rarity. It had started out as a innocent crush, then as time bore on and Luna hadn't seen the beautiful unicorn, she began to crave the presence of of the mare. She asked one of Princess Celestia's royal servants about her, and they pointed her in the direction of Ponyville. Luna snooped around in alleyways and bushes, snapping pictures of Rarity. She often used invisibility spells so she could get a few pictures of her in her home. Almost a year had passed, but the princess had never worked up the courage to actually talk to Rarity. She continued to silently stalk her, until the day she saw her be taken into a mental hospital. There was no way she'd be able to get in there, her invisibility spells only lasted a little bit. Luna knew that Rarity would be vulnerable, and in need of a friend. She payed a good amount of bits to the owner of the asylum to let her out, and finally she had Rarity to her self. The only hard part was coming up with that brilliant reason for why she payed to have Rarity taken out.

Luna let out a manic little giggle. "Yes," she said to herself, looking at the picture. "My sweet, sweet little Rarity. You will give into me someday, and we can live happily ever after..." A twinge of anger lighted inside of her stomach. "Unless you refuse, of course. Then we'll just have to punish you a bit, just so you know who's the boss. This time, I won't give into anypony, like I did with Celly." Luna broke into another fit of manic laughter.

Suddenly, she heard hoofsteps coming down the hall. "Luna?" Rarity called. "Luna, darling, where have you gone?" Quickly, Luna shoved the pictures back into the box and slid the box and camera back under the bed. She stood up and called back, "Oh, sorry Rarity. I just wasn't feeling too good." She began to walk to the door, but glanced back at the bed. Someday... Someday she will be mine.

Luna opened the door and peeked out at Rarity. "Luna!" Rarity said, waving her hoof for her to come out. "My uncle's here! Quickly, Princess."

The two ponies trotted out into the main room, where a large blue colt stood. "Hello Rarity, darling. Good afternoon, Princess Luna. It's very kind of you to stay here in Ponyville to keep the ponies happy and calm, you know. I'm sure they're all very grateful."

I doubt it. They all hate me. "It is the duty of a princess to keep her subjects happy." Luna plastered a fake smile on her face.

"Hello Uncle Cobalt, It' been a while."

Cobalt nodded. "Much too long, in my opinion." her sat down. "Now, we mustn't waste any time, Rarity. Who is it that you suspect of this horrendous crime?"

"I have a feeling that Spike the dragon is doing it. He is never around when the ponies first go missing, and he knew where the bodies were twice in a row. I'm not quite sure what his motive would be, but it seems likely that he would keep Twilight and I alive the longest." Rarity told her uncle.

The colt nodded, thoughtful. "That's enough for me to get a warrant i believe, I'll go to the station and get started."

"Be careful, Uncle Cobalt." Rarity said, concerned about her uncle. She nuzzled him and watched him leave the store.

Rarity turned to Luna and sighed. "I really hope he catches Spike, or whoever the killer is. I don't want to loose Twilight... or you."

Inside, Luna was bursting with sheer happiness at those words. She kept calm not he outside, however. "As a princess, I must try my hardest to keep the ponies happy and healthy and alive. I have an idea, Rarity. Come outside with me." the princess stepped out the door, Rarity following behind her. Taking up position in the center of the town square, Luna rose her voice so all the ponies could hear.

"Ahem, every pony please gather here int he center. I, Princess Luna, would like to speak with all of you."

Slowly, almost all of the ponies in Ponyville gathered around the princess, murmuring amongst themselves. Luna speed her wings wide, casting a shadow on the ponies. They quoted down quickly.

"You all have an idea for why I'm here. I'm sure some of you are very wrong. I'm not here to hurt anypony, I'm not here to cast eternal night. I'm here to help you." Luna's gaze traveled across the group of ponies, one by one. "I'm here to keep you safe."

It was very quiet for a moment, then a pony spoke up in the middle of the crowd. "How do you plan on doing that?" a few agreeing whispers flitted around the crowd. "Yeah, how exactly are you gonna keep us 'safe'?"

Luna kept composure. "I will patrol the town at night, while the guards are asleep. I will cast a spell that will allow me to hear the faintest of screams from miles away. I will catch the killer if they happen to be out. If any of you feel scared or threatened, come to me and I'll comfort you. I'm your friend now, you can trust me."

The group was one huge accusing eye, staring at the young princess. After a few moments, an approving whisper floated throughout he crowd, then quickly grew to a loud cheering. Luna smiled.

Rarity had been sitting in the far back, silently watching the princess. She felt very happy for her, but a deep worry turned her stomach. What if even a princess can't stop this murderer?