Keep Out of the Everfree Forestby emeraldfire15ChaptersChapter Two - Sapphire LilyChapter Three - The Journey to PonyvilleChapter Six – Meeting the NeighborChapter Eight – The Worst Night of My LifeChapter Nine – The Calm Before the StormChapter Eleven – The Everfree SlasherChapter Thirteen – A New LeadChapter Fourteen – Say Hello To Twi’s Little FriendChapter Fifteen – Running for LifeChapter 16 – Growing Up in a Dangerous WorldChapther One - Emerald FireChapter Four - Start of Something WonderfulChapter Five – Meet and Greet… and Eat CakeChapter Seven – Day One in PonyvilleChapter Ten – Myths and LegendsChapter Twelve – A Visit from a FriendChapter Two - Sapphire LilyAt the very end of the train, Emerald found a compartment that appeared to be empty at first. A closer look showed that there was only one occupant. This pony was one of the most beautiful she had ever seen. The pegasus had a bright blue coat and an amazingly long, orange mane that hung near her hooves. Her tail was almost as long as she was and sported the same vivid orange. Her green eyes were the only things that didn’t make Emerald gasp in awe, as they were very calm and quiet; unlike the rest of her astonishing body. Emerald felt slightly nervous, as this pony looked like she cared about first appearances. Emerald thought that with her green coat, blue eyes and untidy red mane, she might not impress the other pony and might be forced to stand in the corridor for the whole trip. She slowly opened the door and stuck her head through the crack. “Hello,” she said quietly. “Hello,” replied the other pony. “You can come in if you want. Some company would be nice.” Emerald thanked the pony and came into the compartment, closing the door behind her. “I’m Emerald Fire,” said Emerald as the two pegasi shook hooves. “I’m Sapphire Lily,” replied the other pony. “Very nice to meet you,” said Emerald. “So, what are you heading to Ponyville for?” asked Sapphire. “I’m going to work for the PVFD,” said Emerald proudly, lifting her wing to show her cutie mark. “What are you going for?” “It’s a long story,” said Sapphire. “We’ve got a long journey ahead,” mentioned Emerald. Sapphire sighed. “Good point. Alright.” Chapter Three - The Journey to PonyvilleSapphire told Emerald her story, which took up the rest of the trip. However, she didn’t tell her the full story. Sapphire was only in her first few years of school when her parents left for a camping trip and never returned. Since her parents were presumed to be dead, she had to live with her aunt and uncle for most of her life. That’s the part of the story Sapphire did not mention. What Emerald did hear was that Sapphire “inexplicably” fell into a state of depression and she couldn’t find a way to break out of it. Eventually, she found a way to help her depression. She found that she could make herself happy by making other ponies happy. During a visit to Ponyville, she received the ‘Prize Pony of Ponyville’ award. She was only visiting for three days! Her cutie mark appeared there and then. However, it took her two whole weeks to figure out exactly what the yellow smiling face on her flank promised for her in the future. She finally figured out that her talent was simply making everypony smile. Mayor Mare had recently hired her to help Pinkie Pie keep the Ponyville citizens happy. And that’s why Sapphire was headed to Ponyville. By the time she had finished telling the story, the train had arrived at its destination. Chapter Six – Meeting the NeighborEmerald flopped herself down on the couch. She had unpacked all the luggage and Sapphire hadn’t returned from the store. She decided that she would have a nap while she waited for Sapphire to come home. She had just shut her eyes when she heard a knock at the door. Emerald jumped up with a start. She took a deep breath, walked to the door and opened it. A young, handsome stallion stood at the door. He was wearing a black sweater and denim jeans, along with a black beanie. Emerald’s cheeks turned a bright shade of red in the presence of the attractive stranger, yet she couldn’t help but notice the contrast between his dark attire and his bright orange coat. “Hello,” she said shyly. “Hi,” said the stallion. “You must be Emerald Fire.” “That’s me,” said Emerald. “I didn’t see you at the party earlier.” “Probably because I wasn’t there,” remarked the stranger. “I wanted to come, but I had to work overtime.” “We’ve all been there,” laughed Emerald. “Anyway, you already know who I am. Who are you and what did you want?” “I’m Slash, the local lumberjack,” replied the stallion. “I live just across the hall and I wanted to welcome you to the building.” “Oh!” Emerald exclaimed. “I didn’t realize you were my neighbor.” It’s great to meet you!” Emerald blushed. “We should do something sometime.” “That would be nice,” said Slash. “I’ll come see you sometime.” Emerald was about to reply when Sapphire came trotting down the hallway, shopping bags cradled on her back “Hi, Emma!” said Sapphire. “Who’s this?” she asked, placing her bags on the floor. “This is our neighbor, Slash,” Emerald replied. “It’s good to meet you, Slash. I’m Sapphire Lily.” “I know,” said Slash. “We knew each other when we were kids. Don’t you remember?” “I don’t remember a lot of my childhood,” Sapphire sighed. “But in that case, it’s good to see you again.” “Well, hopefully I’ll talk to you girls later,” said Slash as he unlocked his door. “It’s been a rough night for me, so I’m going to have dinner and go straight to bed.” “Okay,” said Emerald. “It was great meeting you. We’ll talk to you soon, Slash.” The three ponies waved goodbye and walked into their apartments. “He seems nice,” said Emerald. “What do you think, Sapphire?” “I think you can have him and I’m going to bed,” Sapphire drowsily remarked. Emerald blushed. “Okay, there are two things you need to know,” she said hurriedly. “One; I do not want him!” She took a deep breath. “And two; you left the shopping out in the hallway.” Chapter Eight – The Worst Night of My LifeNailed to the tree trunk was a bloodied, broken foreleg. The leg was bent at a 90 degree angle, with the sharp, splintered bones sticking out. They clicked against the tree with every gust of wind. The top of the leg was shredded. Blood ran down the tree trunk and formed small puddles in the dirt. There was no denying that this limb belonged to Mr. Cake. Also nailed to the tree was a small note written in blood: “KEEP OUT OF THE FOREST”. Emerald couldn’t believe what she was looking at. She let out a loud groan and passed out on the ground. When Emerald came to, she was in her bedroom, breathing heavily. She stood up dizzily and ran straight into the lounge room, finding Sapphire sitting quietly on the couch. “Oh, you’re up,” said Sapphire quietly. Emerald laughed uneasily. “I just had the worst dream.” “Sit down, Emerald,” said Sapphire. “It wasn’t a dream.” “You’re right there.” Emerald chuckled. “That was a nightmare, not a dream.” “Listen to me, Emerald!” Sapphire snapped. “You can call it whatever you like, but it was real. Mr. Cake is dead.” Emerald sat down and hung her head in her hooves. “This can’t be happening. We’ve just arrived and now we’re part of a murder mystery!?” Sapphire sighed. “Yes, Emerald. We are. We saw what we saw and we will never forget it. But he’s gone and there’s nothing we can do about it.” Emerald stood up quickly. “You’re wrong,” she said firmly. “We can figure out what happened in that forest. We can find Mr. Cake’s killer.” “No, Emerald,” Sapphire said. “Leave that to the police. Take another day off tomorrow and calm down. I’ll go see Pinkie and Mrs. Cake and see how they’re doing.” Emerald sighed. “Okay, I’ll go see the chief tomorrow. Let him know what’s going on.” Sapphire put a hoof on Emerald’s shoulder. “Trust me, by tomorrow, everypony in town will know what’s going on.” Chapter Nine – The Calm Before the StormEmerald did not sleep peacefully that night. Her dreams were plagued by images of Mr. Cake’s dismembered limb. Visions of his horrible and painful death. Nightmares showing her own untimely demise. She woke with a start, falling out of bed. Her clock told her that she had slept through most of the morning. She left the apartment immediately to speak to the fire chief. She quickly flew around to the fire station. When she arrived, the chief was giving a pep talk to all of the firefighters. They all stopped to look at her, firefighters whispering to each other as she walked past them. “Emerald, you made it,” said the chief calmly. “Sir, I’m going to assume you’ve heard the recent news about Mr. Cake,” Emerald sai. “You assume correctly,” the chief replied. “I’m sure I don’t need to go into detail, but I’d like some time to grieve with his family.” “That would be best, considering some of the recent rumors,” the chief muttered. “With respect, sir,” Emerald said. “What rumors?” “Well,” the chief said, “there are rumors going around about Cake’s death. To put it simply, Emerald, half of Ponyville thinks you and your roommate killed him.” Emerald’s jaw dropped. She took a deep breath and faced the chief. “If I may ask, sir, what do you think?” “Well, young lady, I’ve got a town to keep safe, so I’m not picking sides. But I’d be careful around here if I were you.” “Noted, sir. I’ll keep quiet until this whole thing blows over.” “Your job will still be waiting when it does. Dismissed.” Emerald thanked the chief and flew straight up towards the clouds. She looked around Ponyville scratching her head. There were a few things that needed to be done if she was going to crack this case. First, she needed to figure out who she could trust around Ponyville. She didn’t know much about the town and without a general understanding of the residents, she could kiss the discovery of a motive goodbye. She knew she could definitely trust Mrs. Cake and Pinkie Pie, so she headed for Sugarcube Corner. She walked into the sweet shop finding Mrs. Cake and Sapphire sitting at one of the tables. Sapphire stood up and gave Emerald a hug. “How did it go with the chief?” Emerald sat down next to Mrs. Cake. “He told me to keep to myself until this whole thing is over. With all these rumors going around, ponies aren’t going to be friendly with us.” “So you’ve heard the rumors,” said Sapphire, sighing. “We can’t just stand around doing nothing, Sapphire,” said Emerald. “Nopony trusts us at the moment, and we don’t know who our friends are right now. Until someone finds a culprit, everypony in Ponyville is going to hate us. So we have to find the murderer, if not for us, for Mrs. Cake.” “Okay then, where do we start?” Sapphire asked. Emerald turned to Mrs. Cake, who was lost in her own little world. Emerald called out to her, waving a hoof in front of her face. “Oh, sorry, dear,” said Mrs. Cake. “What do you want?” “I know this isn’t the best time to be asking, but can you think of anypony who would want Mr. Cake dead?” Mrs. Cake sniffed. “No, I can’t. Everypony loved him.” “I’m sorry, Mrs. Cake. Let me know if you think of anything,” said Emerald. “Sapphire, come with me.” The two mares walked into the kitchen of the shop. Emerald shut the door behind them. “Well, if Mrs. Cake can’t help us, we have no leads,” said Emerald sadly. “Actually, there are a lot of myths and legends surrounding the Everfree Forest,” said Sapphire. “You may want to look into them.” “This is a murder case, not a supernatural conspiracy!” snapped Emerald. “Is it?” asked Sapphire quietly. “I don’t hear you coming up with any ideas.” “Fine,” said Emerald. “But I’m only doing this because we have nothing else to go on. Chapter Eleven – The Everfree SlasherAs Sapphire and Twilight walked into the kitchen, Emerald began her search. She looked through over a dozen books, ranging from ’Local Legends’ to ‘Scary True Stories’. Eventually, she found a small, tattered book titled, ‘The Everfree Slasher’. She sat down at a table with the book and began to read it. Long story short, the book talked about a pony known as the Everfree Slasher. This pony roamed the forest, killing anypony who ventured too far inside. The book showed a photograph of the pony as well as a report describing the three known murders committed by the killer. The young colt had a bright orange coat and wore a long, dark, hooded cloak. The first murder was apparently a young colt from Canterlot who lived with his mother. His father had recently committed suicide while in jail for robbery. The colt had run away from home, towards Ponyville. A few days later, while searching the forest, police discovered his mane and tail sitting in a pool of blood. The key clue: a note found at the scene, which read, ‘Keep out of the forest or you’ll end up like him.” The second and third murders were a young married couple also from Canterlot. They were headed to the Everfree Forest for a camping trip with the stallion’s brother. Their infant daughter had been left to stay with her aunt. During the trip, their campsite was raided by the mysterious killer. The married couple was brutally murdered, while the brother escaped. The uncle took as many photos of the killer as he could before galloping out of the forest, one of which was used in the description at the beginning of the book. After Emerald had finished reading the book, she showed it to Sapphire, who was feeling a bit better after her knock. As Sapphire read the book, her face grew paler and paler. After she had finished, she walked out onto the balcony of the library. “What’s wrong?” asked Emerald. “Reading that helped me remember a lot of things,” answered Sapphire. “What do you mean?” quizzed Emerald. “Sit down and I’ll explain it to you,” Sapphire said. “Don’t ask any questions until I’m finished.” Sapphire sat down next to her friend and took a deep breath. “Remember how, on the way to Ponyville, I told you how I got my cutie mark? And how I said I “inexplicably” became depressed? Well, the reason I got so sad is because my parents went on a camping trip with my uncle and they never came back. My uncle told me that they drowned in a river. I had to live with him and my aunt for the rest of my childhood. I had that screaming episode I told you about when I was told that they were gone.” Emerald nodded and reached for a nearby box of tissues. “I remember a colt who lived next door to me for a while, before all that happened. I remember that his dad disappeared one day. I was later told that my father, who was a police officer, had arrested him and he’d gone to jail. I never saw him get released. A few weeks later, the colt disappeared too. Don’t quote me on this, but I think that this killer murdered my parents and that colt.” Emerald was speechless. Sapphire looked at her. “Well, what do you think?” Emerald pulled herself together. “I know that these two stories sound very similar, but it could be purely coincidental. Canterlot’s a big place! I need more proof before we go chasing legends.” Sapphire picked up the book and turned to the picture of the Slasher. She pointed to a corner of the photo. “See that black circle?” Emerald groaned. “What does this have to do with-“ Sapphire interrupted her. “I put a sticker of a flower on the lens of my uncle’s camera when I was really little. He never took it off. That black circle is in every single childhood photo of me. In the exact same place. The photos in this book were taken by my uncle with my uncle’s camera.” Emerald thought for a moment. “Not to mention he hates the Everfree Forest with a vengeance,” said Sapphire. “He wouldn’t set hoof in that place to save his life.” Emerald sighed. “Well, you’re my friend and I trust your judgment. I guess we should try and find that killer. Even if he didn’t kill Mr. Cake, we should do this for you. For your parents. We might find more evidence in the forest while we’re there.” Sapphire nodded silently. Emerald walked into the kitchen. “Twilight, can I borrow this book?” Chapter Thirteen – A New LeadThe next morning, Sapphire woke up to see Emerald sitting at the end of her bed. “I think we should go see Twilight and tell her about this killer,” Emerald said. “She might be able to help us find him.” Sapphire let out a long exhale. “Good idea, Emerald,” she said. “But, for Celestia’s sake, don’t just sit there waiting for me to wake up. You scared the hay out of me.” “Sorry,” Emerald said quietly. “Should we go?” Sapphire got up, and the two mares flew to Twilight’s library. The sun had only just risen and there were few ponies around. When the girls arrived, they knocked on Twilight’s balcony door. “Who is it?” yelled a male voice. “It’s Emerald and Sapphire,” Emerald shouted. “We’re friends of Twilight’s.” “Hang on,” the voice called back. “Twi!” A few seconds later, Twilight opened the door, rubbing her eyes. “Oh, did we wake you up?” asked Sapphire. “It’s alright, girls,” said Twilight groggily. “What do you want?” Emerald and Sapphire told Twilight the entire story. Emerald read Twilight the book, then Sapphire told her story. When they were finished, Twilight stood up and began pacing. “Girls, I don’t know what to say about this,” she fretted. “I think you’ve come across something big here, but how are you going to prove it’s not just a huge coincidence? Something tells me that not everypony will believe what you’ve just told me.” Emerald stood up. “We plan on catching this Everfree Slasher. If we can prove it was him, our names are cleared, we figure out who killed Mr. Cake and we finally put Sapphire’s parents to rest.” Twilight stopped pacing. “Well, if you two were unicorns, I could help you. Unfortunately, I can’t exactly teach you any spells.” “Do you know anypony else that can help us?” asked Sapphire. “Actually, yes,” said Twilight thoughtfully. “Grab that book and close your eyes.” Emerald gave Twilight a confused look. “I’m going to teleport you two to somepony who might be able to help you,” said Twilight. “Her name is Zecora. She lives in the Everfree Forest though. When you leave, just fly straight up and you should be able to see Ponyville once you’re out of the forest. I wouldn’t hang around in that place too long.” Emerald grabbed the book and held Sapphire’s hoof tightly. Twilight’s horn glowed. There was a sudden, blinding flash of light. Chapter Fourteen – Say Hello To Twi’s Little FriendWhen Sapphire opened her eyes, all she could see were trees. Emerald was right next to her, firing off expletives. “Damn it to Discord, I didn’t shut my eyes!” Emerald said under her breath. When Emerald’s vision cleared and the two pegasi turned around, they saw a large, old looking house built into the base of a tree. Totem poles were everywhere, strange masks hanging from every branch. Emerald took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A zebra opened it and looked closely at the two mares. “Come in, my dear ponies. I’ll make you some tea. Tell your story of why you have come to see me,” she said with a thick, African accent. Emerald and Sapphire walked in and sat down at the table. “I’m Emerald Fire and this is Sapphire Lily,” Emerald said. “You’re Zecora, aren’t you?” “Emerald, dear filly, that is correct. From this visit, what should I expect?” asked Zecora. “Twilight Sparkle told us to come here,” said Emerald. “She said you’d be able to help us with something.” “It is likely that truth has been told,” Zecora said. “Does it concern this book you hold?” Emerald gave the book to Zecora. Sapphire told the zebra her story. Afterwards, the two mares waited patiently while Zecora read the book. When Zecora finished reading, she put down the book and gestured towards the photo of the Slasher. “There is no doubt in my mind; he’s the pony you want to find.” “But where do we find him?” asked Sapphire. “He likely resides near the place of his thrill. The obvious guess would be Ponyville.” “Do you know who he’ll kill next?” asked Emerald, picking up the book. “He preys on those who walk under this canopy. That’s why I’m leaving before he gets me!” said Zecora, pointing at a suitcase in the corner of the hut. “At least we know now that he only kills those in the forest,” said Emerald thoughtfully. “On that note, we’d better go, Zecora.” “That would be wise, my new friends. We’ll speak more once this nightmare ends.” Emerald and Sapphire thanked Zecora and flew out of the hut, up through the trees and into the crisp, morning sky. “Well, we know two things,” said Emerald. “One; the Slasher only murders ponies that go into the forest. Two; he lives somewhere in Ponyville.” “We could tell everypony not to go into the forest, but who’d listen?” said Sapphire. “For now, I say we go home and have breakfast.” Emerald nodded and the two ponies flew back to their apartment. Ponies below them whispered amongst each other as they watched the girls. The two friends bumped into Slash on his way to work. The three ponies had a brief conversation, during which Slash asked the girls if they’d like some company that night for dinner. “It’s just I’ve got nothing else to do tonight and I thought you’d like someone else to talk to,” he said. “Sure, Slash,” said Emerald. “That’d be nice.” The group went their separate ways; the girls into their apartment, Slash outside into the warm, mid-morning sunshine. Chapter Fifteen – Running for LifeAfter Emerald and Sapphire had breakfast, they set about walking to Sugarcube Corner to check on Mrs. Cake. As they walked through the town square towards the sweet shop, Emerald looked down the road. She saw a familiar figure a fair distance away, galloping towards them. “It’s Zecora!” said Emerald happily. “She made it out!” Sapphire frowned. “She’s in a bit of a hurry, though. Something in the forest must have spooked her.” The girls waited as Zecora made her way towards them. When she got there, she did something Emerald and Sapphire were not expecting. Zecora opened her mouth, causing a mouthful of blood to splash onto the ground. The girls gasped as they realized that her tongue had been cut out of her mouth. The zebra let out a quiet gurgle and collapsed on the ground. The two mares stood in shock. Busy shoppers dropped their bags as they stared at Zecora on the ground. A police officer galloped over to Zecora, reaching out to feel her pulse. “She’s gone,” he said. “Wait…” The officer noticed a piece of string tied around the corpse’s neck. He gingerly untied it and picked up the note attached to it. “I told you ponies to keep out of my forest,” he read aloud. “It was them, officer!” shouted a mare, pointing at Emerald and Sapphire. “What proof do you have!?” yelled Sapphire unexpectedly. Emerald saw her friend’s eye twitch, and it looked as though it had changed color again; this time to a bright, fluorescent yellow. Another mare stepped forward. “I saw them leaving the forest not long ago. They killed Zecora!” The officer stood up. “Girls, come with me.” The three ponies walked around the corner into a dark alleyway. “Girls, I don’t have any proof that you did this,” said the police officer. “so I’m going to let you go for now. I suggest you go home and lay low for a while. The townsfolk have you pinned up for two murders already. If this happens a third time, there’s no telling what ponies might do.” “Got it,” said Emerald. The officer left them alone in the dark, dirty alley. Emerald and Sapphire immediately made a beeline for the library. They burst in without knocking, scaring Twilight so much that she shot a bolt of lightning at them, missing them by inches. “Goodness me, girls,” Twilight said breathlessly. “Don’t do that!” The two mares took no notice of the dangerous spell. “Twilight,” Emerald said. “Zecora’s dead.” “Dear, sweet Celestia,” mumbled Twilight. “Poor Zecora. I’m going to miss her so much.” “We will too, Twilight,” said Sapphire. Twilight sadly shook her head. “Well, at least tell me she told you something useful.” “We figured out two things,” Emerald said. “The killer only attacks ponies who enter the forest. If you stay out, you’re safe.” “What else?” asked Twilight, brushing away a tear. “The killer likely lives somewhere in Ponyville,” replied Sapphire. “So one of the stallions in Ponyville is a murderer, but as long as you don’t go into the forest, you’ll be alright,” Twilight concluded. “That’s pretty much all we know,” Emerald said. Twilight wiped her eyes again. “Did Zecora at least die peacefully?” Emerald uneasily shifted from hoof to hoof. “For your sake, I won’t go into detail. Let’s just say somepony was sick of her rhymes.” Chapter 16 – Growing Up in a Dangerous WorldThe two mares headed back to their apartment and sat around for a while, thinking about the morning’s events. Two murders in four days. It was the sort of thing that ponies only saw in nightmares. Emerald half-expected to wake up in her bed in Canterlot, with her parents by her side. But deep down, she knew that wasn’t going to happen. The girls went to Sugarcube Corner later that day to see Mrs. Cake. She had apparently gone for a walk, while Pinkie stayed at the shop to look after the fatherless twins. Pinkie said that it was “early days, but Mrs. Cake’s slowly getting better.” They stayed at the shop for quite some time, playing with the twins. By the time they left, the sun was setting in the horizon. The friends arrived home to find Slash waiting in the hallway for them. “Hey, girls!” said Slash eagerly. “I rented some records, so we can partay!” ‘You obviously haven’t heard the news,” said Sapphire flatly. “What news?” asked Slash, his smile wiped from his face. “The zebra that lives in the forest, Zecora,” Emerald explained. “She’s dead.” “Wow,” Slash muttered. “I’ve got no idea what to say.” The three ponies stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. “Well, are you two still up for dinner?” Slash asked. “I’ll have to pass, buddy,” said Sapphire. “I’m gonna have a shower and hit the hay.” She turned to enter the apartment. “You two should spend some time together. You seem to enjoy each other’s company.” Sapphire waved goodbye and left Slash and Emerald alone in the hallway. “So, dinner at mine?” asked Slash. “You’re persistent, aren’t you?” Emerald laughed. “I hope you can cook!” The two ponies walked into Slash’s apartment. Emerald looked around the room. It was quite a nice apartment, significantly nicer than her own. However, Emerald couldn’t help but be a bit disturbed by the number of axes and animal trophies hanging on the walls. “What’s with all the axes and stuffed animals?” Emerald asked. “I told you, I’m a lumberjack,” Slash replied. “And I used to go hunting with my father when I was little.” Slash gestured towards a large, comfortable looking sofa. “Take a seat, I’ll get dinner ready.” Emerald sat down on the sofa. She took a magazine from the coffee table and read it while Slash prepared dinner. Half an hour later, the meals were ready at the table. Slash took a bottle of wine from a cupboard and poured two glasses. “Oh, I’m not a fan of wine,” Emerald said hurriedly. “Have you ever tried it?” asked Slash, with a smirk. “Well, no,” Emerald admitted. “But I guess I’ll try anything once!” Emerald walked over to the table and sat down opposite from Slash. She picked up her glass and held it over the table. Slash did the same. “To Mr. Cake and Zecora, wherever they may be!” Emerald said. Emerald and Slash clinked their glasses and took a drink. “Mmm, I wouldn’t rush out and buy a bottle, but this wine is alright!” Emerald said. “It tends to taste better when somepony else pays for it.” Slash remarked.” Chapther One - Emerald Fire“Your train is leaving in ten minutes, dear. Are you sure you’re going to make it?” “Yes, mum, I’ll make it in time.” The young pony said goodbye to her parents, picked up her saddlepack and walked out into the front yard. “Emerald!” yelled the pony’s father. “Be careful, have fun and good luck!” “I will, Dad! I love you!” shouted Emerald. She took off into the sky and her parents watched their pegasus daughter fly off across Canterlot towards the train station in the city center. Emerald Fire was still young, but she had wanted to get out of home ever since she got her cutie mark. She had always loved playing with fire. One night, while her parents were asleep, she went down to the living room and started playing with matches. The following chaos could have destroyed the house and ended the lives of everypony inside, but Emerald managed to put out the fire herself, saving her parents and their house. Mr. and Mrs. Fire had no idea until the next morning, when they went downstairs only to find a blackened living room and Emerald sleeping on the floor; a burning pile of sticks emblazoned on her flank. Emerald had been asked to come down to Ponyville and work as a firefighter, a job that she gladly accepted. She didn’t have any friends in Canterlot because she didn’t like their posh, uptight attitudes. She was a country girl at heart, even if she had lived in the city all her life. Emerald made it to the train station with only seconds to spare. She flew through the train’s door, crashing into the cabin wall. She gave her ticket to the conductor and stumbled off to find a seat. The entire train was full of very important looking ponies, who were headed to some sort of art show in Ponyville. Emerald decided these were not the sort of ponies she wanted to be around, so she headed for the back of the train to find an empty compartment. Chapter Four - Start of Something WonderfulThe two ponies left the train and looked around their new surroundings. Emerald had never seen Ponyville before and the town had changed quite a bit since Sapphire had last been. “So where are you staying?” asked Emerald. “Oh, I’m rooming with Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner until I find a place of my own,” answered Sapphire. “Won’t that be a bit crowded?” asked Emerald. “Maybe, but I don’t have anywhere else to go,” muttered Sapphire. Emerald thought for a moment. The fire chief had given her a two-bedroom apartment behind the fire station to ensure her place at the department. “You know what?” Emerald said. “You do have somewhere to go! You are going to come live with me!” “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asked Sapphire. “We’ve only known each other for an hour!” “Yes, Sapphire, I am sure,” replied Emerald. “There are two bedrooms and I only take up one.” “I don’t know, Emerald,” muttered Sapphire. Emerald turned to her new friend. “Some company would be nice.” Chapter Five – Meet and Greet… and Eat CakeThe two new friends flew upstairs and came to a stop in a hallway. They had seen apartments in Canterlot with hundreds of rooms, but this building simply consisted of a tiny lobby, and two rooms upstairs. The whole building was eerily quiet. “2A,” said Emerald. “I guess this one’s ours.” The two ponies entered the room only to see around 50 ponies crammed into their living room. “Surprise!” yelled an excited pony. “I’m Pinkie Pie and I threw this party just for you!” “Wow,” said Sapphire under her breath. “And I was going to room with her.” Pinkie explained to Emerald why she had thrown the party. She didn’t make her explanation very clear, but Emerald and Sapphire got the idea. The fire chief had obviously asked Pinkie Pie to throw the party for Emerald, and Pinkie planned on bringing Sapphire anyway. They both talked to everypony at the party; even Fluttershy gathered up the courage to talk. However, when Applejack commented on how similar Fluttershy and Sapphire looked, Fluttershy ran out of the building, screaming, “Evil twin! Help!” A few hours later, all the party guests had left. Emerald and Sapphire were finally alone in their new apartment. “That was a great party!” Emerald said. “Pinkie Pie knows her stuff.” Sapphire laughed. “I don’t know where she found that DJ, but I’m hiring her for my wedding!” Emerald chuckled as she took some bits out of her luggage. “Can you fly down to the store and grab some food for the next couple of days?” she asked. “Just the essentials. I’ve got tomorrow off, so I’ll do more shopping then. While you’re gone, I’ll unpack everything and set the place up.” Sapphire took the money and left the apartment. Emerald was about to begin unpacking when Sapphire poked her head in the doorway. “Thanks for letting me stay, Emerald,” said Sapphire. “I owe you one.” As Sapphire left, Emerald smiled. She knew that she had picked a good roommate. Chapter Seven – Day One in PonyvilleEmerald Fire woke up and looked around the apartment for her roommate. In the kitchen she found a note addressed to her. It read, “Dear Emerald, I needed to meet Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner to get the run-down of the town and what I can do around the place. That’s where I’ll be if you need me. It’s not far from here. PS: Your breakfast is in the fridge. I hope you like eggs.” Emerald smiled and walked over to the fridge. She got her breakfast and sat down at the table. “Well, Sapphire,” she said. “you came here to make ponies smile. You’ve done a good job so far.” Emerald decided that she would go and see Sapphire and thank her for the breakfast. Along the way however, she saw a familiar face; Slash. He was wearing the same clothes as the night before and he was headed towards the Everfree Forest with an axe strapped to his back. As he walked, a low hanging branch pulled his beanie off his head. Emerald was surprised to see that he was completely bald. “Unusual, but each to his own, I guess,” thought Emerald. Slash quickly put his hat back on and hastily trotted towards the forest. He hadn’t seen Emerald. She shrugged and walked off. When she got to Sugarcube Corner, she bumped into an older pony coming out of the store. “Oh, I’m sorry,” said Emerald. “It’s quite alright, dear,” replied the mare. Two ponies Emerald recognized walked out of the store moments later. One was Pinkie Pie, the other was Sapphire. “Sapphire, where are you off to?” asked Emerald. “Walk with us,” she replied. “Mrs. Cake here will explain.” Mrs. Cake explained how Mr. Cake had gone for a walk the night before, and how he hadn’t returned. The three ponies were headed out to look for him. The four mares searched the town high and low all day. They asked everypony they saw if they had seen Mr. Cake, but nopony had. Mrs. Cake was getting desperate. “It’ll be okay, Mrs. Cake,” said Sapphire. “We’ll head back to the shop and contact the police later.” As the group walked along the edge of town towards Sugarcube Corner, something caught Emerald’s eye. She trotted over to the edge of the Everfree Forest to figure out what she had seen. As she approached one of the trees, she found what had caught her eye. Nothing that she had experienced in her entire life could prepare her for what was in front of her. Chapter Ten – Myths and LegendsEmerald and Sapphire headed for the library. As they flew over the busy marketplace, shoppers stared up at them. Flying pegasi gave them a wide berth, looking anxiously at the pair. Emerald was fuming. “I’ve never felt this angry in my life!” she muttered. “How can they accuse us? Have you ever been this angry?” she asked. Sapphire thought. “Once, when I was little, I got so angry that I screamed uncontrollably for days. I can’t even remember why.” The two pegasi finally made it to the library. They found Twilight Sparkle sitting on her balcony reading a book. She was facing away from the pair and clearly couldn’t see them coming. They landed behind Twilight and walked over to her. Sapphire tapped her on the shoulder. In an instant, Twilight suddenly swung the book around in a wide arc towards the two mares. Emerald ducked under the swiftly moving hoof, but Sapphire wasn’t so quick. The book hit her square in the jaw, knocking her to the ground. As she groggily got to her feet, Emerald inspected her friend’s face. Her mouth was bleeding, and for a short moment, Emerald thought that Sapphire’s eyes had gone a darker shade of green. “Oh my Celestia, I’m so sorry!” Twilight frantically said. “I didn’t even know you were there until you touched me!” “It’s okay, Twilight,” said Sapphire with an annoyed tone. “It’s normal for you to be a bit jumpy, considering the recent events.” “Come in, I’ll get some ice for your jaw,” said Twilight. She turned to Emerald. “I assume you two are here for a reason.” “Well, with the town hating us and all, we thought it best to try and find the real culprit,” said Emerald. “Since we don’t have any leads, we thought we’d do some research on legends regarding the forest.” Twilight frowned. “I don’t like that idea, Emerald. But since I have no reason not to trust you, I’ll help in any way I can.” “Uh, Twilight?” Sapphire said. “Right, the ice!” Twilight pointed over to a nearby bookshelf. “Have a look over there.” Chapter Twelve – A Visit from a FriendEmerald sat on her couch, her eyes scanning the text in front of her. Images of the Everfree Slasher and Mr. Cake’s remains swirled around in her mind, morphing together in a twisted reenactment. Meanwhile, Sapphire thought about her troubled past. Trying to link together the story from the book and the story she knew. Her train of thought quickly derailed as she sank deeper into her hot bath. Emerald was startled by a knock at the door. She quickly slid the book under the couch. “Who is it?” she called out. “It’s Slash,” called her visitor. “It’s open!” Emerald shouted. Slash came in, holding a box of chocolates. “Thought I’d bring you something to cheer you up,” he said quietly. Emerald walked over to Slash and gave him a hug. “Thanks, Slash! You didn’t have to do this,” Emerald said. “No, I had to. You see, I heard the rumors-” Slash explained. Emerald butted in. “Not surprised, buddy. Everypony else has.” “Yeah, but I wanted you to know that I don’t believe them,” Slash said. “Are you telling me that you’re on my side?” Emerald asked cynically. “Yes, Emerald. I’m on your side. You seem like a really nice mare, and I know Sapphire wouldn’t do such a thing,” Slash said, sitting down. “Where is she, by the way?” “In the bath,” Emerald said. “Thanks, too. Not many ponies trust us at the moment. It’s nice to know somepony does.” Emerald gave Slash a long hug. At that exact moment, Sapphire walked in, wrapped in a towel. “Emerald, look at you!” Sapphire teased. “You’re growing up so fast!” Emerald stuck her tongue out at Sapphire. Slash rolled his eyes. Slash stood up. “I’d better be going, girls. Enjoy those chocolates. Good to see you too, Sapphire.” “I will, Slash. See you!” Emerald said. Sapphire frowned. “You mean ‘we’ will! Good to see you too, Slash.” Slash waved goodbye and left the apartment, walking directly across the hall to his own home. “So what was that about?” asked Sapphire. “He was just trying to cheer me up. Nothing more,” Emerald replied firmly. “Believe me, Emma,” Sapphire laughed. “It’s always something more.”
Chapter Two - Sapphire LilyAt the very end of the train, Emerald found a compartment that appeared to be empty at first. A closer look showed that there was only one occupant. This pony was one of the most beautiful she had ever seen. The pegasus had a bright blue coat and an amazingly long, orange mane that hung near her hooves. Her tail was almost as long as she was and sported the same vivid orange. Her green eyes were the only things that didn’t make Emerald gasp in awe, as they were very calm and quiet; unlike the rest of her astonishing body. Emerald felt slightly nervous, as this pony looked like she cared about first appearances. Emerald thought that with her green coat, blue eyes and untidy red mane, she might not impress the other pony and might be forced to stand in the corridor for the whole trip. She slowly opened the door and stuck her head through the crack. “Hello,” she said quietly. “Hello,” replied the other pony. “You can come in if you want. Some company would be nice.” Emerald thanked the pony and came into the compartment, closing the door behind her. “I’m Emerald Fire,” said Emerald as the two pegasi shook hooves. “I’m Sapphire Lily,” replied the other pony. “Very nice to meet you,” said Emerald. “So, what are you heading to Ponyville for?” asked Sapphire. “I’m going to work for the PVFD,” said Emerald proudly, lifting her wing to show her cutie mark. “What are you going for?” “It’s a long story,” said Sapphire. “We’ve got a long journey ahead,” mentioned Emerald. Sapphire sighed. “Good point. Alright.”
Chapter Three - The Journey to PonyvilleSapphire told Emerald her story, which took up the rest of the trip. However, she didn’t tell her the full story. Sapphire was only in her first few years of school when her parents left for a camping trip and never returned. Since her parents were presumed to be dead, she had to live with her aunt and uncle for most of her life. That’s the part of the story Sapphire did not mention. What Emerald did hear was that Sapphire “inexplicably” fell into a state of depression and she couldn’t find a way to break out of it. Eventually, she found a way to help her depression. She found that she could make herself happy by making other ponies happy. During a visit to Ponyville, she received the ‘Prize Pony of Ponyville’ award. She was only visiting for three days! Her cutie mark appeared there and then. However, it took her two whole weeks to figure out exactly what the yellow smiling face on her flank promised for her in the future. She finally figured out that her talent was simply making everypony smile. Mayor Mare had recently hired her to help Pinkie Pie keep the Ponyville citizens happy. And that’s why Sapphire was headed to Ponyville. By the time she had finished telling the story, the train had arrived at its destination.
Chapter Six – Meeting the NeighborEmerald flopped herself down on the couch. She had unpacked all the luggage and Sapphire hadn’t returned from the store. She decided that she would have a nap while she waited for Sapphire to come home. She had just shut her eyes when she heard a knock at the door. Emerald jumped up with a start. She took a deep breath, walked to the door and opened it. A young, handsome stallion stood at the door. He was wearing a black sweater and denim jeans, along with a black beanie. Emerald’s cheeks turned a bright shade of red in the presence of the attractive stranger, yet she couldn’t help but notice the contrast between his dark attire and his bright orange coat. “Hello,” she said shyly. “Hi,” said the stallion. “You must be Emerald Fire.” “That’s me,” said Emerald. “I didn’t see you at the party earlier.” “Probably because I wasn’t there,” remarked the stranger. “I wanted to come, but I had to work overtime.” “We’ve all been there,” laughed Emerald. “Anyway, you already know who I am. Who are you and what did you want?” “I’m Slash, the local lumberjack,” replied the stallion. “I live just across the hall and I wanted to welcome you to the building.” “Oh!” Emerald exclaimed. “I didn’t realize you were my neighbor.” It’s great to meet you!” Emerald blushed. “We should do something sometime.” “That would be nice,” said Slash. “I’ll come see you sometime.” Emerald was about to reply when Sapphire came trotting down the hallway, shopping bags cradled on her back “Hi, Emma!” said Sapphire. “Who’s this?” she asked, placing her bags on the floor. “This is our neighbor, Slash,” Emerald replied. “It’s good to meet you, Slash. I’m Sapphire Lily.” “I know,” said Slash. “We knew each other when we were kids. Don’t you remember?” “I don’t remember a lot of my childhood,” Sapphire sighed. “But in that case, it’s good to see you again.” “Well, hopefully I’ll talk to you girls later,” said Slash as he unlocked his door. “It’s been a rough night for me, so I’m going to have dinner and go straight to bed.” “Okay,” said Emerald. “It was great meeting you. We’ll talk to you soon, Slash.” The three ponies waved goodbye and walked into their apartments. “He seems nice,” said Emerald. “What do you think, Sapphire?” “I think you can have him and I’m going to bed,” Sapphire drowsily remarked. Emerald blushed. “Okay, there are two things you need to know,” she said hurriedly. “One; I do not want him!” She took a deep breath. “And two; you left the shopping out in the hallway.”
Chapter Eight – The Worst Night of My LifeNailed to the tree trunk was a bloodied, broken foreleg. The leg was bent at a 90 degree angle, with the sharp, splintered bones sticking out. They clicked against the tree with every gust of wind. The top of the leg was shredded. Blood ran down the tree trunk and formed small puddles in the dirt. There was no denying that this limb belonged to Mr. Cake. Also nailed to the tree was a small note written in blood: “KEEP OUT OF THE FOREST”. Emerald couldn’t believe what she was looking at. She let out a loud groan and passed out on the ground. When Emerald came to, she was in her bedroom, breathing heavily. She stood up dizzily and ran straight into the lounge room, finding Sapphire sitting quietly on the couch. “Oh, you’re up,” said Sapphire quietly. Emerald laughed uneasily. “I just had the worst dream.” “Sit down, Emerald,” said Sapphire. “It wasn’t a dream.” “You’re right there.” Emerald chuckled. “That was a nightmare, not a dream.” “Listen to me, Emerald!” Sapphire snapped. “You can call it whatever you like, but it was real. Mr. Cake is dead.” Emerald sat down and hung her head in her hooves. “This can’t be happening. We’ve just arrived and now we’re part of a murder mystery!?” Sapphire sighed. “Yes, Emerald. We are. We saw what we saw and we will never forget it. But he’s gone and there’s nothing we can do about it.” Emerald stood up quickly. “You’re wrong,” she said firmly. “We can figure out what happened in that forest. We can find Mr. Cake’s killer.” “No, Emerald,” Sapphire said. “Leave that to the police. Take another day off tomorrow and calm down. I’ll go see Pinkie and Mrs. Cake and see how they’re doing.” Emerald sighed. “Okay, I’ll go see the chief tomorrow. Let him know what’s going on.” Sapphire put a hoof on Emerald’s shoulder. “Trust me, by tomorrow, everypony in town will know what’s going on.”
Chapter Nine – The Calm Before the StormEmerald did not sleep peacefully that night. Her dreams were plagued by images of Mr. Cake’s dismembered limb. Visions of his horrible and painful death. Nightmares showing her own untimely demise. She woke with a start, falling out of bed. Her clock told her that she had slept through most of the morning. She left the apartment immediately to speak to the fire chief. She quickly flew around to the fire station. When she arrived, the chief was giving a pep talk to all of the firefighters. They all stopped to look at her, firefighters whispering to each other as she walked past them. “Emerald, you made it,” said the chief calmly. “Sir, I’m going to assume you’ve heard the recent news about Mr. Cake,” Emerald sai. “You assume correctly,” the chief replied. “I’m sure I don’t need to go into detail, but I’d like some time to grieve with his family.” “That would be best, considering some of the recent rumors,” the chief muttered. “With respect, sir,” Emerald said. “What rumors?” “Well,” the chief said, “there are rumors going around about Cake’s death. To put it simply, Emerald, half of Ponyville thinks you and your roommate killed him.” Emerald’s jaw dropped. She took a deep breath and faced the chief. “If I may ask, sir, what do you think?” “Well, young lady, I’ve got a town to keep safe, so I’m not picking sides. But I’d be careful around here if I were you.” “Noted, sir. I’ll keep quiet until this whole thing blows over.” “Your job will still be waiting when it does. Dismissed.” Emerald thanked the chief and flew straight up towards the clouds. She looked around Ponyville scratching her head. There were a few things that needed to be done if she was going to crack this case. First, she needed to figure out who she could trust around Ponyville. She didn’t know much about the town and without a general understanding of the residents, she could kiss the discovery of a motive goodbye. She knew she could definitely trust Mrs. Cake and Pinkie Pie, so she headed for Sugarcube Corner. She walked into the sweet shop finding Mrs. Cake and Sapphire sitting at one of the tables. Sapphire stood up and gave Emerald a hug. “How did it go with the chief?” Emerald sat down next to Mrs. Cake. “He told me to keep to myself until this whole thing is over. With all these rumors going around, ponies aren’t going to be friendly with us.” “So you’ve heard the rumors,” said Sapphire, sighing. “We can’t just stand around doing nothing, Sapphire,” said Emerald. “Nopony trusts us at the moment, and we don’t know who our friends are right now. Until someone finds a culprit, everypony in Ponyville is going to hate us. So we have to find the murderer, if not for us, for Mrs. Cake.” “Okay then, where do we start?” Sapphire asked. Emerald turned to Mrs. Cake, who was lost in her own little world. Emerald called out to her, waving a hoof in front of her face. “Oh, sorry, dear,” said Mrs. Cake. “What do you want?” “I know this isn’t the best time to be asking, but can you think of anypony who would want Mr. Cake dead?” Mrs. Cake sniffed. “No, I can’t. Everypony loved him.” “I’m sorry, Mrs. Cake. Let me know if you think of anything,” said Emerald. “Sapphire, come with me.” The two mares walked into the kitchen of the shop. Emerald shut the door behind them. “Well, if Mrs. Cake can’t help us, we have no leads,” said Emerald sadly. “Actually, there are a lot of myths and legends surrounding the Everfree Forest,” said Sapphire. “You may want to look into them.” “This is a murder case, not a supernatural conspiracy!” snapped Emerald. “Is it?” asked Sapphire quietly. “I don’t hear you coming up with any ideas.” “Fine,” said Emerald. “But I’m only doing this because we have nothing else to go on.
Chapter Eleven – The Everfree SlasherAs Sapphire and Twilight walked into the kitchen, Emerald began her search. She looked through over a dozen books, ranging from ’Local Legends’ to ‘Scary True Stories’. Eventually, she found a small, tattered book titled, ‘The Everfree Slasher’. She sat down at a table with the book and began to read it. Long story short, the book talked about a pony known as the Everfree Slasher. This pony roamed the forest, killing anypony who ventured too far inside. The book showed a photograph of the pony as well as a report describing the three known murders committed by the killer. The young colt had a bright orange coat and wore a long, dark, hooded cloak. The first murder was apparently a young colt from Canterlot who lived with his mother. His father had recently committed suicide while in jail for robbery. The colt had run away from home, towards Ponyville. A few days later, while searching the forest, police discovered his mane and tail sitting in a pool of blood. The key clue: a note found at the scene, which read, ‘Keep out of the forest or you’ll end up like him.” The second and third murders were a young married couple also from Canterlot. They were headed to the Everfree Forest for a camping trip with the stallion’s brother. Their infant daughter had been left to stay with her aunt. During the trip, their campsite was raided by the mysterious killer. The married couple was brutally murdered, while the brother escaped. The uncle took as many photos of the killer as he could before galloping out of the forest, one of which was used in the description at the beginning of the book. After Emerald had finished reading the book, she showed it to Sapphire, who was feeling a bit better after her knock. As Sapphire read the book, her face grew paler and paler. After she had finished, she walked out onto the balcony of the library. “What’s wrong?” asked Emerald. “Reading that helped me remember a lot of things,” answered Sapphire. “What do you mean?” quizzed Emerald. “Sit down and I’ll explain it to you,” Sapphire said. “Don’t ask any questions until I’m finished.” Sapphire sat down next to her friend and took a deep breath. “Remember how, on the way to Ponyville, I told you how I got my cutie mark? And how I said I “inexplicably” became depressed? Well, the reason I got so sad is because my parents went on a camping trip with my uncle and they never came back. My uncle told me that they drowned in a river. I had to live with him and my aunt for the rest of my childhood. I had that screaming episode I told you about when I was told that they were gone.” Emerald nodded and reached for a nearby box of tissues. “I remember a colt who lived next door to me for a while, before all that happened. I remember that his dad disappeared one day. I was later told that my father, who was a police officer, had arrested him and he’d gone to jail. I never saw him get released. A few weeks later, the colt disappeared too. Don’t quote me on this, but I think that this killer murdered my parents and that colt.” Emerald was speechless. Sapphire looked at her. “Well, what do you think?” Emerald pulled herself together. “I know that these two stories sound very similar, but it could be purely coincidental. Canterlot’s a big place! I need more proof before we go chasing legends.” Sapphire picked up the book and turned to the picture of the Slasher. She pointed to a corner of the photo. “See that black circle?” Emerald groaned. “What does this have to do with-“ Sapphire interrupted her. “I put a sticker of a flower on the lens of my uncle’s camera when I was really little. He never took it off. That black circle is in every single childhood photo of me. In the exact same place. The photos in this book were taken by my uncle with my uncle’s camera.” Emerald thought for a moment. “Not to mention he hates the Everfree Forest with a vengeance,” said Sapphire. “He wouldn’t set hoof in that place to save his life.” Emerald sighed. “Well, you’re my friend and I trust your judgment. I guess we should try and find that killer. Even if he didn’t kill Mr. Cake, we should do this for you. For your parents. We might find more evidence in the forest while we’re there.” Sapphire nodded silently. Emerald walked into the kitchen. “Twilight, can I borrow this book?”
Chapter Thirteen – A New LeadThe next morning, Sapphire woke up to see Emerald sitting at the end of her bed. “I think we should go see Twilight and tell her about this killer,” Emerald said. “She might be able to help us find him.” Sapphire let out a long exhale. “Good idea, Emerald,” she said. “But, for Celestia’s sake, don’t just sit there waiting for me to wake up. You scared the hay out of me.” “Sorry,” Emerald said quietly. “Should we go?” Sapphire got up, and the two mares flew to Twilight’s library. The sun had only just risen and there were few ponies around. When the girls arrived, they knocked on Twilight’s balcony door. “Who is it?” yelled a male voice. “It’s Emerald and Sapphire,” Emerald shouted. “We’re friends of Twilight’s.” “Hang on,” the voice called back. “Twi!” A few seconds later, Twilight opened the door, rubbing her eyes. “Oh, did we wake you up?” asked Sapphire. “It’s alright, girls,” said Twilight groggily. “What do you want?” Emerald and Sapphire told Twilight the entire story. Emerald read Twilight the book, then Sapphire told her story. When they were finished, Twilight stood up and began pacing. “Girls, I don’t know what to say about this,” she fretted. “I think you’ve come across something big here, but how are you going to prove it’s not just a huge coincidence? Something tells me that not everypony will believe what you’ve just told me.” Emerald stood up. “We plan on catching this Everfree Slasher. If we can prove it was him, our names are cleared, we figure out who killed Mr. Cake and we finally put Sapphire’s parents to rest.” Twilight stopped pacing. “Well, if you two were unicorns, I could help you. Unfortunately, I can’t exactly teach you any spells.” “Do you know anypony else that can help us?” asked Sapphire. “Actually, yes,” said Twilight thoughtfully. “Grab that book and close your eyes.” Emerald gave Twilight a confused look. “I’m going to teleport you two to somepony who might be able to help you,” said Twilight. “Her name is Zecora. She lives in the Everfree Forest though. When you leave, just fly straight up and you should be able to see Ponyville once you’re out of the forest. I wouldn’t hang around in that place too long.” Emerald grabbed the book and held Sapphire’s hoof tightly. Twilight’s horn glowed. There was a sudden, blinding flash of light.
Chapter Fourteen – Say Hello To Twi’s Little FriendWhen Sapphire opened her eyes, all she could see were trees. Emerald was right next to her, firing off expletives. “Damn it to Discord, I didn’t shut my eyes!” Emerald said under her breath. When Emerald’s vision cleared and the two pegasi turned around, they saw a large, old looking house built into the base of a tree. Totem poles were everywhere, strange masks hanging from every branch. Emerald took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A zebra opened it and looked closely at the two mares. “Come in, my dear ponies. I’ll make you some tea. Tell your story of why you have come to see me,” she said with a thick, African accent. Emerald and Sapphire walked in and sat down at the table. “I’m Emerald Fire and this is Sapphire Lily,” Emerald said. “You’re Zecora, aren’t you?” “Emerald, dear filly, that is correct. From this visit, what should I expect?” asked Zecora. “Twilight Sparkle told us to come here,” said Emerald. “She said you’d be able to help us with something.” “It is likely that truth has been told,” Zecora said. “Does it concern this book you hold?” Emerald gave the book to Zecora. Sapphire told the zebra her story. Afterwards, the two mares waited patiently while Zecora read the book. When Zecora finished reading, she put down the book and gestured towards the photo of the Slasher. “There is no doubt in my mind; he’s the pony you want to find.” “But where do we find him?” asked Sapphire. “He likely resides near the place of his thrill. The obvious guess would be Ponyville.” “Do you know who he’ll kill next?” asked Emerald, picking up the book. “He preys on those who walk under this canopy. That’s why I’m leaving before he gets me!” said Zecora, pointing at a suitcase in the corner of the hut. “At least we know now that he only kills those in the forest,” said Emerald thoughtfully. “On that note, we’d better go, Zecora.” “That would be wise, my new friends. We’ll speak more once this nightmare ends.” Emerald and Sapphire thanked Zecora and flew out of the hut, up through the trees and into the crisp, morning sky. “Well, we know two things,” said Emerald. “One; the Slasher only murders ponies that go into the forest. Two; he lives somewhere in Ponyville.” “We could tell everypony not to go into the forest, but who’d listen?” said Sapphire. “For now, I say we go home and have breakfast.” Emerald nodded and the two ponies flew back to their apartment. Ponies below them whispered amongst each other as they watched the girls. The two friends bumped into Slash on his way to work. The three ponies had a brief conversation, during which Slash asked the girls if they’d like some company that night for dinner. “It’s just I’ve got nothing else to do tonight and I thought you’d like someone else to talk to,” he said. “Sure, Slash,” said Emerald. “That’d be nice.” The group went their separate ways; the girls into their apartment, Slash outside into the warm, mid-morning sunshine.
Chapter Fifteen – Running for LifeAfter Emerald and Sapphire had breakfast, they set about walking to Sugarcube Corner to check on Mrs. Cake. As they walked through the town square towards the sweet shop, Emerald looked down the road. She saw a familiar figure a fair distance away, galloping towards them. “It’s Zecora!” said Emerald happily. “She made it out!” Sapphire frowned. “She’s in a bit of a hurry, though. Something in the forest must have spooked her.” The girls waited as Zecora made her way towards them. When she got there, she did something Emerald and Sapphire were not expecting. Zecora opened her mouth, causing a mouthful of blood to splash onto the ground. The girls gasped as they realized that her tongue had been cut out of her mouth. The zebra let out a quiet gurgle and collapsed on the ground. The two mares stood in shock. Busy shoppers dropped their bags as they stared at Zecora on the ground. A police officer galloped over to Zecora, reaching out to feel her pulse. “She’s gone,” he said. “Wait…” The officer noticed a piece of string tied around the corpse’s neck. He gingerly untied it and picked up the note attached to it. “I told you ponies to keep out of my forest,” he read aloud. “It was them, officer!” shouted a mare, pointing at Emerald and Sapphire. “What proof do you have!?” yelled Sapphire unexpectedly. Emerald saw her friend’s eye twitch, and it looked as though it had changed color again; this time to a bright, fluorescent yellow. Another mare stepped forward. “I saw them leaving the forest not long ago. They killed Zecora!” The officer stood up. “Girls, come with me.” The three ponies walked around the corner into a dark alleyway. “Girls, I don’t have any proof that you did this,” said the police officer. “so I’m going to let you go for now. I suggest you go home and lay low for a while. The townsfolk have you pinned up for two murders already. If this happens a third time, there’s no telling what ponies might do.” “Got it,” said Emerald. The officer left them alone in the dark, dirty alley. Emerald and Sapphire immediately made a beeline for the library. They burst in without knocking, scaring Twilight so much that she shot a bolt of lightning at them, missing them by inches. “Goodness me, girls,” Twilight said breathlessly. “Don’t do that!” The two mares took no notice of the dangerous spell. “Twilight,” Emerald said. “Zecora’s dead.” “Dear, sweet Celestia,” mumbled Twilight. “Poor Zecora. I’m going to miss her so much.” “We will too, Twilight,” said Sapphire. Twilight sadly shook her head. “Well, at least tell me she told you something useful.” “We figured out two things,” Emerald said. “The killer only attacks ponies who enter the forest. If you stay out, you’re safe.” “What else?” asked Twilight, brushing away a tear. “The killer likely lives somewhere in Ponyville,” replied Sapphire. “So one of the stallions in Ponyville is a murderer, but as long as you don’t go into the forest, you’ll be alright,” Twilight concluded. “That’s pretty much all we know,” Emerald said. Twilight wiped her eyes again. “Did Zecora at least die peacefully?” Emerald uneasily shifted from hoof to hoof. “For your sake, I won’t go into detail. Let’s just say somepony was sick of her rhymes.”
Chapter 16 – Growing Up in a Dangerous WorldThe two mares headed back to their apartment and sat around for a while, thinking about the morning’s events. Two murders in four days. It was the sort of thing that ponies only saw in nightmares. Emerald half-expected to wake up in her bed in Canterlot, with her parents by her side. But deep down, she knew that wasn’t going to happen. The girls went to Sugarcube Corner later that day to see Mrs. Cake. She had apparently gone for a walk, while Pinkie stayed at the shop to look after the fatherless twins. Pinkie said that it was “early days, but Mrs. Cake’s slowly getting better.” They stayed at the shop for quite some time, playing with the twins. By the time they left, the sun was setting in the horizon. The friends arrived home to find Slash waiting in the hallway for them. “Hey, girls!” said Slash eagerly. “I rented some records, so we can partay!” ‘You obviously haven’t heard the news,” said Sapphire flatly. “What news?” asked Slash, his smile wiped from his face. “The zebra that lives in the forest, Zecora,” Emerald explained. “She’s dead.” “Wow,” Slash muttered. “I’ve got no idea what to say.” The three ponies stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. “Well, are you two still up for dinner?” Slash asked. “I’ll have to pass, buddy,” said Sapphire. “I’m gonna have a shower and hit the hay.” She turned to enter the apartment. “You two should spend some time together. You seem to enjoy each other’s company.” Sapphire waved goodbye and left Slash and Emerald alone in the hallway. “So, dinner at mine?” asked Slash. “You’re persistent, aren’t you?” Emerald laughed. “I hope you can cook!” The two ponies walked into Slash’s apartment. Emerald looked around the room. It was quite a nice apartment, significantly nicer than her own. However, Emerald couldn’t help but be a bit disturbed by the number of axes and animal trophies hanging on the walls. “What’s with all the axes and stuffed animals?” Emerald asked. “I told you, I’m a lumberjack,” Slash replied. “And I used to go hunting with my father when I was little.” Slash gestured towards a large, comfortable looking sofa. “Take a seat, I’ll get dinner ready.” Emerald sat down on the sofa. She took a magazine from the coffee table and read it while Slash prepared dinner. Half an hour later, the meals were ready at the table. Slash took a bottle of wine from a cupboard and poured two glasses. “Oh, I’m not a fan of wine,” Emerald said hurriedly. “Have you ever tried it?” asked Slash, with a smirk. “Well, no,” Emerald admitted. “But I guess I’ll try anything once!” Emerald walked over to the table and sat down opposite from Slash. She picked up her glass and held it over the table. Slash did the same. “To Mr. Cake and Zecora, wherever they may be!” Emerald said. Emerald and Slash clinked their glasses and took a drink. “Mmm, I wouldn’t rush out and buy a bottle, but this wine is alright!” Emerald said. “It tends to taste better when somepony else pays for it.” Slash remarked.”
Chapther One - Emerald Fire“Your train is leaving in ten minutes, dear. Are you sure you’re going to make it?” “Yes, mum, I’ll make it in time.” The young pony said goodbye to her parents, picked up her saddlepack and walked out into the front yard. “Emerald!” yelled the pony’s father. “Be careful, have fun and good luck!” “I will, Dad! I love you!” shouted Emerald. She took off into the sky and her parents watched their pegasus daughter fly off across Canterlot towards the train station in the city center. Emerald Fire was still young, but she had wanted to get out of home ever since she got her cutie mark. She had always loved playing with fire. One night, while her parents were asleep, she went down to the living room and started playing with matches. The following chaos could have destroyed the house and ended the lives of everypony inside, but Emerald managed to put out the fire herself, saving her parents and their house. Mr. and Mrs. Fire had no idea until the next morning, when they went downstairs only to find a blackened living room and Emerald sleeping on the floor; a burning pile of sticks emblazoned on her flank. Emerald had been asked to come down to Ponyville and work as a firefighter, a job that she gladly accepted. She didn’t have any friends in Canterlot because she didn’t like their posh, uptight attitudes. She was a country girl at heart, even if she had lived in the city all her life. Emerald made it to the train station with only seconds to spare. She flew through the train’s door, crashing into the cabin wall. She gave her ticket to the conductor and stumbled off to find a seat. The entire train was full of very important looking ponies, who were headed to some sort of art show in Ponyville. Emerald decided these were not the sort of ponies she wanted to be around, so she headed for the back of the train to find an empty compartment.
Chapter Four - Start of Something WonderfulThe two ponies left the train and looked around their new surroundings. Emerald had never seen Ponyville before and the town had changed quite a bit since Sapphire had last been. “So where are you staying?” asked Emerald. “Oh, I’m rooming with Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner until I find a place of my own,” answered Sapphire. “Won’t that be a bit crowded?” asked Emerald. “Maybe, but I don’t have anywhere else to go,” muttered Sapphire. Emerald thought for a moment. The fire chief had given her a two-bedroom apartment behind the fire station to ensure her place at the department. “You know what?” Emerald said. “You do have somewhere to go! You are going to come live with me!” “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asked Sapphire. “We’ve only known each other for an hour!” “Yes, Sapphire, I am sure,” replied Emerald. “There are two bedrooms and I only take up one.” “I don’t know, Emerald,” muttered Sapphire. Emerald turned to her new friend. “Some company would be nice.”
Chapter Five – Meet and Greet… and Eat CakeThe two new friends flew upstairs and came to a stop in a hallway. They had seen apartments in Canterlot with hundreds of rooms, but this building simply consisted of a tiny lobby, and two rooms upstairs. The whole building was eerily quiet. “2A,” said Emerald. “I guess this one’s ours.” The two ponies entered the room only to see around 50 ponies crammed into their living room. “Surprise!” yelled an excited pony. “I’m Pinkie Pie and I threw this party just for you!” “Wow,” said Sapphire under her breath. “And I was going to room with her.” Pinkie explained to Emerald why she had thrown the party. She didn’t make her explanation very clear, but Emerald and Sapphire got the idea. The fire chief had obviously asked Pinkie Pie to throw the party for Emerald, and Pinkie planned on bringing Sapphire anyway. They both talked to everypony at the party; even Fluttershy gathered up the courage to talk. However, when Applejack commented on how similar Fluttershy and Sapphire looked, Fluttershy ran out of the building, screaming, “Evil twin! Help!” A few hours later, all the party guests had left. Emerald and Sapphire were finally alone in their new apartment. “That was a great party!” Emerald said. “Pinkie Pie knows her stuff.” Sapphire laughed. “I don’t know where she found that DJ, but I’m hiring her for my wedding!” Emerald chuckled as she took some bits out of her luggage. “Can you fly down to the store and grab some food for the next couple of days?” she asked. “Just the essentials. I’ve got tomorrow off, so I’ll do more shopping then. While you’re gone, I’ll unpack everything and set the place up.” Sapphire took the money and left the apartment. Emerald was about to begin unpacking when Sapphire poked her head in the doorway. “Thanks for letting me stay, Emerald,” said Sapphire. “I owe you one.” As Sapphire left, Emerald smiled. She knew that she had picked a good roommate.
Chapter Seven – Day One in PonyvilleEmerald Fire woke up and looked around the apartment for her roommate. In the kitchen she found a note addressed to her. It read, “Dear Emerald, I needed to meet Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner to get the run-down of the town and what I can do around the place. That’s where I’ll be if you need me. It’s not far from here. PS: Your breakfast is in the fridge. I hope you like eggs.” Emerald smiled and walked over to the fridge. She got her breakfast and sat down at the table. “Well, Sapphire,” she said. “you came here to make ponies smile. You’ve done a good job so far.” Emerald decided that she would go and see Sapphire and thank her for the breakfast. Along the way however, she saw a familiar face; Slash. He was wearing the same clothes as the night before and he was headed towards the Everfree Forest with an axe strapped to his back. As he walked, a low hanging branch pulled his beanie off his head. Emerald was surprised to see that he was completely bald. “Unusual, but each to his own, I guess,” thought Emerald. Slash quickly put his hat back on and hastily trotted towards the forest. He hadn’t seen Emerald. She shrugged and walked off. When she got to Sugarcube Corner, she bumped into an older pony coming out of the store. “Oh, I’m sorry,” said Emerald. “It’s quite alright, dear,” replied the mare. Two ponies Emerald recognized walked out of the store moments later. One was Pinkie Pie, the other was Sapphire. “Sapphire, where are you off to?” asked Emerald. “Walk with us,” she replied. “Mrs. Cake here will explain.” Mrs. Cake explained how Mr. Cake had gone for a walk the night before, and how he hadn’t returned. The three ponies were headed out to look for him. The four mares searched the town high and low all day. They asked everypony they saw if they had seen Mr. Cake, but nopony had. Mrs. Cake was getting desperate. “It’ll be okay, Mrs. Cake,” said Sapphire. “We’ll head back to the shop and contact the police later.” As the group walked along the edge of town towards Sugarcube Corner, something caught Emerald’s eye. She trotted over to the edge of the Everfree Forest to figure out what she had seen. As she approached one of the trees, she found what had caught her eye. Nothing that she had experienced in her entire life could prepare her for what was in front of her.
Chapter Ten – Myths and LegendsEmerald and Sapphire headed for the library. As they flew over the busy marketplace, shoppers stared up at them. Flying pegasi gave them a wide berth, looking anxiously at the pair. Emerald was fuming. “I’ve never felt this angry in my life!” she muttered. “How can they accuse us? Have you ever been this angry?” she asked. Sapphire thought. “Once, when I was little, I got so angry that I screamed uncontrollably for days. I can’t even remember why.” The two pegasi finally made it to the library. They found Twilight Sparkle sitting on her balcony reading a book. She was facing away from the pair and clearly couldn’t see them coming. They landed behind Twilight and walked over to her. Sapphire tapped her on the shoulder. In an instant, Twilight suddenly swung the book around in a wide arc towards the two mares. Emerald ducked under the swiftly moving hoof, but Sapphire wasn’t so quick. The book hit her square in the jaw, knocking her to the ground. As she groggily got to her feet, Emerald inspected her friend’s face. Her mouth was bleeding, and for a short moment, Emerald thought that Sapphire’s eyes had gone a darker shade of green. “Oh my Celestia, I’m so sorry!” Twilight frantically said. “I didn’t even know you were there until you touched me!” “It’s okay, Twilight,” said Sapphire with an annoyed tone. “It’s normal for you to be a bit jumpy, considering the recent events.” “Come in, I’ll get some ice for your jaw,” said Twilight. She turned to Emerald. “I assume you two are here for a reason.” “Well, with the town hating us and all, we thought it best to try and find the real culprit,” said Emerald. “Since we don’t have any leads, we thought we’d do some research on legends regarding the forest.” Twilight frowned. “I don’t like that idea, Emerald. But since I have no reason not to trust you, I’ll help in any way I can.” “Uh, Twilight?” Sapphire said. “Right, the ice!” Twilight pointed over to a nearby bookshelf. “Have a look over there.”
Chapter Twelve – A Visit from a FriendEmerald sat on her couch, her eyes scanning the text in front of her. Images of the Everfree Slasher and Mr. Cake’s remains swirled around in her mind, morphing together in a twisted reenactment. Meanwhile, Sapphire thought about her troubled past. Trying to link together the story from the book and the story she knew. Her train of thought quickly derailed as she sank deeper into her hot bath. Emerald was startled by a knock at the door. She quickly slid the book under the couch. “Who is it?” she called out. “It’s Slash,” called her visitor. “It’s open!” Emerald shouted. Slash came in, holding a box of chocolates. “Thought I’d bring you something to cheer you up,” he said quietly. Emerald walked over to Slash and gave him a hug. “Thanks, Slash! You didn’t have to do this,” Emerald said. “No, I had to. You see, I heard the rumors-” Slash explained. Emerald butted in. “Not surprised, buddy. Everypony else has.” “Yeah, but I wanted you to know that I don’t believe them,” Slash said. “Are you telling me that you’re on my side?” Emerald asked cynically. “Yes, Emerald. I’m on your side. You seem like a really nice mare, and I know Sapphire wouldn’t do such a thing,” Slash said, sitting down. “Where is she, by the way?” “In the bath,” Emerald said. “Thanks, too. Not many ponies trust us at the moment. It’s nice to know somepony does.” Emerald gave Slash a long hug. At that exact moment, Sapphire walked in, wrapped in a towel. “Emerald, look at you!” Sapphire teased. “You’re growing up so fast!” Emerald stuck her tongue out at Sapphire. Slash rolled his eyes. Slash stood up. “I’d better be going, girls. Enjoy those chocolates. Good to see you too, Sapphire.” “I will, Slash. See you!” Emerald said. Sapphire frowned. “You mean ‘we’ will! Good to see you too, Slash.” Slash waved goodbye and left the apartment, walking directly across the hall to his own home. “So what was that about?” asked Sapphire. “He was just trying to cheer me up. Nothing more,” Emerald replied firmly. “Believe me, Emma,” Sapphire laughed. “It’s always something more.”
