Chapter 1: Sad Memories
I stare at the building ahead of me as all sorts of memories of all types flow through my mind, and I land on the one from the very beginning of my new life. Well, it's not really new anymore but I'm still trying to put the puzzle together. I remember the exact date. June twenty-seventh, nineteen eighty-five, Saturday morning. I dream of meeting the characters that all my friends have talked about for years, and that was the day that my dreams will come true. My mom, a beautiful mare with the finest of blood red manes with a bright blue coat peered in the doorway leading to my room. Heck, even then I awoke from the softest whisper. Rainbow Dash's hoof steps can be heard as I wake up with a slight groan.
"Wake up sleepy head." my mother whispered. "Today's the day."
I slowly rose from my bed as I opened my eyes. Even from how miserable I was from not being able to sleep, I managed a slight smile. My mother looked at me with a face that I'll never forget. The face of caring, trust, and excitement all at once.
"Is everything alright?" she asked in a hushed voice just loud enough for Rainbow Dash to hear.
"I'm sure she's fine mom. She's just exited!" said my sister in a loud voice that broke the peace in the small cottage made of cloud.
"I'm fine, except that I couldn't sleep." I responded, trying to ignore Rainbow Dash's response.
"I guess that's a fine enough alibi to have breakfast in bed." said mom with a smirk on her face. She leaned over and gave me a kiss between my ears, on my REALLY bright red mane. No where near as dark as hers. At that moment I got a real good look at her bright purple eyes. They look just like mine but with more of a pink color. She turned as if to go out my door, but instead calls my sister's name.
"Rainbow!" she yelled.
"Yeah mom?!" Rainbow half groaned half shouted from the kitchen.
"Do you mind bringing your sister a bowl of oatmeal?" she said in a quieter voice.
"Sure." Rainbow muttered.
I could hear the sound of cupboards opening and closing. Then I heard the oatmeal going into a bowl, about to be served to a sister who felt in need of having a warm bowl of fresh oatmeal with a bit of sweat apple spice sprinkled on top. I heard hoof steps at the same time I heard rainbow Dash murmuring words that I don't quite remember.
She set the warm bowl of oatmeal on my lap and they both walked out. I stuffed myself full, saving room for lots of pizza later on. I rushed downstairs into the kitchen, put the leftovers in the fridge, grabbed my fur coat, and rush out the front door. I was headed to a local trading post in Cloudsdale to trade some timber wolf bark for four gold bits. I took the bits back home, hoping they would be worth a round or two in games and rides. By the way the place sounded, my favorite character was Luna because she would sometimes sing adult songs when the children weren't there. My favorite, "Darkest Nights". I still remember the lyrics.
In present time I start to whisper "Darkest Nights".
I believe I'm singing this song towards the pizzeria that's still in front of me.
"Of all the darkest nights, and all the darkest times, I think this is the day at this moment in time. Run, run far away from that place. That place that you will face."
To me it feels like it's saying I should run far away from my current position. But to where?
"For you will not live nor die in peace"
I'm done now and my mind is set back on the memory of the day I lost my sister, my life, my joy. I went back home and we pretty much left for the train as soon as we got saddle bags packed. On the train, Dash and I played a game of eye spy out the window. It only took about three minutes to get to Ponyville. We asked an old towns folk for directions.
"Three blocks to the north, then take a right. Keep going 'till you see the sweets shoppe. Take a left and you'll be living a world of joy." said the stallion.
We followed his directions exactly until we see the pizzeria to our far left. Me and Rainbow didn't hesitate before we were flying full speed and looking through the window.
"It's so awesome in there!" I said, our faces smooshed against the glass.
We rushed inside without any word from mom. We took a seat at a red booth with a black and white checkered table. Mom walked in and found us immediately in the front row of seats. She joined us right as soon as the waitress came by.
"Welcome to Celestia and Luna's Pizza. My name is Starlight. Are you ready to order?" said the kind mare alicorn with a purple coat, yellow irises and a sparkling magenta mane.
"Why yes, we would like the meat lovers special. And for drink we'll all have Apple family cider." said mom.
"It will come very shortly. Let the foals enjoy the singing princess characters, while adults may go into the party cove. Have a nice day!" said Starlight.
"You too." Rainbow Dash said back.
"I'm going to go to the party cove. You two stay safe."
"Ok." we both reply at once.
If our mom would've known better she wouldn't have gone into the party cove because me and Dash always got into trouble.
Since no children were around, accept for me and Rainbow, which we were technically teens, Luna started to sing the adult songs that my friends told me about. While I was listening to music, Rainbow Dash slipped away. I went to look for her, but when I reached the employees only door, there was an awful smell. It smelled like blood and mucus. I never saw her since.
Chapter 2: Breaking The Rules
Chapter 2: Breaking The Rules
I shake my head so I can get rid of the thought of losing my sister at this place. I walk up to the building that stands in front of me once again as it did a couple of years ago. I have to fight back the tears. The place looks newer. On the front there's a sign that says "NEW CHARACTERS FOR YOUR CHILDREN TO LOVE! Featuring: The elements of harmony!" I pan through the rest of the page that says what different elements there are.
I pull open the door, trying hard not to hesitate at the sight of the table that me and Dash sat at. There's a curtain covering the new poniatronics on the stage. Next to the stage is an audition stand with no pony at it. The paper says that an employee will look at the pamphlet at ten. I sign my name in a scribble like form then write it out normally. There's a whole bunch of questions like, Will you take this job seriously? YES Will you murder a civilian? NO Are you reading over this pamphlet carefully? YES and so on.
I wait until about ten when a tan stallion with ice blue eyes and dark brown mane and tail sits at the table. He shoots me a glare then looks at the papers. He nods in approval at a few, and at the rest he just makes an ugly face. When he gets to mine his eyes go wide and he grows a smile. He looks up at me.
"Lightning Strike." he said. "You got the job!"
He opens up his fore legs and I run towards him and put a tight grip around him.
"Thank you so much!" I say trying to hide my disappointment that I have to work at the very place my sister went missing, maybe even died!
"Your shift during day starts tomorrow at six in the morning. You end at twelve." he says letting go of me.
"My name is Red Tail by the way."
"I'll keep that in mind." I say as I walk out of the torturous building.
I remember the blood and mucus smells from last time. I wait until I don't see Red Tail through the window anymore, and I open the door and sneak in. I turn the corner when I become face to face with an enemy base, ready to be explored. The door still rots but it's too dark to see inside. I grab a flashlight from a nearby table. It must have been left by the stallion. The door makes a small screech when I open it. I close the door behind me immediately and I press the button on the flashlight.
The sight I see makes me gag really hard. Five bloody foals laying on the floor lifeless with a golden Celestia suit. Next to the suit lays a kitchen knife with dried blood covering it from top to bottom. I have to report this, but how? Without getting in trouble and losing my job. In the very back of the room I see a row of four old poniatronics all ripped apart. One is a Celestia that's missing an eye and a fore arm, a Luna missing a face and a tail, and two royal guards both missing half of an exoskeleton.
"W-w-w-w-What the heck is this?" I say frightened by my find.
I trip on a skeleton at least two years old. Which would explain why I smelled the rotting body awhile back. Defiantly not Rainbow Dash's because this one is far too small for her. This makes me worry a little less that my sister might still be alive. I doubt. Even though I should still have hope for her still being alive. At this point I decide to rush to Canterlot and tell Celestia about the murdering. I take the flashlight and slam the door shut after I ram it open. Not caring at any time what for property I'm breaking or if any pony sees me run out of the doors. I stop for a little to collect my thoughts then fly as fast as I can without dropping the flashlight, into Canterlot and to the castle.
"Celestia!" I shout as I fly through the gates of the castle not caring of who's on my pursuit. I land at her feet and quickly explain what happened.
"I was at Celestia and Luna's Pizza and I went into the employees only room because I'm an employee and I'm very curious but when I opened the door there was a terrible smell so I got a flashlight and I saw five dead foals, a golden Celestia with a kitchen knife, a two year old skeleton, old poniatronics that are all torn apart an-"
"Wait a second." interrupted the princess. "Five dead foals and a kitchen knife!?" I nod. "I need to send in officers now!"
"There she is! Get her!" yells a guard.
"Wait! she had a great need to come here."
The guards all stop at once.
"She has found evidence of a murder in Celestia and Luna's Pizza."
Chapter 3: The Investigation
Chapter 3: The Investigation
"A murder? At Celestia and Luna's? No, this can't be true!" says the white and blue guard.
"Yes Nightingale. A murder has taken place this year and two years ago. Witness!"
"Yeah." I reply.
"What is your name?"
"My name is Lightning Strike."
"I'm Commander Nightingale, and this is Sargent Night Lock." says the white and blue one.
Night Lock is a handsome stallion pegasus with red eyes, a white coat, and a yellow mane and tail.
"Send in the low officers. They need some real things to do."
"Yes sir!" says the Sargent and he gallops down the hallway into a police unit headquarters. I hear him gathering officers together in the room. I guess work for today was cancelled.
Me and Celestia walk together all the way into Ponyville. Boy was that a long walk. My hooves now aching from the walk are feeling numb and I need to take a break. I wonder why every pony is making such a huge deal out of the murder. I guess it's because stuff like this never happens at all. My hooves are feeling better and I can go on. At this point we're at the sweets shoppe, not to far away from the destination. I don't know what will happen to the pizzeria after the investigation. Wait, I now put together part of the puzzle. The murderer has some sort of connection with this place. Maybe the murderer had an unhappy moment in Celestia and Luna's Pizza and wanted revenge. But for what?
We have arrived at the place, looks the same as always just its flooding with officers from Canterlot.
"Show us the way Lightning Strike." demands Celestia.
"This way." I say as I point towards the front door. I get inside and turn the corner.
"Aw that reaks!" says an officer.
"Commander, you go in first!"
"Hey! Don't you tell me what to do." Nightingale snaps at the officer.
The whole crowd starts saying things like ewe and gross.
"SILENCE!" shouts Sargent Night Lock.
I step up and open the door since every pony else refuses because of the oder of blood and mucus. An officer starts writing down everything he sees. One thing he sees that I didn't is that the golden Celestia has no endoskeleton. We decide to take the victims in for a search.
"We will have Celestia and Luna's Pizza closed by the end of the week."
Which means I still have to work for a week.
