Dawn had barely begun to grace the cloudy sky over Pony Peaks when Fluttershy rolled out of bed and began attending to the animals at her veterinary center. Somehow, even in this new and foreign town, she had found a way to slip back into her old routine. She even managed to get a house next to One-Eyed Lake, which was teeming with exotic life and gave her a sense of comfort. Indeed, she could get used to this.

It was on this morning that Fluttershy decided to check the lake before making her usual rounds. Rainbow Dash had asked her to take care of Tank for a few weeks, and Fluttershy wanted to see how the first night had gone.

The beach was quiet and desolate, which suited Fluttershy just fine. There, at the edge of the water, was Tank the tortoise. With a sharp flit of her wings, the lilac-maned pegasus flew over to the him and carried him back to his dish of food. The tortoise sniffed at it lazily, but quickly lost interest and instead chose to inspect a very large piece of opaque plastic wrap folded over on top of itself.

“Now Tank,” said Fluttershy in a soft but stern voice, “You mustn’t play with garbage. Here, let me get that out of the way...why, if I knew who left this, oh they’d hear it from me...”

Before Fluttershy could get to it, however, Tank nudged a corner of the plastic off from the top of the lump, revealing beneath it’s many layers a sight that would put even the toughest pony on edge. For a moment, Fluttershy let her eyes rest upon what lay before her. The next moment, a piercing scream was heard all throughout Pony Peaks.

* * *

It had been many long and tiresome months since Twilight Sparkle last saw her friends. The transition out of Ponville hadn’t treated her very well; Pony Peaks had an unsettling air to it. Not that it was unwelcoming, but rather, it was too welcoming. She found it uncomfortable, and decided instead to move back to Canterlot. At least her hometown would be familiar to her. But even that turned out to be a difficult adjustment - while Twilight had been in Ponyville, her mother had passed away from illness. All of the times Twilight had gone back to visit Canterlot, and not once had she thought to drop in and see her parents. Even now, the only reason she came back was so she could have a place to stay.

Her father, of course, welcomed her back eagerly, but she couldn’t help but be consumed by the sickening feeling of guilt and regret. From that day forward, whenever she would look in the mirror, she didn’t see her own reflection. Rather, she saw her mothers; and every time she looked into her mother’s kind, unearthly eyes, Twilight would apologize, and tears would fill her vision. Oftentimes she’d look away. When she would finally gather the strength to return her gaze to the mirror, her mother’s warm smile would still be there waiting for her. Their eyes would meet and Twilight would be filled with sorrowful comfort.

I’m so proud of you, Twilight. You’re pursuing what you’re good at, and that’s all that has ever mattered to me.

Twilight was jolted from her reminiscing by a sudden and unexpected awareness of her surroundings. She realized she was standing on an empty streetcorner in the outskirts of downtown Canterlot. There were no other ponies in sight, save for two white pegasi from Celestia’s royal guard standing on the opposite streetcorner. The early-morning sky had grown dark from a large and ominous raincloud obscuring the sun. There was only one working streetlight in sight, and it hung over the two guards, illuminating their polished armor. The one on the left motioned for Twilight to cross the street to meet them. Glancing both ways, the nervous and haunted unicorn made her way across the cobblestone-paved road.

“Twilight Sparkle?” said the one on the right as Twilight approached. His voice was abnormally deep and powerful, and had a hint of an East-Europonian accent. Twilight nodded silently.

“The Princess wishes to speak with you about a matter of great urgency. Sinister events are unfolding as we speak, and your friends are caught in the center of it. If you wish them to be safe, we advise that you report to Princess Celestia as soon as possible.”

With a sharp, resonating flap, the two pegasi took off. Twilight wasted no time following their advice, and hurried towards Canterlot Castle. She was so focused on her goal, in fact, that she didn’t even notice when all of the streetlights suddenly became lit and the once desolate street became populated.

“Princess Celestia?” Twilight called out in the spacious foyer of Canterlot Castle. She got an odd sensation of foreboding as she glanced around the familiar entryway. After a moment, Princess Celestia entered the chamber looking severely ruffled and clearly exhausted.

“Twilight?” she said, “What brings you here? You know I always enjoy your visits, but now is not the best time. I am quite overwhelmed sorting out an issue that has just cropped up today.”

“Princess, two of your guards just came and told me that I should speak with you as soon as possible. They said my friends are in danger, and that if I wanted to help them, you’d be able to tell me what to do.”

Celestia stepped back and let her jaw drop ungracefully. “I have no idea how you found out about that - and I assure you, not even my guards know - but it was not my intention to involve you in this matter. You have enough struggles in your life as-is. Nopony knows when Trix-” the Princess cut her sentence short, then sighed, “The point is, I can’t have you out there risking your life.”

“Why not? What’s the difference between now and back when I helped stop Nightmare Moon? Or when my friends and I outwitted Discord? How is this any different?”

“Twilight...my faithful student...I employed your help back then because you embodied an element of harmony. It was out of necessity that I allowed you to put your life in danger. But what is currently taking place in Pony Peaks...it isn’t something that can be solved simply by gathering the Elements of Harmony. I’m sorry, Twilight, but I can’t let you get involved...”

“So that’s it then? I sit back and wait for my friends to not be okay?”

“I’m sorry Twilight...I’m sorry, I can’t involve you in this...”

“I’m already involved! My friends are my responsibility!”

Princess Celestia paused for a moment, caught off guard by this statement. She bowed her head and sighed.

“Fine. I’ll let you  go to Pony Peaks. But I want you to write to me every day telling me what is going on and what you’ve found out.”

“I’ll bring Spike with.” Twilight smiled back at Celestia, who simply frowned in return.

“I still don’t like this, but...at this point I don’t suppose I can justify stopping you. But remember - if things get too ugly, I’ll bring you back to Canterlot without hesitation.”

“Thank you, Celestia. I promise, you won’t regret this!”

When the purple unicorn was out of ear shot, Celestia muttered to herself, “If only that was a promise you could keep...”

* * *

At the Pony Peaks police department, sheriff Millard Fillmore was desperately trying to shake off an overly concerned wall-eyed pegasus, who as it would happen was the department’s secretary.

“Are you sure it’ll all be okay? Will you need anything when you come back? Will you come back?”

“Ah’ll be fine, sugarcube. The scene is cold, there won’t be anypony tryin’ to do me in. Ah’ll come back in one piece, ah promise.”

The sheriff turned to leave just as the pegasus spoke up again, “but...will you need anything, Applejack?”

“Jus’ have an empty investigation room and a large pot of apple cider waitin’ for me when ah get back. Ah’m a  mite tired as-is, but I’ll manage. An’ don’t call me Applejack. ”

“O...okay...”

When she had finally escaped the clutches of Derpy Hooves, she put a fire in her step as she galloped off towards One-Eyed Lake. Over the phone, Fluttershy had sounded more terrified than Sheriff Fillmore had ever known her to be, and that said something.

“A...Applejack?”

“...Fluttershy? Ah told you, sugarcube, it’s not safe to call me that anymore...”

“Oh, um...I’m sorry, but um...well, there’s a...um...ah...”

“What is it? Spit it out!”

“Well, I went outside this morning...and, um...there was some plastic washed up on the beach and...”

“Plastic? That’s what this is about?”

“No...NO...inside the plastic...was a...um...a...” She sounded as though she was about to cry.

“Sugarcube...unless you tell me what you found, ah can’t help you...”

“She was dead! A filly! That’s what I found!”

Whatever Sheriff Fillmore had been expecting, it wasn’t that. When the proverbial video tape ran out on her memory of the incident, she was pulled back into reality to find herself almost at One-Eyed Lake. After going another mile or so, she deviated from the paved road down an eastbound dirt path that led to Fluttershy’s new lakeside cottage. There, standing by the door and looking severely upset was Fluttershy herself.

Sheriff Fillmore approached her gently, but with a silent gesture that spoke volumes, Flutter lifted a pale yellow hoof and jabbed it towards where lay a large and oddly shaped piece of plastic. She never lifted her gaze from the ground, and her body trembled from silent sobs. sheriff Fillmore took that as a sign to leave her alone, and proceeded to the plastic.

It was an eerie sight, and Sheriff Fillmore found it somewhat trifling. When she pushed back the first layer of plastic, her nerves didn’t calm any. They only got worse as recognition set in. She couldn’t have been any older than seventeen. Of course, sheriff Fillmore would have known that regardless - the unfortunate filly before her had been in Applebloom’s class.

“Diamond Tiara...”

Sheriff Fillmore could only gaze in awe at the empty shell before her. It was, truthfully, her first encounter with death. Even old Granny Smith was still alive and kicking. Yet this one...this one was so young.

There came an ominous silence that lasted for several moments; Sheriff Fillmore standing over the lifeless form, Fluttershy still sobbing silently by the door to her cottage. The only sound that enveloped the air was the ambient washing of waves against One-Eyed beach, mimicking the ripples of the storm which brewed overhead. However, the silence was soon interrupted by the unexpected sound of hooves on gravel. Sheriff Fillmore looked up to see a familiar unicorn standing at the edge of Fluttershy’s property.

“Twilight?”

“Hello, Appl- er, I mean, Sheriff Fillmore! What’s...going...on...?” Twilight trailed off as she realized what the sheriff was standing over, “Applejack...what is that?” The question was rhetorical, of course. She knew what it was. She could almost tell who it was. But something in her sheltered urban mind refused to let her think about what lay before her.

“Twilight...why are you here? After all this time, why did you decide to come today of all days?”

“I...I was told you were in trouble...”

The sky above them began to darken. The clouds thickened and became heavy as sharp winds crossed the lake over to the beach where the two of them stood. The subtle ripples that made their gentle claps against the dry sand now asserted themselves and made a strong display of force. Still the two of them remained where they were.

“Well...ah reckon somepony’s in trouble. Diamond Tiara didn’t...” Sheriff Fillmore faltered for a moment, her composure slipping, “didn’t, ah, wrap herself in this here plastic. Somepony did this to her, and they might do it again.”

A surge of lighting pulsated angrily from the clouds overhead. A strong gust of wind barrelled across the lake, sending Sheriff Fillmore’s signature stetson hovering across the property. It eventually lost momentum and settled itself upon the now-empty doorstep of Fluttershy’s cottage. After chasing the rogue hat, Twilight and Sheriff Fillmore looked back at where the body lay. Except now there were two more on the beach; the plastic-wrapped cadaver was now accompanied by two of Celestia’s pegasus guards. The same two pegasi, in fact, who Twilight had encountered earlier that morning.

“Why are you here?” Twilight asked, “What do you want from me? Who are you?”

“We only wish to help,” said the one to the right, his voice still deep and heavily accented, “as you might have guessed by now, we have access to rare information that could help you greatly. Unfortunately, we are not in any position to give you any direct information...”

“Twilight?” Sheriff Fillmore spoke up, “What exactly is going on? Who are they?”

The pegasus guard took no notice of Sheriff Fillmore’s interruption, “The only way we can give you information is through hints and clues. In the current state of things, we offer three; first...there is a mare in a smiling bag. Second...the chickens are not what they seem. And third...without alcohol, she points. When you understand the meaning of these three hints, we will return. For now, Twilight Sparkle, farewell.”

Lightning cracked overhead, momentarily obscuring the scene as the two pegasi disappeared. There was a moment in which the scene was indistinguishable; when their visions cleared, Twilight and Sheriff Fillmore wandered over to where the two pegasi had once stood.

“Twilight...who were they? There’s something you’re not telling me, ah know it.”

“I met them this morning back in Canterlot. They told me my friends were in trouble, and that I should ask Princess Celestia if I can help. When I spoke to the Princess, she said none of her guards knew about what was going on and that all of her guards were accounted for. I honestly have no idea who they are at this point.”

Sheriff Fillmore was about to speak, when the first of the Pony Peaks police department showed up to help. In no more than ten minutes they had the entire scene photographed and searched, and had Diamond Tiara’s lifeless body carted off to the Pony Peaks police department for an autopsy.

“Twilight...” Sheriff Fillmore spoke up as the last of the crew left the scene, “I’d feel bad if I didn’t ask your opinion before you headed off to Canterlot...would you like to help on our investigation? We’re a mite short-staffed at the moment, and we could really use an extra set of hooves around the department.”

“Of course I’ll help, Applejack!” said Twilight, “I’ll always help. Even when you don’t know you need it, I’ll be here for you. For Fluttershy. For Pinkie Pie and Rarity. For Rainbow Dash...for the five of you, I always have time.”

The orange earth pony smiled sincerely. “Welcome to the team, pard’ner!”