Now all things being silent, her spirit could not rest,

She appeared unto her mother, who suckled her at her breast;

For many a long month or more, her mind being sore oppress'd,

Neither night nor day she could not take any rest.

The Marten homestead was not much to look at. A single bungalow no larger than two sheds tacked end on end stood proud yet alone amongst the endless golden plains of the blooming fields. On the roof was Thomas Marten, picking away at the damaged thatch from the bitter winter. He could only do it the hard the hard way, for he was an earth pony.

Twilight was warmed by the sun's rays as she took the long winding track leading to the cottage. Not a single gust or breeze could be felt, and the birds happily took the opportunity to flit from fence to fence. A flock of sparrows raced overhead, and the unicorn followed them with her head as they made their way to the distant apple orchard. Twilight had not bothered to make note that even in the present, Sweet Apple Acres was in view of just about anywhere in Ponyville and the surrounding countryside.

This day was the Eighteenth Day of May. The day Willow Marten was killed. Twilight cursed how her burning desire to dig deeper into this mystery had driven her to actually witness the events first hoof. Was she really twisted enough to carry on and watch the murder take place too?

From inside came a glorious smell of fresh bread. Tucking into a carrot and coriander soup at the rickety old table in the middle of the room was the victim herself. She ate it delicately, neatly spreading butter on the crusty bread roll without leaving any crumbs. Twilight took a seat at the chair in front of a hoofdriven sewing machine and had nothing to do but let her stomach moan at her for the time being.

As her elderly mother began making more loaves, Thomas came down from the roof and joined Willow at the table. He was handed a bowl of steaming orange soup and ate it in total silence. Anticipation? Or do they really have nothing to say to each other? Thomas wolfed his soup down in seconds, pocketed the bread roll and made his way to the front door. Fetching his axe and hat he said

“''M off to get firewood.”, and promptly left, whistling no particular tune.

Twilight was not only bored to the point of delusion, but desperately wanted to help as she watched the mares do the housework for the next hour and a half. She realised she was slightly homesick when she missed doing the chores in back in the library.

While her mother carried on kneading dough, Willow snapped round when she heard hoofsteps coming up the gravel outside. Twilight went up to the window, and cursed not being able to open the shutters. She followed the mare outside and stopped dead.

Coming down the path twenty yards apart were two Berry Cordials. Or so it seemed. Berry had a brother, but did he really turn up today as well? Was he an accomplice to the murder? His brother stopped at the gate, while Berry continued walking. Willow galloped towards him, and they embraced.

“Willow, are your parents inside?”

“Uh... my mother is... is that really all you have to say after all this time?” she didn't sound annoyed in the slightest, however.

“No. But I'd rather say it inside, if that's all right with you...” he slipped in a quick kiss before he led her inside, Willow skipping along behind him.

Berry's brother was stood stock still. Watching. Staring.

At her.

Twilight could not do anything else but stare back. She couldn't be totally sure whether this was truly happening. Her heart jumped when the stallion edged one hoof slowly in front of the other, his eyes firmly locked on to Twilight. He broke into a short gallop towards her, never flinching his vision.

No. This shouldn't be possible...

He stopped inches from Twilight's face. She felt the hot breath coming from the pony's stunned face. He scanned Twilight's eyes, watched them follow him as he moved his head from side to side. He circled Twilight twice, still never averting his gaze. He lifted up a hoof, and softly stroked her face.

“Who are you...”

“I'm...”. Twilight gulped. “Twilight Sparkle. How can you... see me?”

“You don't belong here.”

“As it seems, neither do you... so who are you?”

The stallion turned his head and walked a few paces away, before gazing at the low sun in the sky. He was deeply lost in thought for uncomfortably long, and just before Twilight pressed him with another question, he spoke.

“I am... I was born... Berry Cordial. In the present I am known by a different name.” He turned around and walked back to confront Twilight. “So what in Celestia's name brings you to my crime?”. Twilight needed a careful answer, and was shaking under the revelation she was speaking to the killer himself.

“I heard a song. In my present. It was about... this. I live in Ponyville, and I wanted to know more about what happened.”

“How long have you been here... Sorry, wrong question... Where have you been in this timeframe?”

“I've been following events since... Five months before now.”

“Tell me absolutely everything you know.”

She told him. He sat on a wood chopping block and listened intently. And he listened carefully. And he listened closely. Never shifting his eyes from Twilight's face. He made the occasional noise; gulping, sniffing, coughing, nodding at the occasional fact. She finished her story at the meeting with Thomas Marten a few weeks earlier, and waited for a response.

He turned around again, and spat at the floor, before coming full circle.

“You are an incredibly intelligent filly, Miss Twilight. You have all of the facts down to a T in nearly every aspect. If only the courts had such grace and determination such as yourself. But you yourself know you lack some evidence. However you are wrong about one thing. You do need to see the murder. Come, follow me.”

Together they went inside the cottage.

The three ponies, Willow, Berry and her mother were sat around the table. An otherwise untouched bowl of soup steamed away, and a few breadcrumbs were all that remained on the plate. Willow's mother was happily cackling away at a joke that Twilight was unaware as to whom had told it, and they all chinked glasses filled with deep red wine.

“And we arrive in time for the greatest lie of my life.” Twilight had whispered into her ear from the other Berry Cordial.

“Now, ma'am. I have already spoken to your husband, Thomas. And we came to an agreement on a matter of which I... we... are pleased to announce.”. Willow seemed surprised at this statement.

“Mrs. Marten. I wish with both your and your husband's consent, to marry your daughter.”

Willow looked at her mother. She nodded. Willow squealed.

“Thank you ever so much, Mrs Marten!”

Twilight felt warm breathing close to her ear again.

“We're following them.”

They walked along the quiet country lanes for an hour. The road was lined with sweet smelling blossom that tasted like pears. The royal carriage trundled past in the opposite direction, but alas, it was empty. The sun sank lower and lower in the sky, and the moon began to take it's place. It was odd to think that Luna was still up there at this point, and nopony down here was any the wiser.

The road to the main barn on Sweet Apple Acres lay before the four of them. Willow stopped and turned to Berry.

“We came here so often, just you and I. No pony else... not Clover, not Verity... just us.”. She let out a deep, inward sigh. “Were we so naïve then?”

“Then let us go and find out.” Berry smiled sweetly.

“Twilight, I must warn you. What you must see up there will hurt you deeply. But I am here to explain everything. Stay close now.”

Twilight's heart pounded as they all made their way up to the barn. When they reached the door, all she could hear was the rhythmic drumming in her head. She sang herself the only song she could think of. She felt like a child, lost in a dream, her body floated onward where her mind refused to go. The Berry leading her passed through the closed barn door, and she squeezed through herself.

Willow was standing in the middle of the barn, she muttered some sweet nothings, but Twilight wasn't listening. Willow turned around. And she died.

The glow from Berry's horn dissipated, and he set to work moving the lifeless body into a hole by the cider vats, but not before closing her eyes. She wore not an expression of shock, but of calm, and happiness.

Twilight ran so fast outside that she did not notice passing through the barn door. She heard hoofsteps coming after her, but she only sped up. She was fast running out of breath, but kept on galloping away. The hoofsteps behind her weren't stopping. The raw fear and panic were too much. She collapsed, and the world around her faded to black.