Ponyville wasn't a very large town. So a double murder shook all the inhabitants. Who could've done it? Why? Had they been caught? If not, where were they?
The police ponies had set up a temporary headquarters in the town square and were interrogating everypony. The story spread like wildfire: Carrot Top and Caramel had been found slaughtered outside Carrot Top's home. Newsponies were everywhere, doing as much, if not more interrogating as the police.
Fluttershy watched the ponies wander as she tried to get to the stall selling her animal food. Snatches of conversations floated past, worrying her.
"-rumors of a gang of rouge ponies immersed in the occult?" "Occult?"
"No official police statement yet, but our sources say-"
"Police are advising everypony to play it safe until-"
Fluttershy heard the story once she passed by a lilac earth pony with a darker purple mane and bunch of grapes next to a strawberry on her flank.
"Ponyville was shocked last night at the double murder of Carrot Top and Caramel. The police have yet to issue a statement but our sources tell us that no arrest has been made."
Fluttershy shuddered and continued walking, ignoring the goosebumps raised on her skin.
"Do you believe this?" Fluttershy jumped away from Applejack, who had walked up to her without her noticing.
"Wha-! Oh, hello Applejack. Believe what?"
"What happened to poor Carrot Top and Caramel! They were gutted like animals! I hope they catch the piece of dirt that did this soon! They're saying it's the worst crime to happen here since…" Applejack trailed off, watching Fluttershy's shoulders scrunch up.
"Well, it's bad," she finished choppily. "Anyway, I've got to go find Apple Bloom. I'll see you later. Be safe!" Fluttershy nodded as the earth pony disappeared. She continued walking, trying to ignore the troubled thoughts flying around her head.
"Fluttershy." The timid yellow pegasus jumped again, this time away from Big Mac. He had on a police uniform, having joined/been drafted after the murders.
"Oh hello Big Mac. What is it?"
"We need to talk to you." Fluttershy nodded, following her friend's brother towards the temporary shack that the police were conducting the interviews in. It provided some privacy.
"Wait." Fluttershy stopped outside the door as Big Mac went inside. She could sort of hear what they were saying through the door.
"Who's up next?" a male voice, sounding worn out, asked.
"Fluttershy." Big Mac's voice was unmistakable.
"She's the daughter of…"
"Yes."
Fluttershy watched the door open. There was a simple desk and a recorder sitting on it. Two ponies other than Big Mac were inside, which was quite a feat considering the room's size. One was a sandy brown unicorn with a darker brown mane, which Fluttershy recognized as Joe, another new recruit. The other was a dark grey pegasus with a cropped blue-grey-white mane, matching a pegasus Fluttershy had seen at the tornado formation. He smiled at her gestured to the desk.
"Hello Fluttershy," Joe said with a kind smile.
"Hello Joe."
"How are you?" Fluttershy smiled slightly.
"I'm good."
"And Discord?" The look of distrust and dislike flashed all but unnoticeably over his face making Fluttershy internally sigh.
"He's good too."
The pegasus cleared his throat. "We're going to keep this brief, Fluttershy."
She nodded.
"We just want to ask you a few questions."
Fluttershy nodded again.
"Were you very close to Carrot Top?"
Later, Fluttershy found herself sitting with her friends, talking. They had all gathered at their usual picnic spot.
"What did they ask you?" Applejack asked, sitting across from Fluttershy.
"They asked me if I knew Carrot Top." The earth pony nodded.
"They asked me if I sculpted." Rarity said in confusion. She was watching Applejack, who was sitting on her right
Applejack looked at her, apparently sharing her feelings.
"Why'd they ask that?"
"Because they were gutted. You have to have steady hands for that," Twilight explained, sitting across from Rainbow Dash and next to Applejack. Rainbow Dash was next to Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie was on Fluttershy's other side. The pink earth pony was extremely subdued.
"How do you g-gut someone?" the normally excited earth pony asked softly, mirroring Fluttershy's thoughts. Their attitudes had caused Rainbow Dash to watch them both with concern.
Silence fell for a moment. Then Twilight said, "Simple. You take a knife, cut them from sternum to groin, then-" she snapped her mouth shut as both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie shuddered.
Rainbow Dash shot her a dirty look. "It's called tact, Twilight. Try some."
Fluttershy shook her head, trying to clear Twilight's words from her mind. "H-hey Rarity. Weren't you friends with Carrot Top?"
The unicorn nodded. "Yes, but after a while she decided she didn't like me and stopped visiting."
Pinkie Pie brightened slightly. "Are the police aware you were friends with the victim?"
Rarity put a hoof to her chest. "What ARE you implying Pinkie? That I killed those poor ponies?"
"Rarity was with me last night. She couldn't have been at Carrot Top's house." Applejack told Pinkie dryly.
Pinkie had on a mischievous smirk. "Was that before or after she sliced n' diced?"
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Where were you last night?"
"Working. Thank you."
Applejack smiled, noticing Rainbow Dash's grin at her friend's mood upswing.
Rarity glanced around. "I certainly didn't kill anypony!"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Nopony's saying you did."
Fluttershy was watching the ground. She really didn't want to talk about this.
Rarity grinned at Rainbow Dash. "Thank you!"
Pinkie Pie stood up grinning evilly. "Tell me Rarity," her voice suddenly got more nasally, "did you really put her liver in the mailbox? Because I heard they found her liver in the mailbox next to her spleen and her pancreas."
Fluttershy shuddered horribly, drawing another concerned look from Rainbow Dash.
"Do we really have to talk about this? I'm tryn'ta eat," Applejack said crossly. Rainbow Dash got smirked.
"Yeah Pinkie, you'd better liver alone!" The others, sans Fluttershy, laughed slightly. The yellow pegasus gathered her things, shot an apologetic look at Rainbow Dash, before getting up and walking off. Rainbow Dash watched her friend walk off with a frustrated, upset look.
I know I promised a long chapter but I got distracted by a lot of other things, so this is all I've got. Sorry.