Sure enough, the next day's headline was all about the incident with the guards. Boy, the press sure must be making a fortune off of all of these events.
Stallion found dead in home, authorities say it's suicide by admission!
The mane six, minus Pinkie, sat in a circle in Twilight's library. The newspaper was laid neatly on the floor between then, all five ponies staring at it wide eyed.
"S-suicide?" Fluttershy squeaked.
"It means he took his own life, but I wonder why?" Twilight said.
"Somethin' mighty strange is going on in Ponyville, girls," Applejack said, squinting down at the paper.
"Look right here!" Dash exclaimed, pointing to a sentence in the second paragraph.
"The guards have confirmed that they found a suicide note by the body, where'in which he admitted to being guilty of the recent murders?" Twilight read out loud, she shot up and gasped as she and the others comprehended this new information.
"So Pinkie Pie's innocent!" Dash said, bolting up into the air and giving a little cheer.
"Says here the sicko 'felt guilty over framing Pinkie'," Applejack scoffed. "Why if I'd ever gotten' my hooves on em!"
"What a monster!" Rarity said. "Framing our dear Pinkie after he did such a wicked thing! I hope his soul to have been dammed to tartarus!"
"Now girls, settle down," Twilight said, she gave her friends a soft smile as she stood.
"That means Pinkie can come home, and this nightmare is over!" Fluttershy said, then she smiled for the first time in days.
"All right! I knew Pink's was innocent, I just knew it!" Rainbow Dash cheered, flying around the room in circles.
The others shared her enthusiasm as they left to get tickets for the train, but none of them knew how true her words really were.
Pinkie Pie was already free and waiting for them when they finally arrived in Canterlot, as soon as the train jerked to a stop the five mares jumped off to embrace their friend.
"Oh Pinkie, I'm sorry you had to go through that! But That freak killer is gone so now life can just go back to normal!" Rainbow Dash said, burying her face in Pinkie's shoulder as she cried.
"It's okay Dashie, you don't have to apologize! It was all just one big misunderstanding!" Pinkie Pie giggled, having returned to her normal bright and cheery self.
"Please let's not discuss this anymore, instead let's go get some donuts and then we can go home and have a party!" Rarity cried.
"Donuts on me!" Twilight agreed.
They finished their wholesome embrace and then headed off to start their celebration. The whole time Rainbow Dash kept pushing something to the back of her mind, something that still threatened to consume her.
She'd killed two ponies, a mother and her foal, and then she'd framed Pinkie for it. Then she killed yet another pony and framed him for the murders, to protect Pinkie Pie. All for her reputation. She didn't have to kill Dinky, or that random stallion… Did she?
Would the authorities have believed her and let her off lightly if she'd confessed in the first place? It had been an accident after all!
It was an accident, it was an accident!
But her reputation as a flier would've been ruined, she'd crashed into another pony and killed her! What if it happened again!?
Rainbow Dash looked up from her donut and over to her friends, who were eagerly discussing what exactly they'd do at the party they were soon to throw back at Ponyville. Pinkie was standing on the table and dancing around, likely singing a cute little song.
Rainbow Dash blinked, she'd stopped chewing and could just taste the sweetness in her mouth.
No, shut up! JUST SHUT UP! She screamed mentally, closing her eyes and continuing to munch on her sugary treat.
It's over, it's ended already! Everything will go back to normal, the killer has been caught and Pinkie Pie is safe with us.
No, it was all necessary, Dash reasoned. She would never know if things would be better if she'd confessed at the very beginning. Now she had three murders under her belt, five unknowing best friends who loved her very much, and a pristine reputation as Equestria's best flier to maintain.
She prayed for Derpy and Dinky every night, as their lives had been stolen away from them too early. And she spat on the memory of that stallion, all of Equestria considered him a murderer after all.
Rainbow Dash got up on the table, she saw Pinkie give her a big grin and she smirked back. She reached out and grabbed the bubbly pink mare, giving her a twirl as she joined her in the song and dance.
Everything would be fine, Dash told herself. It was an accident, and everything else she did was to protect herself and her friends.
Everything would be okay.