Chapters Prologue - Nopony To Help You
Midnight. The dead hour. The time that everypony is so asleep...they seem to be nonliving. Sometimes, the death comes to reality. That pony that was asleep, stayed asleep. Death is such an unpredictable thing. It takes who and what it wants, when it wants. It consumes the lives of ponies, innocent, and guilty. The only difference is, it sometimes uses the guilty pony. And when somepony is wandering out, lost, trying to find a way...
Death closes in on them...
And takes their soul for itself...
It was almost pitch black. Dim lights lit the dark lonely dirt roads of an abandoned village off the side of Ponyville. They were barely enough, for a young mare, coat white as snow and mane red as blood, running down the streets...lost, trying to find a way. She panted heavily as she stopped to take a breather. Her eyes widened when she heard slow hoofsteps behind her, closing in on her. She turned back and gasped as she saw a stallion in a grey hood. His coat was brown like leather, and his mane the color of rich soil. As he approached closer, a large object held between the stallions teeth, was glistening in the light. It was a huge kitchen knife. The mare knew what was coming. A surge of pure fright flew through her body like a shockwave, as her mind directed her to run.
But little did she know, that when death is to claim a victim, it doesn't allow for it to be outsmarted. The mind deceived the innocent mare, leading her to trip on a rock in the road. She fell down, impaling part of the rock into her front hoof. She moaned and started crying as she knew her fate was determined. The stallion walked up to her slowly, and when he got to her, he stepped over her. He leaned down to her ear.
"I would normally stop to have some fun with a mare like you..." he said. His voice was low, and raspy. It sent a feeling of hopelessness, as the mare knew his intentions. "You have a lot to be proud off," the stallion said slowly as he sent his hoof slowly across the mare's private areas. "but you know, sometimes...sometimes we can't do what we want, and we have to skip things." he got his knife ready. "We have to make the sacrifice, because we have a tight schedule." the stallion paused for a moment. "But guess what?" The mare looked up at him slowly, a feeling of uneasiness surging through her mind as the blood in her veins pulsated hastily. With every beat of her heart, her fear became more intense. The stallion opened his mouth to speak again. "You my dear...get to be my helper, my warning to the rest of Equestria." he stooped down and gave the mare a gentle kiss on the lips. "May Celestia bless this gift."
With no further ado, the stallion swept the knife across her arm, and then her next. The knife cut through the mare's muscle fibers and skin like thin fabric. The mare screamed in pain. Blood pored out of the wounds like a fountain. The stallion jabbed the knife in and out of the mares rib cage. Blood spurting out with each impalement. The mare couldn't find the strength to voice her pain anymore. Her vision went blurry, it was hard to breath. As her blood was absorbed by the dirt, the knife was cutting more, allowing for more blood to break free from it's imprisonment. Tears streamed from the mare's eyes as her blood level hastily decreased, and her lungs flooded with it. She coughed up blood with what little breath she could manage to get.
"Need some help with that?" the stallion suggested. He went down once more and licked the blood off her lips.
"One for the money..." he said. He slammed the knife into the mares foreleg so hard that it broke the bone apart.
"Two for the show..." The mare screamed as the knife was forced down on her other foreleg.
"Three to get ready..." the stallion said again. He went down to the forelegs and used the knife like a hacksaw.
"And four to go!" he finished. The mare screamed as her last leg was torn off, and with that, the stallion slit her throat.
And he let her die...slowly, and painfully. Being drowned in her own blood. Suffocating from the lack of air. Tasting the wretched taste of iron in her tongue, as her life slowly passed from her. The stallion left a note on the ground beside the mare, and ran off.
About a few minutes later, a newly met couple walked down the road to see a mutilated corpse.
"So how about tomor---what the buck?!" the stallion of the couple said.
"What is..." the mare started. She stopped when the corpse filled her vision. "Dear Celestia..."
"We need to call PVPD..." the stallion said. He tugged the mare and they ran to the Ponyville Police Department.
"Now all I have to do is wait for my next victim to come..." the stallion said, concealed behind a couple of bushes nearby. With that statement, he left.
Chapter One - The Notification
June 14th, Monday
Ponyville Police Department
Twilight Sparkle was rummaging through some papers about random 'junk' as she considered it, having to do with various classified information that could be considered as having a way to stalk somepony. If she ever complained about this issue however, she would always get a dull, 'We can find other ponies to do your job if you don't like it.' Twilight knew they couldn't fire her, but they would. She didn't want that, so after the first complaint, she dropped the issue.
Twilight had five other friends, you could call them besties, but only one of them worked with her normally in PVPD. She had a white coat, and a curled up violet mane. Her name was Rarity. Twilight was purple, with a mane that was purple, with a streak of magneta and pink. Rarity usually helped her with investigations. Twilight was the head of all that went on in an investigation. She got so many different analysis's, it was hard to count them all. But in the end, she got the case done. She was a very good detective.
No major cases had ever come into PVPD. Twilight was sort of bored. All they did was gun drills and investigate mass apple stealings. In which the suspect once charged would go to jail. Today, however, Twilight had a strange feeling that it was going to be different.
Given that Twilight was working with the mare, her and Rarity got along very well, and grew a stronger bond of friendship. Twilight would share her problems, and Rarity would share hers, and they would make everything work out. If they disagreed, they made it possible to do something that they could both agree on. They rarely got mad at each other, in fact they never did get mad at each other. They were very, very good friends.
"Hey, Rarity?" Twilight said, her questioning tone indicating she wanted to talk about something.
"Yes, darling?" Rarity said. She had a thing about calling everypony 'darling.' She and Twilight both hoped that a stallion wouldn't misinterpret that term.
"I've had this strange feeling all day..." Twilight continued. "like something's going to happen, and we could actually do some real investigating."
"Well for our sake's and our pay, I hope that feeling is as correct as Pinkie sense." Rarity said. She paused for a minute. "Sadly, there is no term of 'Twilight sense.' So, darling, I hate to rain on your parade but it seems that unless you have some strange natural twitching that will predict the future, nothing is going to---"
"Attention everypony!" A voice rang out through the building. Everypony was immediately hushed. "Bad news for Ponyville, and good new for your pay..." it was a mare. She was the one that did the announcements obviously. Her name was Samantha Rose. Officials called her Ms. Rose, friends called her Sam, and others called her Rose. She continued to speak. "A violent murder has been committed today on the outskirts of Ponyville. The victim's name was Tulip Top. She was brutally murdered, having multiple wounds of stabbing, and..." She stared at the report. "The victims...forelegs and hind legs were cut off and broken...a note was left stating that the killer would be back, saying that the 'penalty' will come and that this is only a warning." Everypony stared in awe.
"Is this a joke?!" One pony asked.
"No!" Rose replied. "This was a full written report by the Solar Bureau of Investigations! There is NO WAY they could be joking with this!"
Twilight stood up to speak. "How did this get to the Solar Empires police force so quickly? Does the Lunar Intelligence Agency have any knowledge of it?"
"Let's just say, things like this spread quickly." Rose responded. "Lunar Intelligence Agency is looking into it right now. They said if we could get some tiny evidence, they could start working from it. They also promised to send two investigators."
Twilight nodded her head and sat down.
"Any other questions?" Rose asked, looking around. No hooves. "Alright, lets get this case started!"
~*'+'*~
Twilight and Rarity went to Sweet Apple acres to visit Applejack, their earth pony friend. This investigation was a big one, and each of the friends had their part to play in it. They may have not worked there, but they sure as Tartarus could've been considered veterans. Applejack was orange with a very bright brown mane. She had three freckles on each side of her face. She worked on an apple farm, harvesting red, green, golden delicious, and zap apples. Probably more, they had so many food items they could make of apples, it was practically unbelievable. In fact for every new one, they got a huge sum of bits in reward. The apple family would have been rich, but they only take one fourth of the pay. They still ended up with a good sum of money, with the unfinishable and infinite list of apple products.
However, aside of apples and whatnot, Applejack was a great observer. She knew how to find details that will help a case. Whether it be deepness of an incision, time of death compared to the corpses rotting and rate of rotting. Many details as such. She was never really needed until now.
Applejack noticed her friends coming over the horizon. She took off her hat and shouted, "Howdy there Twilight n' Rarity. Itsa surpise to see yall here, how's ya' doin'?"
"We are doing fine, darling." Rarity responded. She and Twilight looked very important. Police badges, suits, and ties. They looked like professionals, yet they were trying to get another one.
"What brings y'all here?" Applejack asked. She looked at Twilight.
"We are here to call for help on something very important." Twilight responded. She held up picture of the mutilated corpse, papercliped to the ID of the victim. "A murder has happened...it was very brutal. This mare by the name of Tulip Top, was murdered and stabbed to death. Recent autopsy reports have said that her limbs were cut off when she was alive. They also found a trace of saliva on her lips, mixed in with the victims blood. We only know that the killer is a bloodthirsty cannibal, and we need you to help us find out who it is."
Applejack's face was filled with horror. "A murder...in Ponyville?" She asked slowly. Twilight and Rarity slowly nodded in unison. "I gotta tell the rest of'em at Sweet Apple Acres." Applejack said. She ran to the farm to tell everypony the news of the event. As she was running she shouted, "I'll be comin' back y'all! Don't worry!"
Chapter Two - Natural Talents
Twilight and Rarity had gotten Applejack after she gave a temporary farewell speech to her family. They were going to get the rest of the mane six. They were a former police force, but...things happened. In a friendship, there will be disputes. For some, these disputes are minor, and quickly reach compromise. Yet, for some, it happens to become a grudge. For these six friends, it was a bit more complex. A mass apple stealing case had happened, and the pony never got caught. They all blamed each other for it, on the exception of Twilight and Rarity. This separated them. They eventually got back together, but the police group itself was forever disbanded, leaving only Twi and Rarity.
Applejack grouped back up with Twilight and Rarity with some gear on. She had a vest on, with various observation tools. Magnifying glass, syringe, and other tools of such.
"I'm ready." AJ said. "We gonna get the rest of the ponies?" She looked at Twilight and Rarity. They both nodded. "A'itey then, lets get goin'!"
The three made their way up a dirt road leading to a cottage surrounded by bird houses, picnic tables, and an overwhelming amount of living creatures. It was beside the Everfree Forest, and it was a perfect environment for about every known animal. Including marine life. The pony that lived here was an expert on maintaining biological organisms in every way. Her kindness was so persuasive it could change the darkest of hearts.
Twilight made her way up to the door, Rarity and Applejack trailed behind. She knocked on it twice. A yellow pony with a pink mane opened the door.
"Hello?" she said. Her voice was soft, so soft it seemed to be able to soothe minds of stress. Just the comforting sound of her voice was enough to make somepony feel peace inside. She looked up at Twilight. "Oh! Twilight, come in, Rarity and Applejack, you can come too." The three made their way into the yellow ponies house. "What brings you all here?" she asked.
"Fluttershy..." Twilight said slowly. "we are here with urgent news." She slowly pulled out the papers. "A pony by the name of Tulip Top was murdered yesterday...brutally." Twilight held the same picture and ID to Fluttershy as she did to Applejack. The image struck pure horror into Fluttershy's face. "She was stabbed multiple times in the chest, autopsy reports say that her limbs were severed with blunt knives or saws, while she was alive. A note was left by the killer saying that he or she will be back." Fluttershy's eyes dilated in fright. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her eyes started to tear up.
"Wh-why would somepony do this?" she asked, tears falling from her eyes. She started to cry, but Twilight stopped her.
"Fluttershy, don't cry. That's what we are going to find out. All of us, and without somepony with a gift of kindness such as yours, we couldn't. We are getting the group back together, despite what happened three years ago." Twilight said. Fluttershy looked up.
"R-really?" she stuttered softly.
"Yes, really." Twilight replied with a smile. Fluttershy smiled.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked. "Let's get the others!"
~*'+'*~
The four ponies now made their way to a poofy cloud house. The pony that lived there, was the most loyal in Equestria, and she was best with the Special Weapons And Tactics, otherwise known as S.W.A.T. She was the pony to handle combat, and assault operations. Most importantly, she put everypony above herself. If in a burning building, she would get everypony out, before herself. Nopony left behind.
Twilight asked Fluttershy to fly up and get her. Fluttershy proceeded to fly up, and she knocked on the door. There was some talking, a sigh, and the two came down. The mare that came out, had a rainbow mane, and a teal coat.
"What is it Twilight?" She asked with a dull tone.
"We need you to come back to the team." Twilight said. "It's urgent and---" Twilight was interrupted.
"You want me to join that pile of bull-crap team?" the mare asked.
"Rainbow Dash, let me finish---"
"No, that's it no, you know what happened and I---"
"There has been a murder!" Twilight shouted in fury. Rainbow Dash stopped talking.
"Is this some kind of cruel joke?" she asked.
"No, Dash." Twilight said. She held up the picture and ID. "Subject's name was Tulip Top, she was brutally murdered yesterday night, her body shows signs of multiple stab wounds to the chest. Her limbs were severed while she was alive. Do you think this was a bucking joke? No! This happened! And if you're going to be as good as you think our team is, then this murderer might as well rape and mutilate everypony, all because Rainbow Dash thought the solution was a pile of bull-crap!" Sweat was coming from Twi's mane as she breathed heavily from all the anger she had just expressed.
"Murder...In Ponyville...in Equestria?" Dash asked. Her eyes went wide. "I apologize, just tell me where I need to go and what I need to do, forget what I said about the team, if anymore murder happens in this town, it's going to be me killing this guy or girl or whatever it is!"
"Dash, calm down, we can have Pinkie take care of that." Twilight said. Everypony went silent.
"Pinkie...are you sure we should have Pinkie?" Applejack asked. Everypony else looked at each other and back to Twilight. Pinkie was different than all of the other ponies. She was a happy-go-lucky, Pink pony who always loved to have fun. But when she was in the police force, she knew how to take care of ponies. How to get them to talk. Just with stealing apples, she thought of some pretty cruel things. Nopony could imagine what she would do with a murder like this.
"Pinkie will ensure a correct punishment for this miserable ass." Twilight said. "I believe we couldn't do the interrogation without her."
"Well, I guess you c'd say that." Applejack said slowly. She looked at all the other ponies, who all nodded in agreement.
"Well, let's go get her." Twilight said.
~*'+'*~
They approached Sugarcube Corner. It wasn't very crowded, just a couple of ponies there. They were all eating cupcakes and sweets of sorts. Pinkie was hopping around serving everypony with a big smile on her face. Her smile slowly faded when the five of the mane six came into the shop.
"Hi guys." she said. "What brings you here?" In order to avoid another reaction like Rainbow Dash's, Twilight held up the picture and ID and said bluntly,
"This, and we need your help." Pinkie stared at the picture. What was left of the smile on her face, disappeared as it was replaced with a furious expression.
"Who did this..." she asked. "Who did this?!" She had a glass cup in her hoof. She threw it down, shattering it and capturing everypony's attention. "I swear I'll make this pony die slowly and painfully and---" Pinkie stopped when she saw all of the frightened expressions. "Finish you're food people! You heard me! This place is closing down!" Everypony got their food and left as Pinkie switched the sign to 'closed.'
"Where do we start?" Pinkie asked.