Pinkie Pie had actually deflated, in the literal dulled out and flat-maned way. It made each of her friend's cringe as they laid eyes on her.
Rainbow Dash's heart dropped at the sight, she was the first to rush over to Pinkie and give her a big hug through the bars of the cell.
At least it was confirmed that Pinkie Pie was being treated well, she let her friends know that the guards weren't being mean to her and that Celestia had ordered them to keep her comfortable until her trial.
But she was still deeply, greatly saddened by the whole situation. The very idea that somepony could think she'd do those things made her heart break.
Her five friends did their best to comfort her, telling her that they would do their best to get her out of there soon. It didn't make her poof back up, but at the very least Pinkie was relieved to know that her friends still loved her.
They had to leave after only two hours, so they bid farewell to their pink friend and the five headed home.
Back in Ponyville, Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy excited the train. Twilight was the first to go home, informing the others that she had some reading to do. Applejack opted to walk Fluttershy home, since the butter colored pegasus was still shaken up. That left Rarity and Rainbow Dash as the last to exit the train station.
"Do you want me to walk you home?" Rainbow Dash asked, tapping her front hooves together as she hovered beside Rarity.
"Walk me home? Dash I'd think I should be the one to walk you home!" Rarity said, looking her friend in the eye.
"Nah, that's okay, I feel a lot better after talking to Pinkie," That was a lie and they both knew it.
Rarity glared at Rainbow Dash. "Are you certain about that, darling? You've been awfully silent since what happened yesterday."
"I'm fine, I promise," Dash swallowed. "I was just offering in case you wanted some company; I wouldn't have a problem flying home right now."
The two entered the plaza as they spoke, walking toward Carousel Boutique.
"Well, I certainly wouldn't mind the company," Rarity smiled. "Maybe you can model for me, if it isn't too much trouble?"
Rainbow Dash looked ready to bolt at hearing those words, but she froze as she hurt a commotion. The two friends turned their heads to see a crowd slowly forming in front of a random house.
"I wonder what's going on over there?" Rarity said, walking toward the scene.
Rainbow Dash merely stared blankly; her stomach tightened into knots before she dashed to catch up with Rarity.
As they approached the house, they watched as a couple of guards cleared a path to the front door.
"Alright everypony, back up! There's nothing to see here, we have the situation under control," One of the guards said, he then turned and signaled to somepony inside the building.
Shortly after two more guards, both unicorns, exited the house with a stretcher in their magic. A sheet was draped over the stretcher, concealing a pony-shaped lump.
Rainbow Dash heard several gasps from the crowd, one may have even come from Rarity. But her attention was so focused on the scene that her other senses had been dulled, otherwise she would've noticed her hooves shaking under her.
The guards carried the body away from the house and toward another group of guards, who then marched away and out of sight.
"This is awful!" Rarity cried, finally snapping Rainbow Dash back to reality.
Dash looked down, wondering how she'd ended up standing with her wings clamped to her sides.
"A third murder in less than a week? What is the world coming to!?" Rarity said, looking distraught as she stared in the direction the guards had gone.
Several ponies muttered behind them, before somepony dashed out of the crowd. "I heard it was a suicide!" She said, causing several others to gasp.
"I heard there's a serial killer on the loose!" A stallion shouted.
"W-we don't know that it's murder…" Rainbow Dash mumbled.
"We're all going to die!" A mare yelled.
That's when everypony started screaming and running back and forth, leaving Rainbow Dash and Rarity to stand dumbfounded in the middle of the panic.
"Should we retreat to my place?" Rarity asked, looking at Dash with a pleading expression.
"Yeah, I have a feeling things are only gonna get worse out here," Dash said.
The two turned tail and galloped all the way to Carousel Boutique, where they promptly locked themselves inside.