Chapters Apple Bloom was escorted back to her dark and gloomy room, lighted only by the small amount of sunlight that could seep through the small window high within the room. The reason the windows were so high in the rooms were to prevent any sort of escape from being possible. She just sat, staring at the window along the edge of her bed, seeing that was the only sunlight she'd ever see for the rest of her life.
There was a light switch in her room, but Apple Bloom preferred to remain in the dark, seeing the light only made her feel angry, usually leading to a reckless act on her part. She had already smashed the mirror, and there was indentations in the wall in a corner she liked to sit in from her banging her head and hooves against the wall. Streams of blood were also visible from the idented areas, and she even had a scar on her head from the impact she had caused herself.
She only hurt herself as a punishment for all that she had done. Her life used to be full of joy and happiness, despite the times when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon mocked her for being a "blank flank." She grew angry at the thought of those two, but once she remembered what she had done to them, along with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's help, her angry tone changed to a much more sinister one. She let out a sinister laugh, along with a smile that glew in the pitch-black darkness.
"They deserved it," she said in a low sinister tone. "They taunted us. They made us feel different. Now, they are equal to us. IT'S FAIR NOW!"
She continued to laugh, as her mood changed again. Her laugh fell to a cry, as tears streamed from her eye sockets, and she fell to the floor. She sat on the floor, supported by only her knees and sobbed uncontrollably, repeating the words what have I become over and over. She pounded her hooves against the hard concrete floor, her own guilt consuming her. Through her struggle, she started to hear the voices of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon echo in the darkness.
The voices were not of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon taunting her, but only of them pleading for mercy when the CMC finally decided to perform the unthinkable to the two. The night that the CMC performed their first "unmarking," when everything would change for the CMC. Apple Bloom's mind started to remember that day, and what had finally made the CMC snap.
Flashback #1: The Spark
The day was like any other, as the recess bell rang, and every filly and colt rushed out of the school onto the schoolyard. The CMC were the last out, seeing they had to gather some things for recess. The three had been planning on an easier way to determine how to get their cutie marks, seeing they were doing repeats on how to get their cutie marks. They rushed out of the school, and sat at an empty table, where Sweetie Belle unscrolled the scroll they planned on using as a guide. All three took a seat next to each other, while creating a chart outline. Everything was going fine, until the CMC's biggest rivals decided to intervene.
"What are you blank flanks up to?! Planning how to fail at getting your cutie marks?!" said Diamond Tiara in a sarcastic tone.
The CMC had become used to Diamond Tiara's constant insults, and usually ignored her.
"I asked you three a question!" snapped Diamond Tiara, getting annoyed.
"We don't have time for your insults, Diamond Tiara," stated Scootaloo. "Why don't you and Silver Spoon get lost, we're actually doing something with our lives."
Diamond Tiara retracted, feeling offended by Scootaloo's statement.
"What right do you blank flanks have to tell somepony like me with an actual cutie mark to "get lost?!" she asked, growing angry.
Scootaloo had grown tired of Diamond Tiara's attempts to get them angry, seeing that's what she wanted.
"Hey! We asked nicely!" snapped Scootaloo. "Now, would you and your lap dog please leave us alone!"
Diamond Tiara had grown angry, along with Silver Spoon, and they immediately invaded their personal space.
"Fine. If you blank flanks won't answer us, why don't we just see for ourselves," said Diamond Tiara, looking at the graph that the CMC had been working on for weeks.
"Hey! This is classified Cutie Mark Crusader information only!" snapped Apple Bloom.
"Seriously?! This looks like a load of garbage, so allow me to dispose of it," said Diamond Tiara as both her and Silver Spoon grabbed the large graph and ripped it in two. This immediately caused the CMC to become infuriated.
"What did you do that for!?" snapped Sweetie Belle.
"Yeah! We didn't do anything to you!" added Apple Bloom.
Diamond Tiara just laughed.
"We were simply saving you the trouble of failing once again at getting your cutie marks!" said Silver Spoon.
"What do you know about us gettin' our cutie marks!?" questioned Apple Bloom.
"Diamond Tiara and I both know that you blank flanks will never get your cutie marks for anything, because you are best at failing," she replied coldly, followed by a sarcastic laugh.
Scootaloo had grown tired of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's careless acts.
"Why I otta!" she yelled, approaching Silver Spoon.
Before she could make any sort of impact, Scootaloo was pulled back by Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.
"Let me go!" commanded Scootaloo.
"It's not worth it," persuaded Sweetie Belle.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon just continued laughing, causing Apple Bloom to become more angry, seeing all the hard work they had endured for the past weeks was destroyed, all over them being blank flanks, which was completely unnecessary. She continued to hold Scootaloo back from the two ignorant fillies, hearing the recess bell ring.
"Later, blank flanks," said Diamond Tiara in an ignorant tone, infuriating the CMC.
Once Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were out of sight, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle released Scootaloo. She was still angry, but Apple Bloom had a plan that would ease Scootaloo's anger, and make things even.
"Girls, meet me at the clubhouse after school," said Apple Bloom in an unlikely tone. "It's time to even things out with those two once and for all."
And so it begun.
Apple Bloom returned to reality, snapping out her state of insanity. The sounds of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's pleas and screams faded away, as she carefully settled herself back onto the cold bed, staring into the darkness. She didn't feel any emotion, and as a way to keep herself stable, she started counting until she would be called out for lunch.
The sound of her counting created an eerie feeling within the dark, cold room. She seemed like a drone within a sleep mode, only her eyes were wide open, not blinking once in the entire series of counting. It was strange that the only time she didn't have nightmares, was when she'd enter a sleep through counting, and her eyes were wide open, as if she were daydreaming. Was that the case? Nopony knew.
Chapter 3- An Unholy Trust
The next day, Apple Bloom snapped out of her state of counting, not remembering where she had ended. Her mind was completely blank, as she looked around in the darkness, feeling as if she were being watched by the demons of her past. A eerie breeze blew throughout the small room, even though there was not a single opening within the room, but it wasn't the first time she had felt this breeze. From under her breath she muttered something.
"Hello again," she muttered. "Why do you continue to hide from me? I know you're there."
From the darkness, a foul odor that Apple Bloom was all-to-familiar with entered her nostrils, not even phasing her.
"Seriously? That's all you got?" she taunted. "You truly are a coward."
Her taunting was interrupted by the sound of her door opening, and the room being engulfed in light. A young nurse stood in the doorway, staring at the young filly, sitting on the edge of her bed.
"Apple Bloom, who are you talking to?" asked the nurse.
"A coward, that's who," replied Apple Bloom.
The nurse stood confused.
"Apple Bloom, there's nothing here," spoke the nurse. "It's only you."
Apple Bloom expressed an annoyed look, following a chuckle.
"You wouldn't understand. Nopony would understand, except myself," said Apple Bloom, starting to get angry. "Have you ever killed anypony?! Have you ever gone so low that you took a cutie mark from somepony that clearly deserved it?! NO! YOU NEVER HAVE! YOU DON'T GET ME! NOPONY DOES!"
The nurse retracted, knowing that Apple Bloom was in a state of anger that could lead to much worse. She kept her distance, feeling a single drop of sweat flow down the side of her head. The room started to feel heavy and insecure, as she noticed Apple Bloom staring at her strangely.
"Nopony would ever understand, especially you," she said in a mild angry tone. "Do you understand now, nurse?"
The nurse nodded her head, as she trembled backward, slamming the door. Once the door was shut, she quickly galloped, feeling as if she were being followed. The fellow doctors and nurses watched the startled nurse, attempting to question why she was in such a rush. She didn't respond to any of them, as she made her way to Apple Bloom's therapist's office. The therapist named, Dr. Coltstein sat at his desk, going through some documents. He noticed the young nurse's state, and immediately attempted to calm her.
"Calm down, Ms...Daisy," he said, reading her nametag.
Her state of fear made it hard for her to relax, but she managed to take a seat in one of the open chairs. She took in deep breaths, still feeling as if something were watching her. Dr. Coltstein calmed her by presenting her with a cup of coffee.
"Why are you so startled?" he asked.
She struggled to answer.
"I'm not sure, doctor," she said in a shaky tone.
"Something is clearly troubling you, so why don't you start by telling me what started this?" he suggested.
"Well, I went to check on, Patient 17056, due to some strange behavior, and I can't explain what happened," she replied.
"Patient 17056?" he said unsuringly.
"Her name is Apple Bloom. She's a young filly."
Dr. Coltstein paused Daisy, and stood up from his desk.
"What sort of "behavior" was she doing?" he asked.
"She was talking to something, as if she were taunting something," she replied.
"Interesting," he said. "Ms. Daisy, could you please bring Apple Bloom to my office. I have many things to discuss with her."
The nurse gulped, unsure of what Dr. Coltstein was planning.
Therapy Session #2
Apple Bloom and Dr. Coltstein sat across from each other. About ten minutes had passed in the session, and it had been nothing but sheer silence. Dr. Coltstein gave Apple Bloom a stern look, as she stared back, refusing to speak. Dr. Coltstein didn't want to waste the entire session silent, seeing he wanted to find out more about what Apple Bloom was taunting, and if he could, get information on why she killed her friends. However, he'd have to earn her trust first.
"Apple Bloom, you know as well as me that not talking to me isn't going to make me go away," stated the doctor. "The longer you remain silent, the more you'll have to deal with me every day."
Apple Bloom looked at him, hearing only the sound of the clock ticking within the room.
"What do you want me to say, doctor?" she asked.
"You know what I want you to say, Apple Bloom," he countered. "However, I won't force you to say it. I'm willing to wait as long as it takes for that ticking time bomb within you to finally explode."
"Then I guess you'll be waiting forever, doctor," she clarified. "Until you earn my trust, I won't speak anything."
"Then tell me," he said.
"Tell you what?!" replied Apple Bloom, starting to get annoyed.
"What can I do to earn your trust?" he concluded, knowing that he had to be careful.
Apple Bloom expressed a confused look.
"Y'all are just tryin' to trick me," she snapped.
Dr. Coltstein shook his head.
"I'm all ears, Apple Bloom," he assured.
Apple Bloom didn't know whether or not to trust the doctor, but one thing always bugged her during the therapy sessions, and that was her shackles. Apple Bloom decided to test the doctor.
"Okay, how bout' we start by removin' these shackles," she claimed. "If you remove the shackles, I'll tell you one piece of the puzzle, but I know you doctors. You could care less about me."
Dr. Coltstein knew that now was his chance, but removing her shackles could put him in danger. However, he was the one who asked the question, so he knew that to gain her trust, this was one step.
"Then allow me to prove you wrong, Apple Bloom," he said grabbing a spare key from his desk drawer to unlock the shackles.
He walked from behind the desk to the couch where Apple Bloom sat, and unlocked her shackles, giving her limbs freedom. The shackles hit the floor with a hard thump, as Apple Bloom sat, shocked that Dr. Coltstein had actually fulfilled her request. To test Apple Bloom, Dr. Coltstein stood still in front of Apple Bloom, allowing her to strike him in any way. She looked at him, confused.
"Why are you standin' like that?" she asked.
"I was testing you, to see if I gave you freedom, would you have the urge to attack me?" he stated.
She looked at him, remaining calm.
"I believe we finally have connected evenly, Apple Bloom. Now, you must fulfill your promise," he claimed.
"What promise?" she asked.
"You said if I removed the shackles, you'd tell me one piece of the puzzle, so I expect you to keep that promise," he stated.
"Fair enough. I'll tell you what happened the first night me and my friends committed an "unmarking," she said.
Dr. Coltstein nodded his head, as Apple Bloom started to speak the night the madness began.
"It all started one day after me and my friends had grown tired of a couple of mean mares, named Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. They had crossed the line by destroying something we had all worked on for weeks for no reason, and they had to be taught a lesson. They made fun of us for being blank flanks, so what better way to solve the issue than by removing them of what made us different from them. It's a night I'll never forget."
Dr. Coltstein had no idea what to expect, as he felt a chill flow down his spine. This tale would forever haunt his dreams.
Three Months Earlier
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo listened as the bell rang, and everypony present in the schoolhouse darted out of the doorway. The two were still curious on what Apple Bloom wanted to meet in the clubhouse for, and what she had planned. Deep down, both the unicorn and pegasus had a bad feeling about what Apple Bloom was planning, but seeing they were young, they only thought it was their imaginations being overactive.
Apple Bloom caught up with them, noticing both of them seeming unsure of what she had planned. The young filly's grin was blank, making it only more obvious that Sweetie and Scootaloo's suspiciousions were more than true, and they didn't have a single idea of what Apple Bloom's plan was yet. The unicorn and pegasus felt a stroke of fear slither down their spines, as Apple Bloom finally spoke through the dead silence of the empty schoolhouse.
"Somethin' wrong?" she asked in a cold voice. "You two look as if you've seen a ghost."
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had not noticed the change in their expressions, showing only fear and discomfort. It could've just been the weather, seeing the pegasi had formed storm clouds, and were preparing for a mild thunderstorm. They were hesitant to answer, shaking their heads in unison.
"We're fine, Apple Bloom," assured Scootaloo.
"Yeah. It's just the weather," added Sweetie Belle, her voice cracking.
Apple Bloom expressed a smile, but not a happy smile, more a devious smile that seemed hazardous.
"Good, now let's git to the clubhouse before the storm starts. We need to talk about somethin' important."
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other with fear in their eyes, as Apple Bloom started out the door of the schoolhouse. Apple Bloom noticed that Sweetie and Scootaloo had not joined her, and immediately she looked back at them.
"You two comin' or what?" she asked, startling the two fillies.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle just swallowed, and quickly caught up with Apple Bloom.
The walk back to the clubhouse seemed like eternity for Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, while for Apple Bloom, it seemed like just the same old twenty minute walk that they did every day when school ended. To avoid getting wet from the storm, the three fillies rushed up the stairs, into the small clubhouse. Apple Bloom was the first one in, so she held the door for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle then shut the door to the clubhouse nice and tight.
It was dark, so Apple Bloom switched on the lone lightbulb that hung from the ceiling. It lightened the room mildly, so to provide some extra light, Sweetie Belle lit the tip of her horn with her magic. Even though the room was lit, a strange heaviness was still present, and only grew more heavier, as Apple Bloom stood high behind the Cutie Mark Crusaders podium. She pounded her hoof against the wooden surface of the podium, which Sweetie and Scootaloo mistaked for thunder.
"This meetin' of the Cutie Mark Crusaders will officially begin," announced Apple Bloom in a high voice. "As both of you know, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon have been harassin' us for some time, and if you ask me, it's time that they get a taste of their own medicine."
The strange heaviness grew heavier the more Apple Bloom spoke. Her voice echoed, rumbling the wooden floors of the clubhouse, and causing Sweetie and Scootaloo to quiver. Her words were like poison, slowly infecting their eardrums and caressing their minds with thoughts that they never thought they'd consider.
"What are you proposing?" asked Sweetie Belle in a shaky low voice.
"Well, as y'all know, they mock us for being "blank flanks," so what better way to teach em' a lesson than by removin' them of what makes them different from us?" clarified Apple Bloom.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were shocked, yet confused at the same time. How could they possibly take a cutie mark, and the thought of taking a cutie mark from somepony; the one thing that made almost a pony unique in their own way. How could they possibly do such a thing? It was hard to swallow, but the urge grew, as Scootaloo thought back to the events of that day. The acts that they did were cruel and unnecessary, all over the three of them being blank flanks.
"Let me ask. Apple Bloom, how do you plan to remove them of their cutie marks?" asked Scootaloo. "Sweetie Belle isn't exactly a scholar in magic like Twilight, so she couldn't even do something like that."
"I'm aware, Scoots, but who said anything about removin' their cutie marks with magic?" stated Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom's words caused Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's blood to run cold, knowing what was coming next. From under the wooden podium, Apple Bloom grabbed a large knife with a leather grip, and placed it on the surface of the podium.
"This is how we'd remove those two of their cutie marks FOR GOOD!" she yelled, planting her hoof hard against the wooden surface of the podium. "Removin' their cutie marks like this makes it impossible for them to EVER get em' back! We'd remove em' then dispose of em' somewhere where they would be impossible to ever be recovered!"
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were shocked that Apple Bloom would ever consider something so malevolent, yet they secretly were tempted. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had been nothing but cruel to not just the CMC, but others as well for no reason, and they had to be stopped. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodded their heads in agreement.
"How do you plan to get them here?" asked Scootaloo.
"Come on, Scoots. We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I'm sure we can handle those two," assured Apple Bloom.
"Yeah, we've done more than those two will ever do in their lives," added Sweetie Belle.
"Point taken," replied Scootaloo. "What's everypony's role in this cutie mark removal thing?"
"Well, Sweetie Belle is the sister of Ponyville's top fashion designer, so she's good with sewing and cutting, therefore, Sweetie Belle would do the cutting. I can do things like assisting in handing Sweetie Belle things she needs, while you keep Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon content during the entire thing, Scoots."
Scootaloo nodded her head, along with Sweetie Belle.
"We'll bring em' here, and perform the removal of their cutie marks in the upper section of the clubhouse. Make sure to cover their eyes and mouths with somethin', and put something like earplugs in their ears so they don't recognize our voices."
"Sounds like a plan, but how do you plan to get them here, Apple Bloom?" asked Scootaloo.
"Simple. Trick em' into joinin' us for somethin' like a tea party, put somethin' in their tea to knock them out, then so on and so forth," confirmed Apple Bloom.
"I like your style," replied Scootaloo. "When do we go after them?"
"Tomorrow. I still need to add some restraints to the tables in the upper section of the clubhouse, so they can't get away from us."
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle expressed evil looks, following chuckles as the first bit of thunder from the storm erupted.
Apple Bloom stopped talking, struggling to mutter out anything. Dr. Coltstein grew curious, wondering what was troubling the young filly, due to this story finally giving him some sort of an idea of why Apple Bloom did what she did.
"Is everything okay, Apple Bloom?" asked the doctor. "You were doing well.
Apple Bloom didn't respond, only hung her head, following some tears falling to the floor. Dr. Coltstein was about to stand when a sudden outburst made him stop dead in his tracks.
"NOT YOU! GO AWAY! I NEED TO TELL HIM!" exclaimed Apple Bloom.
The doctor was both confused and scared at the same time, unsure what to do.
"Apple Bloom, who are you talking to?" he asked.
Apple Bloom didn't respond, only continued to shout at whatever she was speaking to.
"I'M SORRY! LET ME GO! PLEASE! I NEED TO TELL HIM! I NEED TO TELL HIM WHAT HAPPENED!"
The doctor had no idea what to do. Should he sedate her with some sort of syringe? Let her continue? Call a nurse? He stood up, not wanting to be in such a vulnerable position, if she were to attempt any sort of attack. He scurried back to his desk, with his hoof close to the nurse button, if he needed to call one to sedate the filly. He listened carefully to Apple Bloom, the more she struggled against the invisible force she was speaking to. He decided to document this, so he switched on his recorder next to the nurse button, and recorded everything Apple Bloom said, hoping to catch something.
"IT WASN'T ME! IT WAS YOU! YOU'VE BEEN THERE SINCE THE DAY IT ALL BEGAN! GO AWAY! LEAVE ME ALONE! I NEED TO TELL HIM WHAT YOU DID! WHAT YOU DID TO MY FRIENDS! WHAT YOU DID TO ME TO PUT ME IN THIS HELL!"
Apple Bloom let out a growl, but not a normal growl, more a demonic sounding growl. Dr. Coltstein couldn't believe what he was hearing, and immediately had a feeling of what was happening, even though he wasn't a believer in things like demons or ghosts. He wasn't going to ignore the possiblility of his suspicions though, despite his beliefs. He believed Apple Bloom was experiencing a possession, if so, how in the world did she get possessed? He needed more information to know if his suspicions were correct.
Apple Bloom finally calmed down, looking at the doctor, standing behind his desk with a look of horror on his face.
"What happened?" she asked.
Dr. Coltstein was shocked. How could she not remember what happened only moments ago? He decided to lie, not wanting to frighten the filly anymore than she already was.
"Let's just say you blacked out for a second, Apple Bloom," he lied.
"Why are you so frightened, doctor? Do you want me to continue?" she asked.
Normally, he'd want a patient to continue a story, but he was too afraid that she might go into a dangerous state again.
"No. We're done, for today," he said in a shaky voice. "Thank you for your time, Apple Bloom."
Apple Bloom looked at him with a confused look then made her way out of the office, wondering what had Dr. Coltstein so shooken up. She'd soon find out.
Once Apple Bloom was gone, Dr. Coltstein took a seat in his chair, wiping sweat from his brow. He didn't know what to think of what he just saw, but he knew for sure it wasn't a dream. The recorder was still running, so he stopped it, and attempted to listen to the audio he had captured, but he was far too shaken up to even do so. He placed the recorder in a drawer, and shut it tight. His face collapsed into his hooves, feeling uncertain about himself and his patient. His thoughts were interrupted, as his office door opened, and the young Nurse Daisy entered the office.
She took a seat in one of the open chairs, immediately noticing Dr. Coltstein's state. It was similar to the state that she had fallen into earlier that day, when Apple Bloom had startled her into a state of panic she couldn't explain.
"Are you okay, doctor?" she asked.
The doctor's response was shaky, as he raised his head from his hooves.
"I'm just frightened, seeing I just experienced something beyond anything I've ever seen before," he replied.
Nurse Daisy believed every bit of what Dr. Coltstein spoke, seeing she too had been impacted by Apple Bloom's behavior. She was still curious, wondering if the doctor had been able to get any sort of explanation behind Apple Bloom's unusual behavior.
"Were you able to find out anything?" she asked.
The doctor gave her a nod.
"I wasn't just able to find out something, I also was able to hear it," he spoke.
The doctor opened the drawer and pulled out the recorder he had used, switching it on.
"I was able to catch it on recording," said the doctor, as he played the recording.
The recording made the nurse shake, as she listened closely. The sound of Apple Bloom's voice was not like her normal voice, and only made it more obvious with the demonic growl at the end. As the recording continued to play, both of them listened more closely, hearing something else within the recording. It was a strange sound, unlike anything the two had ever heard. The sound was too distorted on the small recorder, so both of them stopped the recording.
"Did you hear that?!" asked the nurse.
"Very faint, but yes. I heard something else," he replied.
"What do you think it was?" she asked.
"I'm not sure, but I know it wasn't anything of pony nature."
"Do you suppose it could've been interference?"
The doctor gave her a look that spelled out his answer. If it wasn't any sort of interference or something of pony nature, then what had he caught in that recording? It was clear that he wasn't going to get answers in the facility, so he knew he'd have to take it somewhere where the recording could be altered. He grabbed the recorder, sticking it in his pocket.
"Tell the staff that I'll be out for awhile, Ms. Daisy," he said.
"Where are you going, doctor?" she asked.
He raised his chin, and stood up from his chair.
"I'm going to get answers. In the meantime, I want you to keep a close eye on Apple Bloom's behavior. It could give me some more clues on what I'm dealing with."
"Of course, doctor," she agreed.
The doctor knew that his best option was the Canterlot Police Station, so he caught the first ponycab he could catch, and travelled to the small building. Once he was at his destination, he paid the ponycab trotter seven bits for his services, then made his way into the station where he was immediately recognized by the deskpony.
"Didn't expect to see you in here so early, Coltstein," spoke the deskpony.
"I'm here on business, Cadwell," he replied. "I need your best ponies for this job. It benefits the "Unmarked" case file."
Cadwell gave Coltstein a strange look, noticing the doctor reach into his pocket. He presented the recorder, already playing the audio. Cadwell didn't question the doctor any further, and called for the chief of the police force; Sheriff Hoofman.
"What sort of mess have you gotten yourself into, Coltstein?" asked Cadwell.
"I'm not sure yet. All I know is that I've got a troubled filly with a disturbing past. The recording is what finally gave me an idea of what I'm up against," replied Coltstein.
"Sounds like interference to me, but I'm not the head in this case, so I'll keep to myself."
The doctor gave Cadwell a nod, as Sherrif Hoofman walked out of his office, and directed him to come to the office. He wasted no time and made his way into the office, taking a seat.
"How goes your progress in the case, Coltstein?" asked the sheriff.
"It's working slowly, seeing Apple Bloom isn't an easy subject to break," replied the doctor. "I've managed to get bits and pieces out of her, but the best information I've gotten is right here."
Coltstein presented the recorder, sliding it across the table.
"What is this?" questioned the sheriff.
"Hit the "play" button, and listen. You'll have your answer, sheriff."
The sheriff raised one eyebrow in confusion, but it didn't take long for him to figure out what the doctor meant. The recording clearly was enough to clarify what Coltstein meant.
"What in Equestria's name was that?!" exclaimed the sheriff.
"That's what I'm wondering, sheriff," he replied. "I need your best audio debunkers to debunk what is causing that sound."
The sheriff took a close look at the recorder then looked back at the doctor.
"What if it's just interference?" claimed the sheriff.
The doctor shook his head.
"Not possible," he concluded. "The facility has a grid around it that prevents any sort of negative feedback, so that's not an option."
The sheriff expressed a look of confusion, trying to think of any other possible options. The doctor knew what the sheriff was doing, so he cut straight to his suspicions.
"This is going to sound impossible to you, but I believe that what you are hearing, is something like a demon," claimed the doctor.
The sheriff responded in burst of laughter, which didn't surprise Coltstein one bit.
"You seriously think that's the case?" said the sheriff, continuing to laugh.
Coltstein rolled his eyes, then planted his hoof down on the desk, hard.
"You can't count it out, sheriff!" he snapped. "You wanted me to try and figure out why that filly killed her friends, so I need consider EVERY OPTION POSSIBLE!"
The sheriff retracted a little, now knowing that the doctor wasn't kidding around.
"Alright then, I'll get my best officer on the job," claimed the sheriff. "For now, I need you to calm down and get back on the case."
The doctor gave the sheriff a strict look.
"Don't tell me how to do my job," he concluded, storming out of the office.
While the Canterlot police debunked the recording, the doctor decided to settle down for awhile, stopping at the closest coffee shop for a cup. Coffee was the doctor's brainjuice, and usually his top option if he hit a brick wall in a case, which he had. At the counter, he inhaled the sweet smell of the fresh brewed coffee, as a young mare assisted him.
"What can I get you, sir?" she asked.
"Regular brew, please, and make it a large," assured the doctor.
The mare nodded her head, as the doctor wondered more about the case with Apple Bloom. When he was first called on the case, all that was known was that Apple Bloom had been found with blood on her hooves, and was clearly caught a killer. The doctor didn't believe that somepony like Apple Bloom could've ever become what she had become, that was unless there was some sort of thing that caused her to do it. His mind suddenly spiked, as his coffee was presented to him.
He paid the mare five bits, grabbed the plastic cup, and took a seat in the corner of the shop, where it was quiet. He took a sip of the coffee, returning to his thoughts. He had managed to find an opening in the brick wall he had hit, and wanted to explore that opening more. He knew there had to be a motive to every case, but in the time he had known Apple Bloom, she didn't show any signs of being a killer, and he had solved hundreds of cases.
If there was no motive to Apple Bloom, then why would she commit something like murder? He believed that something else had "caused" or "forced" her to kill her friends, and the recording was proof that his belief could very well be the case. If so, what had forced her to kill her friends, and where did it orignate? He took another sip of his coffee, remembering his last case involving a filly only seven years old.
The crime scene was nothing but a bloodbath massacre, where three ponies were found slaughtered to death. The three ponies were a teenage colt, an adult mare, and and adult stallion. Coltstein had arrived on-scene, due to the police being unable to gather any sort of information, nor any suspects. The scene was a cold case, but Coltstein knew a thing or two on how to see a crime scene from another view, due to his reputation as "the Case Whisper" which he found as a stupid nickname.
Coltstein started by doing his usual first instinct, which was studying the crime scene. The large amounts of blood splattered within the home was both disturbing, yet impressive to Coltstein. The first thing he studied was the blood, and the pattern it was formed along the walls. There was no need to study any further, because he recognized it as a gun shot pattern, but something else caught his eye; hoof prints within the blood.
Since there was hoof prints in the blood, he knew that it had been drug against the wall by whoever had slaughtered the family, as if they were painting the walls. The thought made Coltstein cringe, seeing he had never seen something as sinister as this in his entire career. What was strange was the size of the hoof prints; they were small. About the size of a young fillies. Coltstein immediately felt his heart collapse, knowing that his killer was a filly, and there was no mistaking it. What he didn't know, is why would a young filly kill a family, unless the filly were one of the family's own children.
Just when he was about to throw up, he heard a faint voice from beneath the floorboards of the wooden home.
"Oh no," he said to himself. "I believe I've got the killer."
He wasn't accompanied by any policeponies, so he wondered if he could get the filly out of dealing with a trip to Canterlot Asylum, so he quietly worked his way to where the filly was hiding. Coltstein approached with caution, because even though his killer was a filly, he knew the filly was still a danger. He lifted the floorboard carefully, immediately being struck by the view of a young female filly, soaked in blood. She was holding a gun, crying and muttering something under her small voice.
"It's okay, sweetheart," he said calmly. "I'm not going to hurt you."
The filly only responded by pointing the barrel of the gun at herself, and muttering the words "I killed them." He didn't attempt to reach for the gun, and just attempted to calm her with words.
"Honey, give me the gun," he pleaded. "You don't want to do this."
The filly responded with the same words, and before he could reach for the gun, the filly pulled the trigger.
"I refuse to let another filly die," he said, taking down the last bits of his coffee. "Apple Bloom, what caused you to do this?"
His coffee was gone, meaning his break was over, and it was time to get back to the case.
Chapter 6: A Dark Message
After his coffee break, Coltstein decided to go to a source that he had never gone to before; Canterlot Library. He had nowhere else to go, and had zero knowledge of the paranormal, so what better place than a library to find the answers he needed. The only thing he knew about the paranormal, is that it was the study of ghosts and demons, and was not a subject to mess around with. He needed to know just how powerful a demon could be, and what they were capable of.
The trip took a matter of fifteen minutes, so he paid the pony twenty bits, and proceeded into the large library, noticing nopony around. He had no idea where to start looking for anything related to the paranormal, so he decided to ask the librarian for help.
"Looking for something?" asked the librarian.
"Yes. I need books based around the paranormal," he confessed.
The librarian gave him a strange look, wondering why he was interested in such an unusual subject.
"You'll find that kind of content in the restricted area," she said. "We usually don't allow ponies back there, but seeing you are a detective, I can see it's for a good cause."
He stood confused, seeing he hadn't even shown her a badge, nor presented himself as a detective.
"How did you know I was a detective?" he asked.
She gave him a sarcastic smile.
"It wasn't hard to figure out," she replied. "Here's the key to the restricted area."
The librarian held out a key in the shape of a skeleton key. It was rusted, as if it had never been used, immediately intriguing the doctor.
"Thank you," he said, grabbing the key. "I won't be long."
"Take your time," replied the librarian, returning to her work.
Coltstein smiled, then worked his way toward the back of the library, where he found a locked door. It was labelled "Restricted" in bold letters on the wooden sign above the door. He started to feel as if somepony were watching him, as he placed the key into the keyhole, and turned the key. Coltstein pushed open the door, into a pitch-black room, where he flicked on a lightswitch, brightening up the room.
The room was frankly small, with four separate collumns, each composed with a large number of books. The titles along the spines of the books were in a different language, so he couldn't depict any of the book titles, as he worked his way down the first collumn, looking for any specific books he could read. As he skimmed over the books, he felt a strange presence in the room, and it only grew as he felt a cold chill throughout the room. The chill was cold enough to make him shiver, as he looked up, noticing the light flickering. He knew he wasn't alone.
To protect himself, he grabbed his handgun from his belt, rounding the corner, immediately coming to the back of the room. He breathed heavily, watching his surroundings with caution. He walked slowly down the back of the room, looking down each collumn, ready to defend himself, if necessary. Nothing was there, but he knew that something else was in the room with him, he just didn't know what. As he approached the end collumn, he caught a shadow in motion, and out of his fear, shot at it.
The bullet only indented the wall, as he trotted after the shadow, only to come to see nothing except an ancient looking book on the ground. The book's title was in some other language, and was plated in stone, unlike the other books, all plated in leather. The book intrigued the doctor, as he reached down to pick it up, only to be startled by his phone ringing. He put his handgun back in it's satchel, then struggled to answer the phone, due to his hooves shaking uncontrollably.
"Coltstein," he said, answering the phone.
The pony on the other line, was Cadwell.
"We managed to debunk the recording, and we caught something, but it's in some other language," assured Cadwell.
Coltstein felt a chill run down his spine, as he stared at the ancient book he had come across.
"Were you able to depict the language?" asked Coltstein.
"Yeah. It's Latin," confirmed Cadwell.
The doctor started to feel uneasy, as he continued to speak to Cadwell.
"Did you translate the audio?"
Cadwell paused for a second, due to the answer being all but disturbing.
"We did, and you were right. It's something very disturbing."
"Tell me, Cadwell. We have a filly's life on the line here."
"Alright. It was translated to this. Tell him. You die. Tell him. I take your soul.
The message made Coltstein feel sick, because his suspicions were true, and now, he knew that the case had taken a much more grim turn.
"You okay, Coltstein?" questioned Cadwell.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," he lied. "I'm going to send you a picture, and I need you to tell me if this is Latin."
"Uh, sure?" replied Cadwell.
Coltstein lowered the phone from his ear, navigating to the camera on his phone. Once he had the camera ready, he carefully took a picture of the book he had come across. Once the picture was taken, he sent it to Cadwell's phone.
"Did you get it?" asked Coltstein.
"Yeah, and where the heck are you?" replied Cadwell.
"Nevermind that," he commanded. "Is the book's title Latin? I also need to know what it's titled, if it's in Latin, Cadwell."
"Give me a sec," said Cadwell, as he looked up information on the book.
Coltstein felt an eerie feeling come over him, as he waited for Cadwell's answer. It didn't take long.
"Holy Celestia!" exclaimed Cadwell. "Where did you find this?!"
"Is it Latin?" asked Coltstein.
"Yeah, it is. This book is ancient, like from the days before Celestia and Luna," confirmed Cadwell.
"What's it titled?"
"Little Souls. It's a book that was written during the grim days of Equestria. It's purpose was to rid demonic entities from fillies that were forced or persuaded to do evil deeds. It's supposedly cursed, and if anypony is to ever come across it, they are destined to die from their own doing."
Coltstein didn't know what to think, but it seemed as if he had found the perfect key to freeing Apple Bloom of whatever had come over her.
"Where did you find that book, Coltstein?!" asked Cadwell in a concerned tone.
"In the Canterlot Library, it was in the restricted area of the library," he confirmed.
"Coltstein, the restricted section was removed years ago," said Cadwell. His tone had lowered.
"How can that be?" he questioned.
Cadwell's tone had become serious.
"Get out of there!" commanded Cadwell. "Leave that book and get out of there, Coltstein! GO! NOW!"
The phone line cut off, as Coltstein quickly stuck his phone back in his pocket, and rushed toward the exit, only to be shocked that the door was gone. He was trapped.
"What the?!" he exclaimed, wondering if he was just stuck in a bad dream.
Through the errie silence of the room, he suddenly heard a voice that made him quiver. He turned around, only to be shocked at the sight of a large mass of black with a pair of blood-red eyes. The entity was at least twelve feet long, taking the form of a serpent, and staring into Coltstein's soul.
"GET OUT!" spoke the dark entity.
The strength of the entity's voice was strong enough to knock him to the ground, as he slithered up against the wall, the demon following his every move. Coltstein's fear was surprisingly mild, as he stared at the demon with all his confidence in his voice.
"Now, you listen to me, you monster! I promised that filly I'd save her, and that's exactly what I plan to do! If you think your threats are going to prevent me from saving an innocent soul from assured death, you apparently don't know how strong I can be in the face of wicked beasts!"
The demon didn't express any emotion, due to its face only being two red eye sockets, therefore, Coltstein couldn't tell if he was intimidating the creature any bit.
"You think you can save her?!" taunted the demon. "You couldn't save the last one, and her blood will forever be on your hooves. All you're doing is wasting your breath. Be warned, this is a battle you can't win, scum! You'd best give up, before I use my full potential on the filly!"
Coltstein watched as the demon faded into thin air, and he struggled to catch his breath. The exit had reformed in its place, so he stood back up on his hooves, grabbed the book he had discovered, and made his way out of the room, not stopping for anypony. Once he was outside the library, he immediately threw up on the sidewalk. He was immediately accompanied by other ponies, due to his condition not being the best. He looked as if he hadn't slept for weeks, and was as pale as a ghost.
"Sir, are you alright?" asked one of the ponies.
"I'm fine," he lied. "I just needed some fresh air."
The ponies could tell he was lying through his teeth, but they had nowhere to take the doctor, so they just sat him down on a bench.
"You need to relax, sir," spoke the other pony.
Coltstein gave them both a serious look.
"No. I can't rest when there's an innocent life in danger," he assured.
The ponies expressed confused looks, unaware what the doctor meant.
"Who's in danger?" asked one of the ponies.
"None of your concern, ma'am. I appreciate you helping me, but I need to get back on the case I'm in charge of."
The ponies could tell he was serious, so they did as the doctor said, and left him to be on the bench. Once the ponies were out of sight, Coltstein grabbed his cell phone, and called Nurse Daisy's office. The line rang ten times before Daisy finally answered.
"Canterlot Mental Institute," she spoke.
"Ms. Daisy, it's Coltstein," replied the doctor.
"Oh, how goes the investigation?" she asked.
"Not important. Listen, I need you to get Apple Bloom into my office ASAP," he commanded.
"Why? What's going on?"
Coltstein paused before answering.
"I fear that Apple Bloom's life is in danger," he assured. "Both mine and her's."
Nurse Daisy didn't hesitate, knowing that the doctor wasn't kidding.
"I'll get her in, just be careful coming back," she said, hanging up.
Coltstein placed his phone back in his pocket, as he breathed in fresh air.
"I now know for sure that you're innocent, Apple Bloom. You didn't kill your friends. Something made you kill them," he said, as he put his hoof up to catch a pony cab. "The question is, what made you kill them?"
Therapy Session #3
Apple Bloom sat across from Coltstein, expressing a look of fear. She didn't know what to think of the situation, because this was the first time she had been called into the doctor's office twice in one day. Coltstein was afraid himself, but did his best to hold a poker face, so that Apple Bloom wouldn't suspect his fear. He knew that Apple Bloom was innocent, but there was still something he had to debunk; how this demon came to be in the first place. How did a filly as young as Apple Bloom come across demonic possession?
"Ok, Apple Bloom," said the doctor. "I'm going to ask you some questions, and no matter what, I want you to be completely honest."
"I promise, sir," replied Apple Bloom.
"Good. Let's start with the first question."
Apple Bloom nodded her head, showing that she was ready for the question.
"I'm going to list some items, and I need you to tell me if you've been around any of them," stated the doctor. "An ouija board, a satanic bible, and a pentagram. Have you been around any of these objects, Apple Bloom? Be honest."
"No sir," responded Apple Bloom. "Never."
Coltstein wasn't surprised, seeing Apple Bloom was with her family most of the time, before all this happened. He proceeded to his next question.
"Alright, Apple Bloom. Next question. Have you ever been part of any of the following? An occult, witchcraft, rituals of any kind involving sacrifice."
Apple Bloom shook her head, and once again, Coltstein didn't doubt that she was telling the truth. The most obvious options for demonic possession were debunked, so now he had to resort to what he had suspected all along.
"I'm glad you are being honest, Apple Bloom," said the doctor. "Now, I'm going to need you to think hard about this next question."
"I'll try," replied Apple Bloom.
"Good. Now, I need you to remember what you did before you and your friends took this grim path."
At the sound of the question, Apple Bloom's expression changed entirely from afraid to sceptical.
"Well, all I can remember is crusadin' with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle," stated Apple Bloom. "I don't remember anything else from before."
Coltstein didn't even have to think twice about Apple Bloom's answer, because it was clear that she was lying. He didn't want to make Apple Bloom upset by giving the usual answer, so he approached her differently.
"Apple Bloom, try harder," said the doctor. "Don't be afraid."
"I swear, doctor. That's all I remember," claimed Apple Bloom.
It was clear Apple Bloom wasn't going to break easily, but Coltstein knew just how to get somepony to pop out the truth. He had to strike her where it hurt.
"Apple Bloom, remember when I asked you if you thought your friends were at peace?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied, starting to sob.
"Well, do you want your friends at peace?" he asked.
Apple Bloom sobbed, and finally broke.
"I-I'm just afraid," she confessed.
Coltstein found this response interesting.
"What are you afraid of?" he asked.
"I-I'm afraid of what will happen if I tell the truth," she concluded.
Apple Bloom's response nearly made the doctor shed a tear. He understood her fear, because she was so young, and with the chances of possibly being forever bound to this facility for no reason, it would frighten any child. Coltstein understood she was upset, so he decided to put Apple Bloom into a comfortable state.
"Want to know something, Apple Bloom?" he said calmly.
"What is it?" she replied.
"I'm afraid too, but I'm mostly afraid for you," he said.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because, you are my patient, and it's my job to find closure for you. I'm the one who's trying to get you out of this place, because I know for a fact that you didn't commit murder, Apple Bloom. However, you must understand that unless you tell me what it is you are holding back, I can't get you out of here."
"Really? You're trying to help me?"
"Yes, but only if you let me."
Apple Bloom paused, shedding small tears. She wanted to give the doctor a hug, but something was holding her back from it.
"What's holding you back, Apple Bloom?" asked the doctor.
She paused, starting to sweat. Coltstein had an idea of what was happening, but this time he had come prepared.
"She won't let me tell you?" confessed Apple Bloom.
"Who, Apple Bloom?" he asked.
Apple Bloom struggled to answer, so Coltstein grabbed something that he planned to use as a weapon against what was starting to possess Apple Bloom.
"Why don't you let her answer her own questions!?" he exclaimed, holding out the book he had found in the library.
A sinister shriek erupted from Apple Bloom, piercing Coltstein's eardrums.
"BEGONE!" he yelled, holding the book closer to Apple Bloom. The shriek from Apple Bloom echoed throughout the room, until the demon finally gave up, and Apple Bloom was free again, but only temporarily.
The young filly was confused and frightened at the same time, as she looked at the doctor.
"How did you do that?!" she asked.
"No time to explain," concluded the doctor. "Who is this demon, Apple Bloom? Where did it come from?"
Apple Bloom hesitated.
"Are you sure she's gone for now?" she asked, frightened.
"Yes, now tell me, Apple Bloom," he assured.
"Alright. Her name is "Annie." I don't know much about her, or where she came from."
Coltstein expressed a smile. One piece of the puzzle was solved, but he still needed to know how Apple Bloom had come across this "Annie."
"Apple Bloom, I need you to be honest with me. Before all of this started, did you ever come into contact with anypony that has access to spiritual objects. Please, Apple Bloom. Now's the time to tell the truth."
"Alright! Alright," she confessed, falling to tears. "About one week before all the unmarkin's started, I came down with a fever, and I wanted to get better as fast as possible. Seein' she knows all sorts of cures to all sorts of things, I decided to visit a friend of mine for a possible cure."
Coltstein grabbed a pen and some paper, now that he knew Apple Bloom was aware of the danger, and only the truth was going to set her free.
"Who is this friend?" asked the doctor.
"She's a witch doctor that lives in the Everfree Forest, by the name of "Zecora," she replied.
Coltstein wrote down Zecora's information, knowing the case had just taken a new turn.
"Good, Apple Bloom. Did Zecora give you any sort of medicine?" he asked.
"Yeah, and it worked like a charm! I was better the next day!" confirmed Apple Bloom.
"How much did you take of this medicine?" asked Coltstein.
"Three doses," replied Apple Bloom.
Coltstein wrote down the information, then sat the pen and paper on his desk.
"Thank you, Apple Bloom. We're done here."
Apple Bloom looked at the doctor with a sad expression.
"Are you going to arrest Zecora?" she asked.
"If necessary. I'm afraid so," replied Coltstein.
Apple Bloom lowered her head, unsure if she had done the right thing.
Once the session was done, Coltstein alerted the police of his newfound suspect, asking to bring her in for questioning. Had he just solved the case? Only Zecora could answer that question. Coltstein had no idea what he was about to discover, but he knew he was one step closer to proving Apple Bloom's innocence, or was he?
Chapter 8: An Unexpected Twist
After his session with Apple Bloom was complete, Coltstein turned his attention to his newfound information about what was possessing both him and his patient. All he knew was the name; Annie. The name seemed innocent, but he knew very well never to judge a book by its cover, due to his past experiences with cold-blooded killers he had exposed in his past. Ponies he would not have expected to be the killing type, same with this demon's name. Though the name spoke innocence, it was only a mask to fool him, to blind him from the true evil that lived within this creature.
Coltstein had no idea where to even start looking for anything on the demon, but he knew who to ask once he had a chance to talk to them; his new suspect, Zecora. The doctor wasn't going to play the blame game, until he knew for sure if Zecora was the cause of the manifestation of this demon. She was a witch doctor, and could've very well given Apple Bloom some sort of medicine with properties that caused her to do something she didn't know she did, by drugging the filly.
Once again, the doctor's mind spiked, as he thought more about this supposed "medicine" that was given to Apple Bloom. What exactly was in this concoction, and was there any left? To answer these questions, he'd have to pay a visit to the Apple family, and hopefully find just enough of the concoction to run a test on. He knew many things that could easily drug a filly as young as Apple Bloom, but this was a witch doctor that he was dealing with. There was no telling what could be hidden within the liquid. He knew that searching the Apple residence wouldn't be hard to do, seeing Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith only wanted answers. Zecora however, might be more of a challenge.
He needed a warrant to search Zecora's home, but to get it, he would need solid proof that Zecora could've possibly been the cause of Apple Bloom's actions and the possession. The medicine that was given to Apple Bloom was his best shot at getting that warrant.
"Please, Apple Bloom. Let there be some of it left," he said in a low voice, as he proceeded to his next move.
The doctor stepped out of the pony cab, staring at the location known as, Sweet Apple Acres. He payed the pony twenty bits for the long trip, then listened as the cab pony trotted out of sight, back to Ponyville. The total trip had been over three hours, due to the train ride as well, but Coltstein was used to travelling from Canterlot to Ponyville frequently, due to many cases being in Ponyville's most unlikely areas. Most of those cases were mild, usually drug overdoses, foreign ponies that died of sickness, or suicide cases. Though they might have been mild, they were forever burned in his mind.
He slowly walked down the long dirt road of Sweet Apple Acre's entrance, until he finally came to the farmhouse door. Two knocks was all it took before the elderly Granny Smith answered the door. It didn't take long for her to recognize him, due to him speaking to her the night that Apple Bloom was found soaked in her friends' blood. She looked at him desperately, even becoming emotional, and he couldn't blame her. Here he was, standing before her with no answers to what she wanted to know.
"Hello, I'm Detective Coltstein," he spoke. "I'm the one running your granddaughter's case."
Granny Smith gave the detective a desperate expression.
"Have ya' found out anything?!" she replied, desperation in her voice.
Coltstein knew that he couldn't say anything, due to everything he had discovered about the case being classified information, yet Granny Smith was desperate for answers.
"I-I'm afraid I can't say, ma'am," he clarified.
"I know y'all can't, but please! I beg of ya'! Is my Apple Bloom alright?!" she pleaded.
How could he answer this question? Apple Bloom was far from alright; she was possessed by a demon, and was in danger of possibly losing her life, unless he found a solution.
"All I can say is that she is in good hooves with me," he assured. "Trust me, ma'am. I will get Apple Bloom out of that facility, but first, I need to find a solid alibi that she's innocent."
"But, she is innocent! My Apple Bloom would never do somethin' like this! Just look at her!"
Coltstein recognized the behavior of Granny Smith, due to having to deal with it multiple times in his career. He knew Apple Bloom was innocent, but a demonic possession wasn't a solid enough alibi to persuade Canterlot Police and the Royal Guard that she didn't kill her friends. He needed solid proof that the demon made Apple Bloom kill her friends, and he believed that Zecora and this medicine that was provided by her were his keys to finding the alibi he needed.
Out of Granny Smith's desperation, Applejack stepped into the picture, calming down Granny Smith.
"Why don't ya' go lay down, granny? I'll handle this," spoke Applejack.
Granny Smith agreed, and made her way into the living room, as Applejack turned to face the doctor.
"How can I help ya'?" she asked.
"Oh, excuse me. I'm Detective Coltstein. I'm the one representing your sister's case," he replied, showing his badge.
"I see. What are ya' doin' here?" she asked.
"I can't say much, Applejack, but your sister recently provided me with some information that involves something I need within your home," he stated.
Applejack looked at him strange.
"What is it? I'm sure I can get it for ya'," she said.
Coltstein recognized Applejack's behavior as something suspicious. He immediately wondered if she could be hiding something, but why would she hide critical information that could save her own sister? He decided to approach the situation with caution.
"It's something that only I would recognize, and I doubt you could find it, Applejack," he stated. "May I please come in?"
Applejack hesitated, remaining within the doorway.
"Do ya' mind if I remove some stuff from my bedroom, detective? It's some private stuff," she asked.
Bingo. Applejack was hiding something.
"Sorry, miss, but I'm going to need to see this "private stuff", seeing it could be connected to your sister's case," he said.
Applejack gave an unsteady look, moving out of the doorway, and opening the screen door.
"Thank you. Now, could you please lead me to your sister's bedroom," he asked.
"Sure, right this way," said Applejack, leading the doctor up the staircase, to the right hallway. In the hallway there was two doors on the right side of the hall, and one lone door on the left side. Apple Bloom's was the room farthest down the hall.
Coltstein entered the bedroom where it remained the same from the day that Apple Bloom was finally caught. The bed was unmade, with the sheets folded over, the curtains above the bedroom window were pulled open, and a large amount of bows, just like the one Apple Bloom wore atop her head were scattered along the floor of the open wardrobe. Coltstein immediately knew that something strange was amidst in the room, and he needed to look around for clues.
He closed his eyes, envisioning Apple Bloom rising from her bed that morning and getting ready for the day. She rose from the bed, opened the curtains, and needed a new bow, so she walked over to the wardrobe, grabbed one and exited the room. His mind spiked immediately, because why would Apple Bloom not have a bow on? It was her thing, so why wouldn't she have been wearing one? The reason was simple; Apple Bloom didn't know that she wasn't wearing one when she had departed to sleep the night before, because she was drugged.
He expressed a smile, moving further into the bedroom, mainly toward the wardrobe. He examined every single bow for anything strange, but found nothing. Due to nothing being on the other bows, he knew that it was clear that she was looking for a particular bow, but why? It was pretty clear to him once he reached the bottom of the pile, spotting a large butcher knife coated with dry blood stains. It was sitting horizontally with the tip of the knife facing the bed.
The way he was piecing this scenario together in his mind didn't make sense, due to the timing being incorrect. He thought more carefully about the possibilities.
Ok, so I've got a filly rising out of bed, without her bow, and she was looking for a certain bow, due to the clutter. The knife was underneath the bows, meaning...
It was clear to him now that the knife had been dropped in place the night before, due to the knife's placement.
She had performed an unmarking the night before, and at the time, she was drugged, due to the missing bow, because she had lost it inbetween her time in the clubhouse, and her walk back to her room. The following morning she's not drugged anymore, and is looking for a certain bow. Why?
He thought of the situation more closely, then remembered that Apple Bloom and her friends had been doing these unmarkings for over three weeks, and that sometimes, demons can come back to haunt you after so long. That's when he figured out why she was searching for the bow she had on the night before. It was all clear to him.
The night before, she had performed an unmarking, drugged, and some time inbetween her time in the clubhouse and the trip back to her room, her bow had fallen off her head. Once she gets back to her room, she drops the knife, and goes to bed. Next morning, the effects of the medicine ware off, and she wakes to see the bloodstained knife on the floor. After that, she notices that her bow is missing after looking in the mirror on her wardrobe door, and immediately she falls into panic mode. She searches frantically for the bow, and doesn't find it, so she retraces her steps, finds it somewhere not too far from the clubhouse, and sees the horror she was unaware of, due to the bloodstains on her bow.
But, what happened the night of the murders?
The case was slowly piecing together. He knew for a fact that this medicine had some sort of content in it, designed to drug the filly. Though this was only his thoughts, he knew that he was close, and that Apple Bloom was drugged during the unmarkings. Zecora was next on his list to interrogate, but his thoughts on the "private stuff" Applejack had spoken of still stuck in his mind.
He looked around for the medicine, and unfortunately, didn't find anything. Just as he was about to give up, he noticed something strange about the bed's mattress. There was a small lump inbetween the bed springs and the mattress itself. He hoped this was what he had been searching for, as he lifted the mattress. Inbetween the mattress and bed springs, was a medium sized canister.
"Bingo," he said, grabbing the canister.
He gave the canister a small shake, hearing some content within the bottle.
"What is that?" asked Applejack.
"The key to saving your sister," he replied.
"I hope it helps, now are y'all done?" she said in a frequent tone.
Coltstein now knew that Applejack was hiding something, due to her behavior.
"Not quite. I'd still like to see this "private stuff" you told me about," he commanded.
Applejack froze, then quickly dashed out of the room, into the other room. Coltstein immediately dashed after Applejack, pulling his handgun from it's case on his belt. Luckily for him, Applejack didn't run far, and sat in her room, guarding some sort of chest.
"Applejack, what's in the chest?" he asked, holding out his handgun.
"PLEASE! SHE MADE ME PROMISE NOT TO EVER SHOW OTHERS!" Applejack exclaimed.
"Who did?!" he commanded.
Applejack fell to tears, guarding the chest.
"She said, if I ever tell you, she'd kill Apple Bloom," she spoke, sobbing.
Coltstein lowered his handgun, knowing who Applejack was speaking of. It was Annie.
"Applejack, I can assure you Apple Bloom is safe from who you speak, just show me what's in the chest," he spoke calmly.
"She'll kill her if I show you!" snapped Applejack.
"No she won't, now for the love of your own sister! Show me what is in the chest!" he commanded, stomping his hoof on the wooden floor.
Applejack moved aside, opening the chest, only for Coltstein to be struck by a smell he was too familiar with. The smell of death lingered from the chest, coming from slabs of flesh within the chest; It was the cutie marks of the victims that the CMC had unmarked.
Coltstein had no idea what to think of the situation, because once again, the case had taken another twisted turn. Now, his patient's own sister was a suspect in his most bizarre case ever.
What the hell is going on in this case?!
Chapter 9: Interrogating A Victim
Out of the smell of death, Coltstein looked at Applejack with her head hung limp. He was confused on the situation, looking at the chunks of rotten flesh within the chest. There were close to twenty separate chunks, meaning that was ten victims, seeing there were two cutie marks to one pony. The chunks did him no good, seeing he already knew how they got there and why they were there, so he turned his attention to Applejack.
"Care to explain?" he said.
Applejack exhaled a long breath, lifting her head and staring at the doctor with streams of tears running down her face.
"It all happened two weeks ago," she confessed. "I was settlin' into bed, when I caught sight of Apple Bloom walkin' toward the clubhouse. I shouted out to her, but she didn't answer me, so I decided to go after her. I made my way to her pretty quick, but I immediately noticed somethin' strange about her, just by the way she was walkin'. I followed her to the clubhouse, and remained hidden in a bush, while she did whatever she was doin' in that clubhouse."
"Out of the silence of the night, I heard a deathly scream from high in the clubhouse. I wondered if I should've made a move, but was too afraid to, so I just remained hidden, thinkin' it might've just been her and her friends playin' some game. I figured it was nothin' and walked back to the farm. I settled myself back into bed, and went to sleep, only to be re-awoken by Apple Bloom. Immediately, I knew this wasn't Apple Bloom, due to her eye sockets being black with blood-red pupils."
"I immediately questioned her, but was silenced by the sound of Apple Bloom's voice. It was dark and grim soundin', as if somethin' evil had gotten into my sister. The demonic version of my sister told me that if I ever told anypony about what I had heard and saw that night, it would kill Apple Bloom. I was too afraid to do anythin', so I just nodded my head. Lastly, the demon commanded me to store the cutie marks in that chest, and if I ever showed it to anypony, it would kill Apple Bloom, along with the rest of my family."
Coltstein was shocked, and knew that Applejack wasn't lying, due to her emotions being real, and the sound of her voice being shaky. She was in fear, scared to death. It was clear Applejack was only an innocent pawn in this demon's game.
"Please understand, detective! I had no choice, and I did this to protect my family!" she pleaded.
"I believe you, Applejack," he assured. "Calm down, you are not in trouble. You only did what you did for your family's sake, so I'm going to let you off, but I will have to come back for the chest, seeing it contains content related to this case."
Applejack gave Coltstein a hug, surprising the doctor, but he hugged her back, knowing she was troubled and scared to death.
"Don't worry, Applejack. I promise that I'm going to bring your sister home, no matter what it takes," he assured, letting Applejack go.
"Thank ya', detective," she said, sadness within her voice. "I just want my sister home!"
"With this evidence, Applejack, your sister is one step closer to coming home," he said.
Applejack smiled, wiping tears from her eyes, as she led the doctor down the stairs, and out of the house.
With Applejack's case debunked, Coltstein focused on his next objective. He grabbed his cell phone, and dialled Nurse Daisy's desk number. The line rang twice, before Daisy finally answered.
"Canterlot Mental Facility," she said.
"Daisy, this is Coltstein," he confirmed.
"Oh, hi. How goes the case?" she asked.
"It's coming together slowly. How is Apple Bloom?"
"She's fine. She's been sleeping most of the time."
"That's good to know, but I still want you to keep a close eye on her, because I've got a long trip to make."
"What are you talking about, doctor?"
"I believe I've found an expert that can give me information on Apple Bloom's demon, but they live in a very secluded area."
"I see. The police have Zecora in custody, and are on their way back to Canterlot. It's going to be about four hours."
"Perfect. This trip will be awhile, so just please keep an eye on Apple Bloom, and I'll be back soon."
"Ok. Just be careful."
"I will."
Coltstein ended the call, and placed the phone back into his pocket, as he worked his way back to Ponyville, so he could catch another pony cab. Once he was back in Ponyville, he stood on a street corner, holding out a hoof for a cab. During his wait, he noticed a small filly across the street with a bandaged flank. The filly was pink, with a purple mane and a single white stripe throughout. She also wore a tiara above her head that had five points. He lowered his hoof, and slowly worked his way over to the filly, approaching cautiously.
She didn't run, nor could she, so she just stood still, as the doctor approached.
"What do you want?!" she said with a smirk.
"May I ask your name, little girl?" he asked.
The filly gave him an annoyed look.
"It's Diamond Tiara! What do you want?!" she replied annoyingly.
Coltstein immediately recognized the name, due to what Apple Bloom had told him in their second therapy session.
"I'd like to ask you a few questions," he stated.
"UGH! That's all anypony has wanted, ever since I lost my cutie mark!" she snapped.
Coltstein was getting slightly annoyed, but he had dealt with worse before, so he continued to talk to Diamond Tiara on a calm level.
"Listen, I know you are upset, but seeing you are a victim of this case, I need you to be fully honest," he commanded.
"What gives you the right!?" she exclaimed.
"I'm the lead detective in the case you are involved in, therefore I have all rights to ask you anything related to the case," he stated.
Diamond Tiara gave Coltstein an annoyed look once more.
"Fine, just make it quick!" she exclaimed.
"Very well. Do you remember anything strange about Apple Bloom before this happened to you, such as her behavior?" he asked.
Diamond Tiara paused, thinking hard about the question.
"Not really. All I remember is both her and her friends started acting a bit differently after they came back from some trip," she confessed.
"A trip?" he said, unsure.
"It was some camping trip or something, but I'm not sure where they went, seeing they didn't talk to me much. They only avoided me," she said, her attitude starting to change.
Coltstein was unsure of how to respond to that. Apparently, Apple Bloom wasn't telling him something, something important. He thought back to the therapy sessions, and if there was anything that could give him a good clue on what kind of "strange behavior" Diamond Tiara might have been referring to. He thought hard, until he finally came to something that Apple Bloom had not described to him; the graph that her and her friends had been working on, that was torn apart by Diamond Tiara herself, along with her friend.
"Next question. Can you describe to me what sort of content was on the graph that both you and your friend tore to pieces? You had the best view, so you must've seen something," he spoke boldly.
"What are you talking about?! I never tore up their silly graph!" she said angrily.
Coltstein immediately was shocked. Had Apple Bloom lied to him, and the story she told him was just to throw him off?
"Apple Bloom told me that you tore up a graph they had been working on for weeks," he said.
"I never did such a thing! I might've been cruel to her, but I'd never be that cruel!" she claimed.
Coltstein didn't sense any bit of dishonesty in Diamond Tiara's voice, so it was clear that she wasn't lying. Why would Apple Bloom lie to him about this? Could it have been that she might've hallucinated the entire thing? The doctor thought back to the timing when Apple Bloom said she had started taking the medicine, which was one week before her first unmarking. The timing was perfect, so Diamond Tiara was telling the truth, and Apple Bloom had hallucinated the entire story of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon ripping up the graph, due to her being unaware of the situation, because she was drugged.
"Thank you, Diamond Tiara," he said. "I believe you've just opened up this case more. I'll leave you alone now."
Just as he turned to cross the street again, Diamond Tiara yelled at him.
"Hey, if you could, please tell Apple Bloom that I'm sorry for everything," she said, expressing a sad look.
Coltstein nodded his head, crossing the street.
Chapter 10: Annie's Origin
It took two hours for Coltstein to finally reach his destination in a very secluded area. The area was miles from civilization, in a closed off forest area, that was impossible to find, unless you had the directions provided by the actual pony. Coltstein was surprised, even though he had expected the home to be in a hidden area, but nothing like this. It was clear that this pony did not want to be disturbed by anypony, unless you were given permission.
Coltstein payed the the cab pony an extra two-hundred bits to remain in place, while he took care of his business. He had plenty of money to spare, so paying extra to find out information on the creature attempting to kill his patient was only a fair price. Coltstein walked up to the house, and knocked on a door with some sort of scripture forged into the wooden door. He stood back, not knowing how this pony would react to him, so to be safe, he placed his hoof near his handgun, just in case.
He listened, as he heard a series of locks being unlocked on the other side of the door, until it finally opened, revealing a pony dressed in religious clothing, holding out a cross.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" asked the pony.
"I'm Detective Coltstein," replied the doctor. "We spoke on the phone about a demon named "Annie."
The pony lowered the cross, and signalled for Coltstein to enter quickly. Coltstein followed the pony's direction, and walked to the doorway, only to be stopped by the pony.
"Hold on, I sense Annie with you," said the pony, grabbing a bottle of some sort, and spraying Coltstein from head to hoof.
The smell of the liquid was horrid, causing the doctor to cough.
"What in Equestria is that?!" he asked through his coughing.
"Natural herbs that will keep you safe from Annie, until you leave," replied the pony, pulling Coltstein inside, and shutting the door quickly.
Inside, the walls were covered with crosses, pictures of religious items, and some religious items that Coltstein had never seen before. There were also candles lit with a circle of salt around the bases of them, a radio playing quotes from the Equestrian Bible, and Equestrian Bibles stacked from the floor to the ceiling. It was clear that Coltstein had come to the right pony.
Once all the locks on the door were locked, the pony turned to Coltstein, standing within the narrow hall.
"So, you want answers to the demon that possesses both you and your filly patient?" asked the pony in a raspy voice.
"Yes. She's in danger of losing her life," replied Coltstein.
"I see. Well then, follow me, detective. We have much to discuss," said the pony.
Coltstein followed the pony into a room where tons of books were stacked on the shelves, and a table with two seats sat in the middle of the room.
"Please, have a seat, detective," said the pony, pointing to one of the open chairs.
Coltstein didn't argue, and took a seat in the chair while the pony grabbed a large amount of books and folders from the shelves. Once the pony had all the information required, they took a seat in the other open chair, setting out every document and book in an orderly pattern.
"The origins of Annie go back to the days before Celestia and Luna," stated the pony, opening a book to an ancient illustration. "It started in a small village within one of the first colonies of Equestria, and was settled next to a forest that the inhabitants said was supposedly haunted by a witch."
"Was this witch by any chance, Annie?" he asked.
The pony shook their head.
"Annie is the demon born from the witch's mind when she finally died," assured the pony. "However, some ponies, mainly fillies were naive and didn't listen," assured the pony. "They'd go into the forest, and never come back. However, sometimes ponies would return, but not as themselves, only as possessed little nuisances. As a result, the ponies that did return from the forest would be burned at the stake. A foolish thing to do, considering that killing Annie's children only made her stronger."
"Made her stronger?" asked Coltstein.
"Aye, she gains strength off of death. Why do you think she keeps trying to kill your patient? To gain more strength."
The explanation given by the pony made more sense, and now, Coltstein knew just how dangerous this demon was, but he still needed to know how Apple Bloom ever came across Annie.
"How does one come across this demon?" asked Coltstein.
"There are two ways to come across Annie," said the pony. "One. Speak a phrase within the witch's house. Two. Associating with an ancient book that if translated to our language would be "Little Souls ."
Coltstein's heart dropped, as he remembered coming across the same book in the Canterlot library, so now he knew how he became possessed by Annie, but Apple Bloom's case was different. Did she come across the book? That had to be the way she came across Annie, but she didn't recognize the book during their last session, so how in the world was the other option even possible? That's when he remembered what Diamond Tiara had said to him.
"All I remember is both her and her friends started acting a bit differently after they came back from some trip. It was some camping trip or something."
A camping trip. A forest. Had Apple Bloom and her friends heard of the legend and decided to test it? Also, could Apple Bloom have caught a cold from being out in a forest for so long, leading to her getting the medicine from Zecora, and the starting of the unmarkings? Had it affected all three of them? Had they all taken the medicine?!
"Detective, are you alright?" asked the pony.
"I'm fine. I'm just piecing things together, and I believe I know how my patient came across Annie, and possibly her friends as well," replied Coltstein. "Now, the bigger question, how do I destroy this demon?"
The pony gave Coltstein an unsure look.
"There is only one way to destroy Annie, but it's a battle that nopony has ever won," stated the pony. "Most demons can be destroyed by an exorcism, but Annie is a whole different case, detective. Everypony that has ever tried, have died during the process."
"You think I'm scared? I've seen enough death in my life to call it second nature. I've even seen a filly commit suicide right before my eyes! It traumatized me for over a year, and still haunts me to this day! I refuse to let another filly die!"
The pony gave Coltstein a strange look.
"Describe the case to me. The one that traumatized you," said the pony.
"Horrible case. A young filly only six or seven years old killed her mother, father, and brother, smothering the walls with the blood of her victims, then took her own life," explained Coltstein.
"Without a doubt, that was Annie," stated the pony. "She made that filly kill herself."
Coltstein slammed his hoof on the table.
"Now you understand my position," stated Coltstein. "I'm willing to do whatever I have to to destroy this demon for good. Just tell me what I need to do, and I promise to end Annie's murderous ways forever."
The pony could hear the severity within Coltstein's voice, so he accepted Coltstein's request.
"First, you must get your patient into a room with no possible escape route, and place an Equestrian cross on all the walls within the room. Once that is done, say the prayer written on this paper, until the demon finally shows its face to you."
The pony held out a sheet of paper, which Coltstein took without hesitation.
"Once the demon shows its face, have another pony cast the spell at the bottom of the page, and you will enter the demon's mind. Within the demon, you will have to fight off every soul she has gained power from, because they work as a shield. If you can beat all of them, you will have a shot at the demon's heart. If you get to the heart, stab it with a silver blade until it bleeds to nothing. If you manage to kill the heart, you must make it back to the gateway provided by the spell-casting unicorn. Get out, and the demon will be gone forever. If you don't, you will become her latest victim."
Coltstein nodded his head, sticking the paper in his pocket.
"Thank you for all your help, I promise to do all I can," he said, turning to head out the house.
"May Celestia and Luna's guidance be with you in this battle, detective," replied the pony, as Coltstein exited the house, back into his battle to prove Apple Bloom innocent, and to save her life from a relentless evil.
It was a three and a half hour travel back to the crime scene, where Coltstein stood in the dimly-lit evening. There was crime scene tape everywhere around the small clubhouse, along with hoofprints from media and family members, but that was from the night of the crime. The entire crime scene was deserted, making it easier for Coltstein to navigate, as he lifted the tape, into the crime scene. A strange feeling came over him entering the area, but he didn't care. He was going to solve this case, no matter the cost.
He grabbed his handgun, making his way up the steps of the clubhouse, into what seemed like hell. The door of the clubhouse made a squeaking noise, as he entered the clubhouse, noticing a trail of blood, more than likely from Apple Bloom being drug out of the clubhouse the night of the murders. Other than that, nothing seemed to be out of place, so he worked his way toward the back of the clubhouse, where another door was placed, leading to the back end of the clubhouse.
He stepped over everything with ease, noticing the blood trail leading toward the door. He had not been to the crime scene the entire case, due to the sheriff being very sceptical about Coltstein investigating the crime scene, so the blood trail leading to the back of the clubhouse intrigued Coltstein. He carefully opened the back door, leading to a back patio, and a wooden staircase that led higher into the tree. Coltstein noticed the blood trail continuing up the staircase, so he climbed up the stairs, into pitch-black darkness, until he came to another door.
With caution, Coltstein opened the door, only to immediately inhale a familiar smell; the smell of death. The room was too dark to see anything, so he entered with caution, hoping to find some sort of light switch. To give himself better perspective, he flicked on his provided flashlight, immediately spotting a wire hanging from the ceiling, but the lightbulb was completely shattered. He immediately noted that, seeing lightbulbs don't just explode, unless a strong enough electric serge enters a circuit. The night of the murders, there was no storm or anything that could cause a surge that powerful, so how did the lightbulb explode?
He examined the room more, noticing a metal table with four restraints on it. Surprisingly, there was no blood on the table, but there was bloodstains on the floor near where the back hoofs would be held down. Exactly where a cutie mark would be located on a pony. Coltstein decided to examine the blood closer, seeing he could tell if the blood was newer or older. He got down on his knees, examining the blood closely. It was crusty, brown, but surprisingly was still thick.
He decided to feel it, noticing that the thickness of it was still fresh, but thickness didn't determine the age, but the smell. He took one sniff of the blood, immediately catching the smell of iron. It was clear to him that the blood was only 3-4 days old, lining up perfectly with the night of the murders, which was three nights ago.
"There was an unmarking the night of the murders. The question is, who was on that table? I've also got a lightbulb that exploded, due to my past experience. It wasn't broken by any physical contact. Also, there isn't any sort of weapon, and Apple Bloom's friends were found with slit throats, according to the crime scene report. There's no way that the knife could've been used, because I found it in her bedroom, undisturbed from the night before, and when she was found by police, she had a bow on her head. That proves that knife had never moved from the bedroom. So, how did this unmarking happen, and how did Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo end up with slit throats?"
Coltstein took a closer look around, noticing another table soaked with blood, and something on the table. He walked toward the table, and illuminated the surface of the table, only to see two slabs of rotten flesh, cut in the pattern of a cutie mark. He examined the cutie mark close, noticing it was an apple with a pentagram in the middle of the apple. He jumped back, having never seen that cutie mark before, and immediately had an idea of who's cutie mark it was. He immediately thought out all of his evidence that he had obtained, thinking hard about it.
"I have Apple Bloom, possessed by a demon named, Annie. Two dead fillies that could not have died from the impact of a knife. An unmarking taking place the night of the murders, and two slabs of flesh that had to be cut by a knife, but no knife is present. How could these murders be possible?!" he exclaimed, attempting to piece together what he knew.
The scene and evidence didn't fit together, and Coltstein knew that a critical piece of the puzzle was missing. That's when his mind peaked, and his anger grew to a near uncontrollable level.
"That son of a bitch," he said.
He stormed out of the clubhouse, knowing of who one of the killers was.
After fetching a ride back to Canterot, Coltstein arrived at the Canterot Police Station, storming through doors, and arriving at the front desk, not stopping.
"Uh, Coltstein, you can't come back here right now," said Cadwell.
"The buck I can't," replied Coltstein, storming through the entry to the sheriff's office.
Cadwell attempted to stop Coltstein, but it was too late, as Coltstein kicked open the door to Sheriff Hoofman's office, startling the sheriff.
"What is the meaning of this...
Hoofman's remark was cut off by Coltstein, landing a hard punch to his face, knocking Hoofman from his chair.
"Coltstein, what the hell?!" asked Cadwell, attempting to pull Coltstein away from Hoofman.
Coltstein's anger was at a dangerous level, as he looked at Cadwell.
"That bastard is one of killer's in the "Unmarked" case!" exclaimed Coltstein.
Cadwell's expressed a look of confusion.
"What?" stated Cadwell. "Why would he kill those fillies?"
Coltstein stared at Hoofman with a look of death.
"He didn't kill her physically, but he tried to frame her!" exclaimed Coltstein.
"What evidence do you have!?" exclaimed Hoofman.
"Simple, sheriff," stated Coltstein. "The evidence in the case doesn't add up."
"That doesn't prove anything, Coltstein," stated the sheriff, standing back up.
"Normally, you'd be correct, but you didn't cover your tracks very well, sheriff. You gave yourself away, when I received the crime scene note that I couldn't investigate the area, until three days after."
The sheriff's face fell to a look of guilt, because he knew Coltstein had him.
"First, let's take a look at the murder. You stated in the crime scene report that her friends were found with their throats slit. That could have never happened, because no knife is present at the crime scene. In fact, the only knife I found was in Apple Bloom's bedroom when I investigated the home for the medicine given to her by my only suspect. It had not been moved since the night BEFORE the murders, so no knife could have been used in the murders!" Therefore, you've lied about something found at that crime scene to frame Apple Bloom for murder! Not to mention you've also tampered with the crime scene, which is against the law as well, sheriff!"
Cadwell looked at the sheriff with a shocked look.
"Is all of this true, sheriff?" asked Cadwell.
The sheriff had been caught, making it hard for him to answer.
"Well done, Coltstein," said the sheriff. "You may have the proof, but the piece of evidence you need is long gone, and I'm not saying anything to a piece of manure like you!"
Coltstein gave an uneasy smile.
"No need, sheriff," stated Coltstein. "I'll figure it out myself, by going to the most important source of this case. The bodies. For now, you're under arrest on the charge of perjury and tampering with a crime scene. I'll make full sure that you never see daylight again, only cell bars."
Coltstein grabbed his handgun, pointing it at the sheriff.
"Get your hooves behind your back, and your ass on the ground," commanded Coltstein.
"Whatever you say, detective," said the sheriff.
Hoofman lowered himself to the ground, but before Coltstein could cuff his hooves, Hoofman fired a taser at the doctor, infusing his body with 50,000 volts of electricity, immediately making him collapse. Coltstein's vision became blurry, as Hoofman attempted to escape from the office. The doctor refused to let him escape, so he fired two shots through his blurred vision, hitting Hoofman in both his back knee joints. The sheriff collapsed, due to having no support in his back legs, as Coltstein passed out from the impact of the taser.
Chapter 13: Coltstein's Revelation
Coltstein's eyes opened, only for him to be standing in a scene he recognized. It was the crime scene of his most disturbing case. He stared at the scene with horror in his eyes, reliving the night that traumatized him for the rest of his natural life, and once again, he'd have to relive the night once more. The scene wasn't crowded like usual, only empty, and the house windows glew a blood red, something he had never seen before in his revisits to that dreadful night.
"That's weird," he said to himself. "This dream is different, and not like the others."
Coltstein decided to investigate further, even though he didn't want to, so he crossed the yellow tape, making his way up the cement walkway, until he was at the door. The door opened itself, opening with an errie creaking noise, only to open to what looked like a normal house. The house walls were spotless with no sign of any sort of crime being committed. No blood, bullet hole indentations, or any sort of heaviness that he normally felt when he returned to this nightmare.
He was confused, seeing this was a different dream. A much more peaceful one, immediately calming his nerves. Out of the silence of the home came a younger filly, staring directly at him. He recognized the filly as the one that committed suicide inches from his face, but she didn't look troubled. She had a smile on her face, as if she never had been possessed by Annie. She continued to stare at him, causing him to wonder if she could see him.
"Can you see me, sweetie?" he asked.
The filly looked at him, nodding her head.
"Don't be afraid, mister," she said in a strange tone. "I'm only here to help you."
Coltstein wasn't sure what to think about the situation.
"Help me?" he questioned.
"Yes. You've been troubled for too long, and I'm here to help you in your struggle."
"Struggle?" he questioned.
"The thing that possessed me that now possesses the filly you're trying to free."
Coltstein's eyes bulged. Had this filly become a part of him, or was he imagining things? Seeing he had no idea of what to do, he decided to listen to the filly.
"How do you know these things?" he asked.
"Ever since the night I died, I became a part of you," she confessed. "Annie did it as a way to torture you, and she continues to torture you. You cannot let her torture you. No matter what she throws at you, you must be strong. She saw you as a stronger victim, which is why she can't possess you like she does the filly you are trying to help. Your heart is strong, and if anypony can stop her, it's you."
Coltstein became angry, but immediately calmed himself, knowing Annie was a part of him in both reality and his dreams, and if he ever showed weakness, she'd take charge.
"Why am I here?" he asked.
"I'm going to show you something, and you must pay close attention," said the filly. "The answer to saving that filly lies within this dream, and from what I've seen, you're good at catching what others can't see."
Coltstein nodded his head, agreeing to what the filly planned to show him.
"Follow me," said the filly, pointing to a nearby staircase.
She started up the stairs, Coltstein following her and paying close attention to everything.
At the top of the long flight of stairs, Coltstein came to a long hallway with two doors on the right side, and one on the left side. The filly turned to him.
"Before we continue, I must warn you that what lies behind these doors will be quite disturbing, and no matter what, you must not intervene. If you do, it will result in immediate death," warned the filly.
"I promise," he agreed.
"Very well. Let's proceed to door one. My brother's murder."
Coltstein felt a chill run down his spine at the sound of those words, as the filly opened the door. Within the room was a teenage colt sleeping, and a young filly above him holding a pistol. As much as he didn't want to see this, he knew that the filly was trying to tell him something, so he watched as three shots were fired from the pistol, killing the teenage colt immediately.
"How did your parents not hear the shots?" he asked.
"Annie made it that way," replied the filly. "She had full control over me, and if I didn't kill them, she'd possess me to do it. I never wanted to kill them, sir."
The filly collapsed to her knees, starting to cry.
"I know you didn't, but at least they didn't feel any pain," he said, trying to comfort her.
She smiled, as she started to replay the scene.
"Now, watch again, and pay attention," she said.
Coltstein did as she instructed, watching the murder again. Once the horrid scene was done, Coltstein replayed the scene in his head, trying to spot anything in particular. The only thing he could possibly observe that was important, was the number of shots. Three gunshots.
"Onto the next door," said the filly. "My parents murders."
The door opened, showing a long bed with a mare and stallion sleeping on it, and the filly standing above them, holding the same pistol. It wasn't long before another three shots were fired, killing both of them. Coltstein once again didn't see anything important, except for the number of shots. Three shots once again. One door still remained, and he had a feeling of what was coming next.
"Lastly, my murder," she said, opening the door.
The scene was of the filly hiding beneath the floorboards, gripping the pistol in her hooves. She was both scared and angry, as she started to mutter the words that Coltstein remembered very well. I killed them. He watched as she turned the pistol's barrel toward her, as the floorboards were lifted. Coltstein wasn't sure if he could watch this again, turning his head away from the sight.
"You must be strong," said the filly.
"I'm not sure if I can handle watching that again," he confessed.
The filly gave him an assuring look.
"Sometimes it's best to face your fears, rather than continue to hide from them," stated the filly. "I know it's hard, but if you wish to ever be free of the fear that haunts your dreams, you must face it."
Coltstein knew that the filly was correct, so he took in a deep breath, and turned back to the scene. It was just like he remembered it.
"Honey, give me the gun. You don't want to do this."
That's when the gunfire erupted, and the haunting scene of the dead filly in Coltstein's hooves returned to him.
"I wish I could've saved you," he said.
"Don't blame yourself," replied the filly. "You can still save me, but you must destroy Annie for good. Only then, will I truly be free."
Coltstein nodded his head.
"Now, what did you catch from all these murders?" she asked.
Coltstein only thought of the gunshot count, and counted them out in his mind. Immediately, he knew something wasn't right. The gun that was used in the murder was a 38. Special with only a capacity of six bullets per reload. The total number of shots in the murders was seven, so how was the last shot possible?
"Your murder could not have been possible, due to the number of shots," he stated.
The filly nodded her head.
"So, who killed me?" she asked.
Coltstein immediately became aware of the true killer, and immediately grew angry, as he woke up from his dream.
Coltstein woke in his bed, where Cadwell sat in a chair next to him.
"About time you woke up," said Cadwell.
Coltstein rubbed his head, sitting up. He was immediately pushed back down by Cadwell.
"Easy. You took a nasty hit," said Cadwell.
"I've taken worse," stated Coltstein. "I need to get to the Canterlot Morgue, so I can take a good look at the bodies of Apple Bloom's friends. I need to know how they were truly killed."
"We've got the autopsy reports back at the office, Coltstein."
Coltstein shook his head.
"I need to see the bodies," said Coltstein. "That's the only true way I'm going to be able to determine how they died."
Cadwell knew it was useless trying to argue with Coltstein, so he just nodded his head, and helped Coltstein from the bed.
"Time to find out the REAL truth of how those fillies died that night."
Coltstein grabbed his needed accessories, and with Cadwell by his side, prepared for a trip to the Canterlot Morgue.
Chapter 14: Piecing Together the Puzzle
The morgue wasn't very far from Coltstein's home, so the trip wasn't very long, mainly around ten minutes. The building was surprisingly small, seeing death wasn't a common thing throughout Equestria. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's murders were the first murders to happen in a long time, because ever since Princess Luna had returned from the moon, security had been doubled throughout Ponyville and Canterlot. Celestia guarded during the day, while Luna guarded the night, making any crime impossible.
Coltstein entered the building through the double doors, presenting his badge to the mare at the front desk. She didn't say a word, knowing that when it came to Coltstein, it was serious business. She entered the code to the door through the linked device on her desk, immediately following a beeping noise and the door opening to the more private part of the building. Coltstein nodded his head, opening the door to a much colder section of the building. Cadwell wasn't used to morgues, so he started to shiver.
"Why is it so cold?" he asked, shivering.
"To keep the bodies from rotting," replied Coltstein. "If you'd rather wait in the lobby, be my guest."
Cadwell didn't waste any time at the mention of exiting the cold room, and darted back to the lobby.
"What a rookie," said Coltstein. "Now, time to solve this case once and for all."
Coltstein walked down a long hall, until he came to a pair of doors with a neon sign above, labelled "MORGUE." Without hesitation, Coltstein pushed inward on the doors, entering a room where two medical examiners stood above a body. His entry startled both of them, causing them to stop working on the body. It didn't take long for both to recognize Coltstein.
"Long time no see," said one of the doctors.
Coltstein chuckled.
"Good to see you, Bronston, and you too, Redheart," replied Coltstein.
Dr. Bronston and Nurse Redheart placed their medical tools on a metal platter, covering the body with a light cloth, then made their way over to Coltstein.
"What brings you here, Coltstein?" asked Bronston.
"I'll just cut straight to the point," replied Coltstein. "I'm so close to solving the Unmarked case, but before I can make any further process, I need to see the bodies of Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Hoofman tried to frame the supposed killer, by saying they died of blood loss, due to slit throats. However, I know for a fact that bastard did that to try and throw me off."
"Wow, Hoofman lied through his teeth about the cause of death," stated Redheart. "We inspected the bodies, and no signs of trauma were found, especially slit throats. Their throats are completely in tact. In fact, we couldn't find any sort of conclusion to how they died. Nothing was found in the autopsy as well. It's as if they just died out of nowhere."
Coltstein thought about Redheart's statement.
"No trauma. No cause. I believe I know what killed them, but I'd like to see the bodies to determine if they missed anything that could relate to what I've found in the case"
"Thank you for the information, Redheart, but I'd still like to see the bodies," stated Coltstein.
Redheart nodded her head, leading Coltstein to the bodies on the far side of the room. She uncovered the bodies of the two small fillies, both with a large stitched cut down their chests. Both were pale and cold as ice, but Coltstein didn't need much to determine what he suspected. He inspected Scootaloo first, looking over her small body carefully, and just like Redheart had stated, there was absolutely no trauma on the body.
Next, he moved over to Sweetie Belle, inspecting her closely. Once again, no sign of trauma was found, so he turned away from the bodies, trying to piece together what could've possibly happened that night.
Think, Coltstein. There's no way that Apple Bloom could've killed them, and they didn't die of any sort of illness or trauma. How did these fillies die?
Just when he was about to abandon his thoughts, he remembered a tip that he had learned back in law school.
I can't give up. I just need to retrace what I've learned. Ok, I've learned that Apple Bloom hallucinated the entire situation with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, the medicine given to her by Zecora is the cause of the hallucinations, she's possessed by Annie, an unmarking was performed the night before the murders, she became aware of the horrid acts the day of the murders, Apple Bloom and her friends went camping, and came back acting strange, there's only two ways to become possessed by Annie, there was an unmarking the night of the murders, and she was drugged during each unmarking.
Now, piece all the evidence together, Coltstein.
He thought hard about all the evidence, using every bit of his past knowledge as a helper. A number of minutes passed, before almost every bit of the evidence became clear.
It all makes sense. Apple Bloom and her friends went camping in the woods where the witch's home is located. Apple Bloom became aware of the legend, and like any other filly, went looking for it. She found it, along with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, resulting in all three of them getting possessed. From being out in the woods for too long, all three of them caught a cold, resulting in Apple Bloom going to Zecora and obtaining the medicine. All three of them took the medicine, and not long after returning from the trip, hallucinated Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon ripping up their chart, creating the spark.
All three of them grew tired of their bullying, resulting in the first unmarking. However, It wasn't the medicine's effect that caused them to go as low as committing the unmarkings. It was Annie's demands, which she took advantage of when all three were at their most vulnerable. The three of them continued to take the medicine, resulting in more unmarkings. Applejack became an innocent victim of Annie, resulting in her hiding the cutie marks in that chest, and being forced not to say a word.
This madness continues to happen for a period of three weeks, before Apple Bloom finally awoke that morning, only to see a bloody knife on her bedroom floor, and noticed that her bow was missing. She searched, and couldn't find it, until she took a trip back to the clubhouse, only to find a bloodsoaked bow along the path. Annie told Apple Bloom to continue the unmarkings, otherwise she'll kill her friends, and agrees. Night came, an unmarking took place, Apple Bloom refused to listen to Annie anymore, and as a punishment, Annie killed Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo by taking their souls for her own power. The only question is, who was unmarked that night?
"It's all clear to me, except for one piece of the case," he said to himself.
"You got something, Coltstein?" asked Bronston.
"Yes, Bronston. Everything about this case makes sense, except for one thing," replied Coltstein.
"Do you know how those two died?" he asked.
"Yes. A demon killed them," he confirmed.
Bronston gave Coltstein a strange look.
"Demon?" he questioned.
Coltstein decided to not say anything, seeing he'd just confuse Bronston and Redheart.
"Thank you for your time," said Coltstein. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an important therapy session to get to."
Coltstein walked out of the room, ready to end the madness once and for all.
Time to end this madness, for good!
Chapter 15: The Last Session
Therapy Session #4
Coltstein sat in his chair, looking at Apple Bloom. Her mane was a mess and she seemed more pale than usual, raising a red flag for Coltstein, knowing that this session was going to be his most challenging. Annie was here, listening to everything being spoke, and every question that he had for Apple Bloom had to do with putting the case to rest. He knew that Apple Bloom knew who was on that table that night, and he was going to squeeze the truth from her. This was it. His last chance to get the truth.
Apple Bloom stared at him, fear within her eyes.
"She's here, doctor," she said in a frightened tone. "I know she is."
Coltstein gave her an assuring look.
"I know she is, Apple Bloom," he assured. "I can feel her."
He prepared himself for the worst, gripping the book he had come across in the Canterlot Library within his hooves.
"Time to spill the truth, Apple Bloom," he commanded. "I've investigated deeper into this case, and I know that you aren't telling me the full truth. I also know how your friends died, and it wasn't you that did it, only Annie."
Apple Bloom couldn't hide anymore, but she was afraid to speak.
"I've only lied, because I was too afraid to tell the truth," she confessed. "Annie said she'd kill me if I said anythin."
"I'm aware of your struggle, Apple Bloom, but you can't be afraid of her anymore. I can assure you, you are safe with me," assured Coltstein.
Apple Bloom paused, taking in a deep breath, and letting it out.
"Okay, doctor. I promise to stay strong for you," she agreed.
"Good, Apple Bloom," said Coltstein. "Now, let me state something."
Apple Bloom nodded her head, letting Coltstein continue.
"I've talked to your friend, Zecora, and she stated that you took the medicine, because you wouldn't leave without it," stated Coltstein. "Is this true?"
Apple Bloom nodded her head, following a statement of her own.
"It's true, but it wasn't because I wanted it, only because Annie forced me to beg Zecora for the medicine, but she wouldn't tell me why," she confessed. "This is before Annie showed her true colors."
Coltstein was intrigued. Annie presented herself as an apparition of something else before all this chaos started. He decided to question Apple Bloom further.
"Explain to me, Apple Bloom," said Coltstein. "What exactly did Annie look like before she presented her true form?"
"She looked like any other pony, and stated that she was lookin' for friends," she stated.
Coltstein smiled. Apple Bloom wasn't holding back. She truly was going against Annie's demands, so he proceeded to his next question.
"Where did you meet Annie, Apple Bloom?" he asked.
"It wasn't just me, but Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle too. We decided to go crusadin' in a supposed haunted forest, while we were on a campin' trip. All three of us had heard of some legend, and decided to go lookin' for it to determine if the legend was real or not. We went lookin', and found an old house in the forest, so bein' curious, we entered the house, said some chant that refers to the legend, and Annie appeared out of nowhere."
"Where did you learn of the legend, and who told you the chant?" asked Coltstein.
"The sheriff told me," she confessed.
That explains how the sheriff became involved, and how she ever came to know Annie, but what caused Annie to show her true colors?
"Very good, Apple Bloom," stated Coltstein. "Why did Annie show her true form? What happened?"
Apple Bloom hesitated, but knowing she had to be strong, she continued to cooperate.
"Because, I attempted to disobey her, and she had control of me," confessed Apple Bloom.
Coltstein was intrigued, wanting to know more.
"How did she have control of you?" asked Coltstein.
Apple Bloom was silent, struggling to speak.
"I-I haven't been completely honest with ya, doctor," she confessed, her voice falling to a low tone. "Somethin' happened in that house that I now see as nothin' but a greedy mistake on my part."
Coltstein noticed Apple Bloom's voice fall to the tone of a scared child. He was concerned, as he spoke to the scared filly.
"What happened, Apple Bloom," he asked in a stern tone. "It's time to be honest."
Apple Bloom could see that he wasn't kidding, so she swallowed all the fear she had, and finally spoke the truth that Coltstein had been waiting to hear.
"I made a deal with her," she confessed. "She told me that if I would be her friend, she'd give me my cutie mark. Foolishly, I agreed, and just like she promised, a cutie mark appeared."
Coltstein thought back to the clubhouse, where he found the two slabs of flesh on the table. Could that cutie mark had been Apple Bloom's?
"What was the cutie mark?" asked Coltstein, his tone growing more sincere.
Apple Bloom attempted to answer, but was stopped. She had started to groan and struggle violently, immediately concerning the doctor. He attempted to help Apple Bloom, but was stopped by her.
"She's here!" she yelled. "Stay away, doctor!"
Coltstein didn't know whether to follow her demand, or to intervene with his only defence. He was shaking, watching Apple Bloom struggle against Annie. He had to be strong for Apple Bloom, seeing she was too weak to fight again a demon as powerful as Annie. Coltstein couldn't take it anymore, grabbed the book, and shoved inward toward Apple Bloom.
"Doctor, get back!" commanded Apple Bloom, but Coltstein didn't listen.
"If you can't fight her then I must!" he yelled, planting the book against Apple Bloom's forehead, following a sizzling sound.
Apple Bloom let out a screech that nearly shattered Coltstein's eardrums. The screech was unlike anything he had ever heard, even worse than his first encounter with Apple Bloom's possession. The room had started to shake, knocking books from their shelves, the clock on the far side of the room falling and breaking, and the only window within the room shattering. The eyes of the young filly had started to glow, and her mouth had started to leech blood. The sight terrified Coltstein, but he continued to hold the book on the surface of Apple Bloom's forehead, remaining strong for the filly.
Coltstein struggled, as the screech continued to shake the room, and Apple Bloom's eye sockets started to leak a black liquid, falling to the floor. The liquid seemed like a blood, but it clearly wasn't, due to the liquid forming into what looked like a large wall, closing around Coltstein.
"You can't save her, no matter what you do!"
The voice was not Apple Bloom's. It was much more dark and grotesque.
"BE SILENT!" commanded Coltstein, pressing the book harder against Apple Bloom's forehead.
Annie shrieked, as Coltstein continued to pressurize the book.
"Listen to me, you dirty monster! I'm going to save her, and remove you from existence! YOU HEAR ME!" he stated. "BEGONE!"
Annie retracted, as Apple Bloom returned to normal, scared and paranoid. The black liquid that had leeched from Apple Bloom's eyes had disappeared, and her teeth had reformed back to their original state.
"Are you okay?" asked Coltstein, holding Apple Bloom in his hooves.
"I-I don't know," she replied, breathing heavy.
"It's alright, Apple Bloom," assured Coltstein. "You're safe now."
Both of them smiled, but just when all seemed safe, Apple Bloom started to struggle again, her head turning violently.
"Apple Bloom! Fight her!" he commanded.
Apple Bloom couldn't fight, and spoke quickly, while she still could.
"The c-c-cutie mark.... w-was an apple... a-a-and a p-p-pentagram! It was the only way! I had to be unmarked!" she confessed, immediately following a snap.
Coltstein felt her body fall to dead weight, staring at the innocent filly in his hooves. He wanted to fall to tears, but knew he had to be strong. He let out a scream, causing Daisy to barge into the room, noticing Coltstein's condition.
"Doctor, are you alright?!" she asked.
Coltstein didn't answer, setting Apple Bloom's dead body on the couch as gently as he could.
"Is she?" asked Daisy, noticing Coltstein's expression become more angry.
"No. I refuse to let it end like this," he claimed.
Daisy looked at him, confusion in her gaze.
"She's dead, doctor," she said. "There's nothing you can do now."
Coltstein shook his head.
"Listen to me, Daisy," he commanded. "Get four Equestrian crosses, place them on every wall in her room, shut the window in the room, and escort Apple Bloom to her room."
Daisy didn't know what to do. How could Apple Bloom be saved? She was dead.
"I-I don't understand," she said.
Coltstein had become irritated.
"Just trust me! I refuse to let it end in another death!" he snapped, calming himself. "Just do what I say. She's not dead, only playing dead."
"Are you sure?" asked Daisy.
"Yes. It's time to perform the exorcism, and to prove her innocence, I want this exorcism recorded," he stated. "It's time to put Annie to rest, FOR GOOD!"
Daisy nodded her head.
"I'll prepare everything, and I hope you're right about this," she said, concerned.
"I am. Trust me," he said.
You may fool the others, but you don't fool me! Time to end your madness, forever!
One hour had passed since Apple Bloom went limp in Coltstein's hooves, and the entire facility had gone quiet at the mentioning of an exorcism. To prepare himself, Coltstein soaked himself with some holy water, obtained a first edition Equestrian bible, and rephrased a large number of prayers, multiple times. Coltstein was afraid, but he knew that Annie was just playing with him, and he had grown tired of playing games. It was time to end this game of insanity, once and for all.
As night approached, he took what could've been his last trip to the bathroom. He didn't need to go one or two, he just needed a boost of confidence, seeing he had no idea what was going to happen. He did know one thing, and that was that he might not live to see tomorrow. Annie was going to push every bit of his strength to its highest peak, hoping for him to break, but he had a life to save and despite the outcome, would give every bit of what he had to do it.
He shut the bathroom door behind him, locking it, and stood before the sink, staring at his reflection in the mirror. Coltstein had heard that mirrors can work as gateways for both the holy and unholy, so he kept his distance. Annie was watching him right now, and she could act when he least expected it. She could easily jump out of that mirror, and take him to the depths of hell, or just kill him on the spot. There was no telling what would happen. He just prayed that Celestia and Luna's guidance was on his side.
"This is it, Coltstein," he said to himself. "Your chance to make everything right. Your chance to put a monster to rest for good."
His words echoed within the bathroom, as he thought back to the times before becoming a private detective. He had a sister. Her name was Dazzling Shores, and she wasn't the nicest pony, mainly a troublemaker, due to her influences not being the best. Coltstein was a "keep to myself" type of pony growing up, usually studying on a daily basis. He attempted to lead his sister on the right track, but eventually gave up, seeing his attempts ended up being useless. She usually tried to lead him on the wrong path, using trickery, and for that reason, he never had a relationship with his own sister. It wasn't until the accident that he truly realized how much he did love her.
Coltstein was about eight years old when it happened. He had decided to stay home to study for an activity he had decided to participate in at the school, while his mother, father, and sister went out to see a movie at the local theatre. One of the biggest mistakes he had ever made. Two hours passed, and he was sitting on his bed when the phone rang. The one phone call that he will remember for the rest of his life. It was the police, alerting Coltstein that his family had been killed in a drive-by shooting outside the theatre.
All he remembered was dropping the phone, and screaming so loud that it woke the neighbors. He also remembered throwing the book he had been reading, only to break a window, and punching a hole in his bedroom wall. He was eventually calmed by a neighbor that had overheard Coltstein's outrage, and he was escorted to the police station, where he was cared for, questioned, and escorted to a Canterlot orphanage.
The shooting made him finally realize just how much he truly cared for his sister, who he had argued with earlier that day, ending in him telling her that he wished that she were dead. He regrets ever saying those words, and hated himself for a long time for ever saying such horrid words. He looked at Apple Bloom as his sister and the filly that had committed suicide inches from his face, and even though he had failed to save the others, this time he refused to let it end in death.
"You can do it, Coltstein," he said to himself. "Do it for Dazzling."
He had started to cry, but quickly wiped away the tears.
"No. No more tears," he said. "I must be strong. Stronger than ever before. I can't fail again! I must succeed! No matter what, I MUST SUCCEED!"
His confidence had increased, as he stared at himself in the mirror.
"I must save her! Do it for that filly! Do it for Dazzling! DON'T BE AFRAID, COLTSTEIN! YOU ARE STRONGER!"
He felt confident, as he took in a deep breath, turning from the mirror. The heaviness of Annie's presence was still with him, but he wasn't afraid. Not anymore.
"It's time, Coltstein," he said to himself.
Just before he exited the bathroom, he stated one last statement.
"Mom. Dad. Dazzling. I'm sorry I couldn't save any of you, but I promise, for all of you, I will succeed."
Coltstein exited the bathroom, no longer feeling the heaviness of Annie. He smiled, making his way to Daisy's office.
Daisy stood at her desk, next to Apple Bloom, secured in a wheelchair designed to restrain whoever was sitting in it. Coltstein wasn't taking any chances at Annie escaping him, so he needed Apple Bloom as constricted as possible. He felt horrible seeing Apple Bloom strapped to the chair, as if she were a prisoner, but he just had to remember that this wasn't Apple Bloom. It was Annie using her as a shield, just as she had the past month.
"I did as you instructed," said Daisy. "Her hooves are completely constricted.
"You're absolutely sure?" replied Coltstein, double checking.
"She's not going anywhere, doctor," she assured. "Trust me."
Coltstein gave her a smile, kissing her lightly on the cheek.
"I trust you," he confirmed.
The kiss surprised her, as he attempted to turn away, only for her to pull him toward her, planting his lips against her's. Coltstein didn't retract, and continued to kiss her. He had felt as if his troubles were lifted from his shoulders for just a second, but he quickly came to realization of what needed to be done. He pulled away from her, feeling stronger.
"That was...
Coltstein couldn't define the feeling he had just experienced, so Daisy sugarcoated his feeling.
"It was something you haven't felt for a long time, doctor," she claimed. "It was love."
Coltstein hadn't realized how long it had been since he felt love in his life. Daisy had hit the nail on the head, and as a response, he just smiled.
"Daisy, seeing you're a unicorn, I need you to do something for me," he stated.
"What is it?" she asked, noticing Coltstein grab something from his pocket.
"The spell at the bottom of this sheet. I need you to perform it when I tell you," he confirmed. "It will transport me into Annie, where I can finally end Annie for good."
Daisy expressed a look of worry, only to quickly be replaced by a look of confidence.
"Very well, but on one condition," she bribed.
"What's the condition?" he asked.
"You come back after kicking that demon's ass," she concluded, shocking Coltstein.
Coltstein nodded confidently.
"I will," he stated, as Daisy grabbed the wheelchair, and rolled it out of the room.
The couple arrived just outside of Apple Bloom's room, where Coltstein signalled Daisy to stop.
"You put up the crosses, right?" he asked.
"There's one on each wall in the room, just as you instructed," she replied.
"Good. Now, we need to be ready for anything, because once we hit that room, all hell's going to break loose," he stated. "Remain strong, no matter what."
Daisy nodded her head, as she rolled the wheelchair closer to the room, already starting to notice a difference. The wheelchair was getting harder to push, the room was starting vibrate, and an unpleasant sound was starting to fill the air. She continued to push, until they were at the door opening, and immediately, a demonic shriek erupted from Apple Bloom, nearly piercing the eardrums of Coltstein and Daisy.
"Told you she wasn't dead," said Coltstein, as he violently rolled the wheelchair into the room, noticing four video cameras set up in each corner of the room. All of them were running, due to the red light blinking on all of them.
Coltstein entered, along with Daisy, shutting the door behind them. The shrieking continued, to the point of where Coltstein and Daisy adapted, not being phased by Annie anymore. Coltstein prepared to speak the Equestrian prayer, hearing Annie speak in Latin, as if she were in pain. Coltstein gripped a cross, while Daisy held the wheelchair in place. The entire facility was shaking, as Coltstein prepared to recite the prayer.
"By sun's shine and moon's light, a shadow's cast and a night's sky, the immortals rose of day and night, creating peace upon ponykind!"
Coltstein thrusted the cross toward Annie, causing her to growl. The growl was sinister, but Coltstein remained strong, thrusting the cross closer to Annie's face. Just like before, Apple Bloom's teeth had changed to daggers, her eyes had went pitch black, and her pupils were blood red. Coltstein could see he was affecting Annie, so he continued.
"Shadows created darkness, darkness created evil, evil created disorder, disorder was sealed!"
Annie continued to struggle, desperately trying to get out of the chair. Coltstein almost had her, and with only a few phrases left, he had to push her to the point of manifestation. He continued, struggling to keep his balance, due to the entire facility shaking.
Through the power of the sun and moon, harmony was created of six elements! Laughter, honesty, loyalty, generosity, kindness, and magic!
Rephrasing the elements caused Annie to struggle violently, release a sinister moan, and the floor beneath them had even started to crack from the force within the room. Coltstein was close, so he spoke the last bit of the prayer that would lead to the next step.
"WITH HARMONY, PEACE CAME, TO EXTINGUISH THE WICKED! WITH THE ELEMENTS, THE IMMORTALS CREATED FRIENDSHIP!"
Annie shrieked so loud that the room felt as if it were going to collapse, following a sick-sounding moan. Coltstein signalled Daisy to be ready for the spell, as he spoke the final phrase, hoping for Annie to manifest herself within Apple Bloom.
ANNIE OF THE WICKED! I HAVE POWER OVER YOU! SHOW YOURSELF!
The room suddenly stopped shaking, and Annie had gone silent. Coltstein continued to hold the cross toward Annie, as he heard a sinister laugh erupt from Annie. She raised her head up, looking directly at Coltstein. She continued to laugh in her full manifestation, as Coltstein examined the evil that had plagued him for so long, now fully visible to him for the first time.
Her eyes were pitch black with blood red pupils. Her teeth were daggers, chipped and deteriorated. Her flesh was a pale yellow, with all the blood vessels visible, and her tongue was long and thin, much like a serpent's.
"Here I am, doctor!" said Annie, wobbling her head around, attempting to anger Coltstein. "How do you DO!"
Her voice was very low, raspy, and sinister. Coltstein didn't answer, only stared at the demon, unoffended.
"What's the matter, doc?! Cat got your tongue," taunted Annie, releasing the sound of a cat meow from her mouth. "I'm sorry we must meet like this, but I've loved to torture your ass ever since I killed that pathetic little nuisance that night!"
She was attempting to anger him, but he kept his anger level at zero, continuing to stare at Annie.
"Oh, how long I have wanted a vessel, and thanks to you, I now have one!" taunted Annie. "You can't save her anymore! SHE'S MINE NOW!"
Annie erupted a sinister laugh, but Coltstein remained calm.
"I've won! You've lost! Her soul is mine forever!" Annie sang in a cruel voice. "You can't win! She is gone! You will never get her back!"
Annie continued to laugh, as Coltstein finally spoke to his adversary.
"You're right, Annie," he stated. "I can't win. Not like this. However, I can win another way."
Annie seemed confused, as Coltstein gave Daisy the signal.
"DAISY! NOW!" he commanded.
Daisy did as he commanded, and cast the spell, immediately sending him into the depths of Annie's mind.
He fell from a pitch black sky, and landed on the hard ground, where he struggled to catch his breath. He quickly remembered where he was, and stood up from the ground. Coltstein took a minute to study his surroundings, which was the outskirts of a foggy forest.
"Welcome to hell, Coltstein," he said to himself, entering the void of Annie's mind; the forest where she lived.
Chapter 17: The First Clue
The forest was dark and quiet, making it hard for Coltstein to navigate through the thick trees. The mist that coated the forest floor made it hard to navigate as well, seeing it didn't feel like normal mist. It was composed of something thick, and each time Coltstein touched the thick content, it made him feel weak and sick. It wasn't easy to avoid, seeing it covered most of the forest floor, so each step Coltstein took made him feel sick and uneasy.
The further he walked, he swore he could hear distant voices of children. The sounds were of screaming, begging, and at some points, sinister laughter. Coltstein remembered that the pony he had spoke with had said that Annie used past victims as a shield. More than likely, he was hearing the sounds of Annie's victims, causing him to quiver and sweat. He wiped his sweat away, walking deeper into the desolate forest, hoping to come upon something soon.
The atmosphere of the forest grew heavier, as he reached an opening. It was a small pond of what looked like water, and as much as he wanted to take a drink, he knew that the water was only a manipulation. There was no sign of life near the pond, but as he walked closer he could see something under the water. He drew closer, until he was at the edge of the pond, only to see a young pony within the water. She seemed as if she were sleeping peacefully, until her eyes suddenly burst open, revealing blank eyes.
She levitated from beneath the water, until she was floating just above the pond, staring at Coltstein. The pony remained still for a minute, until she suddenly opened her mouth, revealing sharp jagged teeth, and released a roar that caused Coltstein to panic. The pony lunged forward, colliding with Coltstein and knocking him back into a tree. Coltstein attempted to stand back up, noticing the pony lunging toward him once more.
"Think Coltstein!"
He regained his balance quickly, searching for any sort of defence against the charging pony. Coltstein couldn't spot a single thing, and immediately just moved out of the pony's line of fire, and ran around the area. The pony collided into a tree, hitting hard and knocking down the tree, which turned into dust. The pony grew angry, as Coltstein continued to ponder his options while running from the pony. So much was going on at once that he couldn't think straight, and he was running out of breath. He finally came to a stop, noticing the pony charging at him once again.
He quickly dodged the pony, causing the creature to knock over another tree, turning to dust. He couldn't just keep dodging and running. There had to be a way to kill this thing. That's when his mind spiked, looking at the small pond, realizing that was his defence.
"Water. The water works as a killing mechanism!" he said, as he ran into the water, making noises to attract the creature.
The creature caught sight of him, and immediately lunged toward him again. This time Coltstein took a deep breath, and just as the creature was just about to make contact, dove under the water. Coltstein dodged the creature again, and before it could fly out of reach, he grabbed the pony's back hoof. Coltstein quickly dunked the creature under the water, hitting the floor of the shallow water hard. The hit stunned the creature, giving Coltstein just enough time to grab the creature's head and smash it against the side of the pond.
Coltstein didn't hold back, and continued to smash the creature's head against the pond's side, until the creature went limp. The creature dissolved into nothing but a black muck, revealing an envelope. The envelope was clearly important, so Coltstein quickly grabbed the envelope, and rose above the water, taking in deep breaths. He walked onto the side of the pond, examining his newfound clue.
"I wonder what's in it," said Coltstein, using his teeth to rip open the envelope.
The envelope ripped open with ease, revealing two things; a folded up paper, and a key. He figured he should see what the paper was, seeing there was no doors around. He carefully unfolded the paper, revealing a note of some sort.
My name is Sally. I am eight years of age, and was taken from my family. All I saw was a light before I was taken. My vision was only blurred lines, a faint light, and two red eyes, before I fell into eternal darkness. All I heard was a silent scream, before my lungs were engulfed, and my body went limp. It's cold here, but I adapted after two years. I want my mommy and daddy! Somepony please save me! I want to go home!
"Our eyes are blind and manipulative. Look from a different perspective, and you'll find your way. Be warned. If you shall continue, light will be your key."
I can finally move on.
-Sally
The note had Coltstein baffled, as he read over it again, trying to come to an understanding.
"Light will be your key?" he said to himself. "If light is my key, then what does this key mean?"
The key was a gold skeleton key, much like the one he had used to enter the restricted area of the library. However, the restricted area wasn't real, only a manipulation of the mind. Coltstein's ears perked, knowing what the key represented.
"The key I used at the library was able to open a door to a manipulative dimension that didn't exist, and the note stated that our eyes are blind and manipulative. This world I'm in is a manipulation, and this key opens a new door to a new world! However, if light is my key, where can I find light?"
Coltstein thought hard about the question. If the world he was in was a manipulation, then darkness must be light.
"Bingo. Now, the rest of the statement," he said, looking over the note. "Look from a different perspective, and you'll find your way."
Once again, he was confused, scratching his head.
Think hard, Coltstein. Go back to the note.
He looked over the note, reading and examining it carefully.
"Before my lungs were engulfed," he said to himself. "Her cause of death more than likely, was drowning, so maybe if I look from Sally's perspective when she died, I'll be able to see what my eyes are blind to."
Coltstein had no other choice, so he took the key, stuck it in his pocket, and made his way into the water, trying to remember where he saw the filly lying in the water. He stood in the middle of the pond, and slowly dunked himself under the water. Under the water he settled himself into the same position as the filly, then he closed his eyes. Immediately, the sound of screaming erupted beneath the water, as he opened his eyes, only see a faint light and bubbles. Two hooves were holding him beneath the water, and he couldn't breathe. The hooves continued to hold him under the water, until he felt water enter his lungs, and the faint light fell to nothing but darkness.
Coltstein closed his eyes again, wanting this madness to end, as the silent screaming faded. Some sort of invisible force thrusted him above the water, as he opened his eyes, breathing heavy. He was surprised, noticing the dark gloomy forest he had been in before had changed into a regular forest, with a sun shining through the trees.
"What was that?!" he exclaimed, making his way out of the water. "Did I just witness Sally's death?!"
His mind was baffled, as he pulled the key out of his pocket, noticing a gem embedded within the key's grip.
"Light will be your key," he said, as he turned the tip of the key toward the sun, glowing through the gem.
Coltstein watched as the sun's beams illuminated through the gem, creating some sort of guide. The beams pointed in different directions throughout the forest.
"The key is a guide," he assured. "It's my guide to the next clue."
Coltstein noticed a beam from the gemstone directing him to go straight.
"It's not over yet. If anything, it's just begun," he said, following the beam deeper into the forest.
Chapter 18: The Second Test
The key's guidance had led Coltstein into a much more tolerable section of the forest, away from the thicker areas. He was relieved, but knew that now was not the time to let his guard down. He was still in Annie's mind, and had many more obstacles to pass, so he remained on guard, using the key's directions. Coltstein had wondered if anypony had made it this far, because the pony he had spoken to had said that all attempts had failed. Was he the first to pass the first obstacle, or was it the next obstacle that doomed all the others?
As he walked further he realized that the sun's rays were starting to get blocked by thicker trees. It wasn't much longer before the sun had completely vanished, immediately causing his only guidance to be diminished. It was clear that he was nearing his next challenge.
"Of course. It's never that easy," he said, sticking the key in his pocket.
The key had led him to a dirt path with only one direction. Straight. Coltstein continued to follow the dirt path, until he came to a crossroad, both paths being exactly the same. There was no sun to direct him, only two trees. Coltstein wasn't sure what to do, until he saw a keyhole within the bark of the middle tree. Thinking the obvious, Coltstein grabbed the key from his pocket, placed it into the keyhole of the middle tree, and opened a secret compartment.
Within the compartment was an envelope, and another skeleton key. The key was silver with a sad face and a happy face forged into opposite sides of the key's grip, and no other specific properties that Coltstein could see. The envelope was sealed, so Coltstein ripped it open with his teeth, only to see a folded up paper and a coin with a sad face and happy face on opposite sides of the coin. Just like the key's grip. He decided to investigate the folded paper first, so he unwrapped it with ease, and read it slowly and carefully.
"One tree speaks the truth. One speaks lies. The coin answers one, but not the other. The key shows you truth, but your eyes lie. Use both instinct and trust to pass, or you shall never proceed. If you shall proceed, remember well. A witch can only exist in hell."
Coltstein was confused, until his thoughts were interrupted by a voice coming from just in front of him.
"Who dares to wake me from my slumber!?" spoke the voice.
Coltstein couldn't figure out where the voice was coming from, so he spoke out.
"Who's there?" questioned Coltstein.
It was quiet, until Coltstein finally saw where the voice was coming from.
"I said it," spoke one of the trees.
"NO! I said it!" argued the other tree.
For a moment, Coltstein thought he might've been dreaming, but he knew this wasn't a dream, considering the pain he felt in his back from his encounter with Sally.
"What's it to ya'!?" spoke one of the trees.
Coltstein couldn't tell which tree was speaking, until he noticed their expressions. The tree on the right had a happy face, while the one on the left had a sad face.
One tree speaks the truth. One speaks lies.
Coltstein understood what the note meant. One tree speaks the truth, while the other speaks nothing but lies. This was a test of trust and instinct. However, what did the coin have to do with it? Coltstein read over the note, as the two trees continued to bicker at each other.
The coin answers one, but not the other.
He thought hard, then remembered that there's two sides to a coin. It was clear to him. A coin flip would determine which tree he would question, but which one was telling the truth? Coltstein decided to interrupted their bickering.
"I don't mean to be a bother, but I need to know which path leads to safety," he asked.
"The safe path is my path," spoke the happy tree.
"No. He's a liar!" exclaimed the sad tree. "My path is the safe path!"
Coltstein expected this to be his answer, so he knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere by asking simple questions. He had to follow the riddle if he was going to get anywhere.
"One of you is telling the truth, while the other is lying," said Coltstein. "According to this riddle, I can only ask one of you for the answer."
"That is right!" spoke both trees. "You shall flip the coin you possess, and determine your destiny!"
Coltstein nodded his head, placing the coin in his hoof, and tossing it into the air. The coin remained airborne for a few seconds, before finally landing in the soft dirt. It had landed with the happy face visible, so Coltstein picked the coin up and proceeded to the happy tree.
"AGAIN!? You ALWAYS win!" exclaimed the sad tree.
"Quiet down! I'm talking!" yelled the happy tree.
The sad tree just shrugged, as Coltstein approached.
"You may ask one question only, but be warned, pony. I may have a happy face, but I may or may not speak the truth. I am a tricky tree," stated the happy tree.
"One question," said Coltstein, thinking hard of the question to ask the tree.
He only had one chance to tell if this tree was lying or telling the truth, so he looked at the riddle again, closely.
The key shows you truth, but your eyes lie. I must have to use the key for something, otherwise it wouldn't be there, and since this isn't the manipulative world, and my eyes can see reality, it's not a trick. Where I'd use the key is clear, and the key shows me the truth, so I'd have to use the key for the truth. What should I ask the tree though? It has to be something to give an advantage, so what can give me an advantage?
Coltstein thought hard, as he read further into the riddle. As he read on, something did catch his eye, and he immediately figured out what would give him his advantage; where each path led.
"Ok, I have my question," stated Coltstein. "Where does your path lead?"
"An unusual question, pony, but since you asked, I must answer," replied the tree. "My path leads to heaven."
"That means the other leads to hell," he said in his mind.
The riddle immediately made sense, because the last part of the riddle matched up.
If you shall proceed, remember well. A witch can only exist in hell.
Coltstein had solved the riddle, but was the tree telling the truth, or was it lying through it's bark teeth? The next step was to use the key to figure out the answer. The silver key showed the truth, so it should be simple enough. Coltstein grabbed the silver key, and placed it into the keyhole, turning it. Immediately, the world around him changed back to the hellish dimension he was in before. Each path illuminated a certain light at the end of them. The happy tree's path showed a blood red light, while the sad tree's path illuminated a heavenly glow.
Coltstein had to think hard about this, seeing this key showed the truth, yet he was in the manipulative world again, where everything he saw was a lie. The tree had said his path led to heaven, yet in this dimension, it led to hell. The manipulative world lied, meaning the fact it led to hell wasn't true, so Coltstein knew which tree was telling the truth. It was the happy tree, but it just seemed too easy.
"Think Coltstein," he said to himself. "Double check before acting. This is almost too easy."
Coltstein checked his surroundings one more time, and noticed something fishy about the trees. The faces had not changed, meaning since the trees didn't change, the happy tree was lying about where his path led. The key was showing him the truth, the tree just mislead him.
"No wonder the others didn't make it," he said. "They were all fooled by the tree and didn't notice that the faces remained the same."
Coltstein turned the key, and pulled it out, sticking it in his pocket.
"I know who the lying tree is," stated Coltstein. "Nopony else figured this out, because they were fooled by their instincts. The lying tree is the happy tree!"
The happy tree laughed, but Coltstein had figured out the scheme.
"Why would a tree with a happy face lie?" asked the happy tree.
"Simple. The key I obtained tells the truth, correct?" questioned Coltstein. "I'm in the dimension where my eyes see reality, so the key showed me the truth. Your other victims who were smart enough to get this far stated the obvious. Since the manipulative world is a lie, they'd think that your path leads to heaven, and that the other tree's path leads to hell, the next place I need to go. It's the exact opposite, because even though the key shows the manipulative world, it doesn't lie about what my eyes see. Your faces don't change either, so if I was in the manipulative world, your faces would change, because that world fools my eyes! That wasn't the last dimension I was in, it was the next dimension; hell!"
The tree was speechless, as Coltstein continued.
"The manipulative world was just used as a mask to fool your victims, but luckily, I double checked my surroundings and wasn't fooled by a happy face. Therefore, the correct path is yours!"
"But, why would you choose hell over heaven," asked the happy tree. "That makes no sense!
"Simple," stated Coltstein. "The riddle states, "If you are to proceed, remember well. A witch can only exist in hell." Therefore, if I wish to confront my enemy, I must travel to hell."
The tree was speechless. Coltstein had debunked the riddle, and had figured out which tree was lying.
"Congratulations, pony," said the happy tree. "You have outsmarted me. You may proceed to the next step."
Coltstein nodded, as he turned down the happy tree's path to travel into the hell where Annie awaited his arrival.
One more step, Coltstein, and this madness ends, forever. I'm coming for you, Annie!
Author's Note
Sorry if I confused the hell out of some people, but the final answer is that the key told the truth, the tree lied. Again, sorry if I confused anybody.
The happy tree's trail led to a much more dark and thick area of the forest, which didn't surprise Coltstein one bit, seeing the trail was supposed to lead to hell. The atmosphere of the area was heavy, much like the first area he arrived in, causing him to struggle a little, as he proceeded deeper into the uncharted territory. His flesh was scratched by the thorn bushes that grew off the trees, causing his body to burn like fire. He didn't care if he was infected or if he even died, as long as Annie was defeated for good.
After passing the uncharted area, he came to a huge opening, where he saw a hut formed from the tree it was connected to. Two windows glew a florescent light from the moss covered hut, as Coltstein took precautions, walking further into the opening. He knew that Annie wasn't going to allow him easy access. Coltstein was correct, noticing a large number of walls composed of the forest plantation form all around him, along with a sinister laugh in the midst of the newly formed trap.
"Did you really think it would be that easy?!" taunted Annie.
"No, Annie," replied Coltstein. "Do you think I'm that stupid. I know how things work with monsters like you."
"Well, I doubt you'll be able to pass this test, scum!" taunted Annie. "This maze has never been passed by any mortal, and was designed to do so! You may have been able to pass every other test I've thrown at you, but this test is one that not even you will be able to pass!"
"You'd be surprised, Annie," replied Coltstein. "I look forward to seeing you on the other side."
Annie laughed.
"I look forward to absorbing your soul, detective!" concluded Annie.
Coltstein ignored Annie's taunting, and carefully examined the area. He was in Annie's territory now, and this would be his biggest challenge yet.
"This is it, Coltstein," he said. "Time to put all that knowledge to use."
Coltstein knew that he'd have to be prepared for anything. Annie was ruthless, so this maze was packed with traps. Coltstein proceeded with caution down the only path accessible. He came to the first turn, examining the open area carefully. Coltstein couldn't see anything of danger, but Annie was manipulative, so even the safest areas couldn't be trusted. The darkness made it hard to see if there was anything hiding within the walls of the passage, so Coltstein had to think hard.
"Think hard, Coltstein," he said to himself. "I can't just go off of instinct. If I go by my instincts, I'll end up dead for sure."
Coltstein retraced his steps, remembering that he had a key that showed him the truth.
"The key!" he exclaimed, pulling the key out. "Now, I just need a keyhole."
"There's no keyhole," spoke a nearby voice.
Coltstein was confused, as he looked around, hoping to see somepony.
"Who's there?" he asked.
"I am the filly, Sally," spoke the voice. "I can't here long, so I must be quick. As a sign of gratitude, I leave you with words of advice, detective. The key is the answer, but how you see the truth doesn't rely on an entrance, only what remains precious. Best of luck to you, detective, and thank you for freeing me."
Coltstein couldn't feel the presence of Sally anymore, as he thought about what Sally had said. He was confused, but knew that Sally had not given him that information for no reason. He decided to trust Sally's advice, and immediately thought hard about the words.
The key is the answer, but it doesn't rely on an entrance, only what remains precious.
The main part of the riddle that Coltstein focused on was,"only what remains precious ." What was most precious to him? He cared for many things. He loved Daisy, cared deeply for Apple Bloom, and even though it didn't seem like it, he did care for his colleague, Cadwell. How did a key have to do with Daisy, Apple Bloom, or Cadwell? They were just innocent victims caught in the middle of a demon's game of chess.
"Is the riddle referring to my past?" questioned Coltstein, as he thought hard about his theory.
Through his thoughts, he remembered an older memory from his filly years. A day when he was playing a board game with his sister.
Young Coltstein sat in his room, playing a strategic board game with his sister. The concept of the game was to build an army, and to destroy your opponent's army, a game called Ponyscape. Coltstein had a stronger pegasus, equipped with wing armor that made it nearly impossible to kill, while Dazzling had an earth pony with a bronze sword. It was down to the final battle.
"My pegasus is clearly stronger than your earth pony, sis!" said Coltstein, ready to claim victory. "Victory is mine, unless you can power-up your earth pony to beat my pegasus!"
Dazzling realizes that her brother is correct, as she thinks hard about ALL of her options. She took her turn.
"Alright, Coltenstein," she said playfully."I'll take my turn, and I'll start by moving my earth pony into your pegasus's magic field, which will decrease my pony's life by 10 life."
Coltstein is confused, yet satisfied, as Dazzling ends her turn.
"You fool, now all I have to do is attack, and I win!" he exclaimed, commanding his pegasus to attack. "I win!"
"Not exactly, little brother," stated Dazzling. "You fell right into my trap. I wanted you to attack, so I can activate my earth pony's ultimate special ability; Angel's Call. This ability can only be activated a turn after when my character's life is decreased by the effect of one of your creature's. My character regains life, equal to the amount of life it lost x10."
"Oh no! That means...
"My creature gains 100 life, and your creature only has 50 life, therefore your creature is destroyed and I win the game," confirmed Dazzling.
Coltstein was shocked. He clearly had the game won, yet his older sister had pulled a bold move to win the game.
"How did you do that?!" asked Coltstein, completely shocked.
"Simple, little brother," replied Dazzling. "I looked over all my possible options, and found a way to outsmart your tactics. Sometimes if you look at things differently, you can find a way to overcome a sticky situation."
"Well, you won fair and square, so I guess I'll be doing the dishes tonight," stated Coltstein, putting the game board away.
Coltstein's mind spiked at the thought of what Dazzling had said that day, remembering that he still had the other key. If he looked through the gem embedded in the key's grip, perhaps it would show him the right path, even though he knew that there was no safe path. Coltstein reached into his pocket and grabbed the gold key, holding it by it's teeth between his hooves. He squinted his left eye shut, and looked through the gem-embedded part of the grip, immediately noticing something strange. He could see what looked like a staircase drawn along the left wall of the passage, which he knew was the only safe way to pass.
"Well, I'll be damned," he said to himself. "I can't believe that actually worked."
Coltstein felt a small boost of confidence, until he remembered he still needed to find some sort of way to trigger the staircase. He turned back to the key, staring through the gem, hoping to find what looked like some sort of keyhole. It didn't take long to find a hidden keyhole just outside of the opening to the passage. Using the key's guidance, he walked to the location of the keyhole, and placed the silver key into the hidden keyhole, turning the key.
Immediately, a staircase made out of concrete grew from the side of the wall, causing a motion-activated booby trap to activate. Ten poisonous daggers shot from the opposite wall, and stuck into the other side of the passage.
"Daggers," said Coltstein, examining the weapons. "Perfect for defence."
Coltstein walked onto the staircase, grabbing the daggers as he did, and sticking them into his pocket. He knew he'd need them, because the traps were far from done. Once he had made it past the first trap safely, he made his way from the staircase, only to see a long, narrow path. Coltstein already knew that this passageway was littered with dagger traps, so to find a way to trigger the trap, he used his only safe-guide.
He couldn't see any hidden passages through the key, even after doing a double check to make sure he hadn't missed anything. That's when he knew that to get past this obstacle, he'd just have to run as fast as he possibly could, and hopefully not get hit by any daggers. Coltstein was pretty athletic, so he could run fast, but this was a matter of life and death, so unless he hoofed-it, he'd be hit by one of the daggers for sure.
Coltstein decided to do a countdown, preparing himself for the long run. It was as if he were preparing for an Olympic event, only the stakes were higher and much more dangerous.
"Don't think. Just run, Coltstein," he advised, preparing for a countdown. "Three. Two. One. RUN!"
Coltstein abandoned any other thoughts, and quickly trotted as fast as he could down the long path, hearing the booby traps trigger. He didn't think of anything, and just continued to trot, focusing on only getting to the other end of the path. He was only inches from the end of the path, when he felt an agonizing pain in his right thigh. He had been struck by a dagger, causing him to falter a little, but with one final lunge, he was out of the danger zone.
His right thigh burned like fire, as he examined the injury, only to see a small steel blade embedded deep into where his cutie mark was located. He knew he had to get the blade out, so the poison couldn't spread any further than it already had. He groaned in pain, gripping the sharp blade, and pulling it out. As he pulled the blade out, Coltstein screamed so loud that it echoed throughout the maze. Even though it was painful, Coltstein knew that the blade had to come out, so he continued to yank on the blade, until it finally came out.
Blood gushed from the open wound, as Coltstein struggled to stand back up, noticing something at the end of the long path just in front of him. Three creatures that looked like dogs growled at him, ready to pounce at any moment. Coltstein looked at the creatures, anger expressed on his face, as he stood back up, gripping the blade that he had just extracted from his wound.
"This is what you've wanted all along, isn't it?!" he stated. "To see me weak and hurt!? Is this what you've wanted, Annie!? IS IT!?"
His tone was of nothing but anger and rage, as he continued to stare at the creatures only thirty yards from him.
"I've been through hell and back because of you, and now, you are going to pay for all you've caused!" he yelled, taunting the creatures. "If this is truly what you want, THEN COME AT ME! I'M NOT AFRAID ANYMORE, YOU BITCH!"
Coltstein watched, as one of the horrendous creatures lunged toward him, ready to attack and finish him off. He continued to grip the dagger soaked with his blood, waiting for the creature to attack. Once the creature was within his reach, Coltstein thrusted the blade into the creature, hearing a "yipe" sound from the dog-like creature. The thrust from the blade had immediately weakened the creature, as Coltstein continued to hold the blade within the creature, pinning the monster against the wall of the maze closest to him.
The blade had begun to slide up the creature, as Coltstein released all the pressure he had on the blade, making sure it was pinned into the wall well enough to hold the creature. The blade had begun to slowly slide through the creature, slicing the creature in two.
"How does it feel?!" taunted Coltstein, admiring the creature's agony. "That's how I've felt for years, because of you! Torn in two!"
Off that statement, the creature's body was sliced in two, causing the other two creatures to retract. The poison had a strange effect on Coltstein. An effect that he enjoyed. An effect he needed. Annie's home was in plain sight, as the infuriated Coltstein made his way down the final passageway, noticing a rusty key right at the foot of the door. Annie's door had three locks, so this was the key to her home. The key to her black heart.
Coltstein grabbed the rusty key, placed it into the rustiest lock, the gold key into the golden lock, and the silver key into the silver lock, turning all three keys. The large lock fell from the wooden door to the ground, dissolving to nothing but dust, as Coltstein prepared to enter Annie's heart. The encounter he had awaited ever since the night he had ever encountered Annie.
"I'm home, Annie," he said to himself, pushing the door open. "We settle this, now!"
Inside the hut, Coltstein saw nothing but pure horror. Along the walls of the hut were bloodstained tables with chunks of meat and flesh on them, next to bloody knives. Along with a torture device designed to rip filly and colt's limbs clean from their bodies, placed along the wooden floor. A pentagram was outlined in the middle of the hut as well, drawn by the blood of innocent victims, but Coltstein noticed something particular about the blood. It was fresh, meaning it had just recently been drawn out.
Once Coltstein had finished his observation of the hut, he caught sight of an angelic pony on the far side of the room, humming a tune. He could see another pony within the torture device, silenced by something covering their mouth. The pony had something on their head. Something red and very familiar. The angelic pony moved away from the device, only to reveal Apple Bloom with a nasty incision on the left side of her body.
Her eyes were full of tears, and her mouth was covered by some sort of tar. She screamed in agony, as the other pony placed their hoof back into the incision. Coltstein had seen enough, and he didn't need the key to show him who the angelic pony truly was. It was Annie. To catch Annie's attention, Coltstein stomped his back hoof against the wooden floor. The stomp startled Annie, as she turned to face him.
"Looks like I underestimated you," said Annie. "But your adventure ends here, detective. Come any closer, and I'll rip her limbs from her joints!"
Coltstein was infuriated, as he stared at the demon.
"So, this is how it is?" he questioned. "Apple Bloom was right. You are a coward. You rely on dirty deeds to get what you want."
Annie laughed.
"Did you think I was going to play fair!?" she taunted. "Apparently, you don't know how demons work!"
She followed her taunting with a laugh that made Coltstein's anger grow even more.
"I never expected you to play fair, Annie" he stated. "I know how demons work. They taunt, lie, manipulate, and pull the dirtiest moves to outsmart their adversaries. However, you haven't outsmarted me. It's all thanks to your own trap that I'm the one who is going to end you!"
"What sort of nonsense are you speaking?!" she taunted. "You can't do anything! I've outsmarted you, and now, this pathetic filly will become my new body! This body has become old, crippled, and too obvious. With Apple Bloom's body, I'll be able to plague this pathetic world!"
"Never," confirmed Coltstein. "I've never known my destiny, but now I do know it. IT'S TO STOP YOU!"
Coltstein transported across the room to where Annie stood, surprising her immediately, and before she could react, Coltstein thrusted one of the daggers he had obtained into Annie's side so deep that only two inches of the dagger were visible outside of Annie's body. The stabbing caused Annie to collapse to the ground, as Coltstein rushed to free Apple Bloom from the demented device that she was trapped in.
Coltstein used his newfound abilities to unlock all the locks, then lifted Apple Bloom from the device, turning toward the exit, hoping to escape.
"You won't escape!" shouted Annie, sealing the exit, using her magic.
Coltstein turned back to Annie who had managed to catch her balance again.
"NOPONY HAS EVER ESCAPED, AND NO SIMPLE SUBJECT AS YOU WILL ESCAPE ME!" exclaimed Annie, lunging forward at a fast speed.
Coltstein could read Annie, now that his true potential had been unlocked, and quickly dodged her, causing her to violently smack into the door. The impact had caused the entire hut to shake, as Coltstein grabbed his third dagger, and stabbed Annie five times in her back, causing her to scream. He didn't show her no mercy, and continued to stab her over and over, until the blade broke, sticking into her back. To continue his assault, Coltstein grabbed the fourth dagger, and stabbed her until the blade broke.
Coltstein wasn't holding back, and continued to do the same cycle, until all the daggers had broken, and Annie's back was completely covered with stab wounds, and only blood was visible. Once the stabbing was done, and enough poison was infested into Annie to kill her, Coltstein watched in his rage, as Annie fell to the floor with a hard thud, screaming in pain. She was defeated at last, slowly dying in her final moments.
"How does it feel?" he taunted. "To finally feel the pain and agony that I've felt for years, all because of you!"
Annie laughed in response, blood leaking from her mouth.
"You think you've won?!" she claimed. "The moment I sealed that exit, I trapped you to your death! This hut will collapse, and you'll go with it! I've won, detective! You've lost!"
Annie suddenly let out a piercing scream, causing the entire hut to shake, and slowly start to collapse.
"Goodbye, detective!" taunted Annie, laughing at his false attempts.
Annie had Coltstein pinned, and if he had any chance of escaping, he had to think fast. The unfolding events made it hard for him to think, along with Annie's laughter, until he spotted a book on a table starting to collapse. That's when he remembered the legend of the book he had found in Canterlot Library that day.
"If anypony is to ever come across it, they are destined to die from their own doing. "
The words made him realize what he had to do now. To defeat Annie, he had to die. It was the only way to win, but he had made a promise to Daisy that he would return, and wanted to let her know that he loved her. The question was, how? Through his struggle, he heard Apple Bloom say something, but due to the black tar covering her mouth, it was hard tell what she was trying to say.
"Apple Bloom, are you trying to tell me something?" he asked.
Apple Bloom responded by nodding her head, but if he tried to even remove the tar, it would rip her flesh clean from her jaw. Coltstein didn't have to act, as Apple Bloom used her hoof to obtain some blood, and wrote a message along the floor. Even though it hurt her, she knew that she had to repay Coltstein some way, causing Coltstein to smile. Apple Bloom spelled out the words "USE ME" using her own blood, immediately confusing Coltstein.
"How can I use you?" he asked.
Apple Bloom responded by touching her right ear with her right hoof, as if she were directing him toward it.
"You want me to use your ear?" he asked.
Apple Bloom wasted no time in nodding her head, so Coltstein acted quickly, placing his mouth near Apple Bloom's right ear.
Daisy stood before Annie, still in full manifestation, laughing at her. Annie had been taunting Daisy, and calling her every foul word she possibly could in the time of Coltstein's absence. Daisy had adapted to Annie's insults, so she just ignored the insults, and continued to worry about Coltstein, due to him being gone for over an hour. Annie's insults were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice, speaking out of Annie's mouth.
"Daisy? Are you there?" asked the voice.
Daisy wasn't sure whether or not to trust the voice, so she hesitated.
"If you're there, it's Coltstein speaking from Annie's mind. I just want to say, goodbye, and that I love you, even though it may not seem like it. You were the only one who believed in me through this entire case, and for that, I am forever grateful, but in the end, I must die to save both Apple Bloom and you. It was sealed in stone ever since the night I encountered Annie for the first time. For me. For Apple Bloom, be sure to get the footage of this exorcism to the media. It's the only way to prove Apple Bloom's innocence, and to free her from the facility. I love you, and always will. Goodbye, Daisy."
The message ended, and Annie fell to silence. Daisy knew that was Coltstein, and that he wasn't kidding about anything he said. She felt tears enter her eye sockets, trying to think of any possible solution.
"There has to be a way to save him," she said. "It can't end like this. No more lives can't be lost."
Her mind fell to one solution, as she grabbed a camera from it's stand, and cast the spell that she had cast on Coltstein to enter Annie's mind, causing her to enter the mind of Annie, hoping to save Coltstein and Apple Bloom.
Just like Coltstein, Daisy landed on the outskirts of the forest. She stood from the hard ground, surprised the camera was still working. She was confused on where to go next, until she heard a child's voice.
"If you wish to save them, come with me," said the voice.
Daisy was scared, as she questioned the voice.
"Who are you?" she asked. "Where are you?"
"Down here," replied the voice.
Daisy looked down with the camera, only to see a young female filly standing at her hooves. She was both frightened, yet comfortable at the same time. She could see this was a harmless spirit, as she spoke out.
"Who are you, dear?" she asked.
"My name is Sally," replied Sally. "The one you seek saved me from the darkness."
"He did?" she questioned.
"Yes. We must hurry if you wish to save him. Due to Annie being weak, I can get you to your destination fast. Just grab my hoof, and I'll take you to him."
Daisy trusted Sally, so she grabbed Sally's hoof, and was surprised, as she immediately was transported to the outside of Annie's hut.
"He's in there," clarified Sally.
Daisy trotted to the door, attempting to open it, but the knob wouldn't budge. She panicked, turning back to Sally.
"How do I get in?!" asked Daisy.
Sally smiled.
"You know magic, right?" questioned Sally. "One good magic blast should do it."
"I haven't done magic like that for years!" she exclaimed. "I doubt I could even budge it!"
Sally shook her head.
"Do you love him?" asked Sally.
"More than anything!" replied Daisy.
"Then don't think, just do!" commanded Sally.
"But, I...
Daisy was cut off.
"DON'T THINK!" exclaimed Sally.
Daisy grew angry, and charged up as much magic as she could. She didn't focus on her target, and fired a massive beam of magic, hitting the side of the hut. She caused tons of damage to the hut, until she finally made her aim back to the door, blasting it from its hinges. The blast surprised Coltstein from the inside, as Daisy ran into the hut, and shouted out for Coltstein.
"Coltstein!" she yelled.
Coltstein stood up, surprised to see Daisy.
"Daisy?" he questioned. "What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Saving you!" she confirmed.
Coltstein looked angry, as he responded back.
"Daisy, I have to die to kill Annie," he stated. "If I leave, she'll escape."
Daisy shook her head.
"There has to be another way! I can't lose you, Coltstein! Not like this!"
Coltstein's eyes bulged, starting to leak small tears. Daisy continued to speak.
"I know this may seem like the only way, but there must be another way to end this madness without another life being lost!" stated Daisy.
"What other way is there?" asked Coltstein.
"I don't know, Coltstein," said Daisy. "Use that big brain of yours to find another way."
Coltstein thought hard about any other possibility, then remembered the memory of him and Dazzling playing the game. Dazzling's words applied to this situation. Annie was the pegasus, and he was the earth pony. He had to think from a different angle to win Annie's demented game of chess.
"Think Coltstein," he said to himself.
Suddenly, he remembered back to what the blade soaked with his blood had done the dog-like creature. Could mortal blood be the key? Just like in the game, he'd have to give something up to gain victory.
Mortal blood had a strong effect on Annie's creatures, so what effect would it have on her?
Coltstein's mind spiked, as he turned to Daisy.
"Find something sharp for me!" he commanded. "I believe I know how to beat her!"
Daisy quickly scrambled around for any sharp objects, immediately noticing a large shard of glass among the clutter. She quickly grabbed it, and gave it to Coltstein.
"Hold Apple Bloom for me," he said, holding out the young filly.
Daisy took Apple Bloom from Coltstein, handing Coltstein the glass shard.
"I've figured out Annie's weakness; the blood of mortals," he stated.
"What are you going to do?" asked Daisy.
"Give Annie her kiss of death," he concluded. "Apple Bloom, this is going to sting, but I can't use my own blood, so I need you to be strong."
Apple Bloom nodded her small head, as Coltstein made a deep cut into Apple Bloom's front right hoof. Apple Bloom jolted, as blood started to leak from her wound. To catch the blood, Coltstein started sucking blood from wound like a vampire. Coltstein hated to do this, but he needed lots of blood to put Annie to rest, forever, so he continued to suck until his mouth was full of the taste of iron. He didn't enjoy the taste, but he had to deal with it, as he turned toward Annie.
Annie looked at him, weak, as Coltstein leaned down, and quickly silenced Annie by putting his mouth to hers, spitting all of Apple Bloom's blood into her mouth. Annie attempted to break from him, but Coltstein held himself to her, making sure that all of the blood was extracted. Once he was sure that the blood was in Annie's mouth, he pulled away, and crammed Annie's mouth shut, to prevent her from spitting out the poison. He even cut off her nostrils, so she couldn't breathe.
"Didn't think I'd figure it out?" he taunted. "This is your only weakness! The blood of a mortal!"
He had to get her to swallow it so he sat her up, and violently thrusted her head back, giving her no choice but to swallow it or choke. She attempted to fight in his hooves, but Coltstein was clearly stronger, due to Annie having tons of wounds and large amounts of poison in her bloodstream compared to Coltstein.
"Daisy! I need some help!" he yelled.
Daisy sat Apple Bloom down gently, and quickly rushed to his aid.
"What do I need to do?" she asked.
"I need you to give her a bit of a nudge," he replied. "One stab should do it."
Daisy had the glass shard that Coltstein had used, so she quickly acted, by stabbing Annie in the stomach. Annie was stubborn, refusing to give in, so Daisy attempted another stab just above the abdominal area, but once again, failed. Daisy went for another stab attempt, but was surprised as Annie broke free from Coltstein's grip, and created a force strong enough to push Coltstein and Daisy into the walls of the hut.
"ENOUGH!" yelled Annie, sending Coltstein and Daisy flying. "IT'S TIME TO FINISH YOU PESTS!"
Coltstein and Daisy's impacts had hurt both of them badly, so they couldn't recover to defend themselves, as Annie picked up a large, sharp, metal shard, and prepared to thrust it into Coltstein.
"You might've weakened me, but I still have enough strength for one final kill!" stated Annie, preparing for her assault. "Welcome to the family, detective," she taunted, lunging the metal object toward Coltstein.
Coltstein saw him life flash before his eyes, as the metal shard grew closer and closer. He saw his family, Dazzling, Apple Bloom, and all the ponies he had failed to protect, as he prepared to enter Annie's family of tortured souls. Just as the shard was about to impact him, Annie was stopped by something. She choked, as a shard of glass was thrusted through her neck, causing her to drop the metal shard, and fall in defeat.
The shard of glass remained in place, as Apple Bloom appeared from behind Annie's wide neck. Annie couldn't speak, as Apple Bloom pulled out the shard, then swung it like a sword, severing Annie's head from her shoulders.
"Son of a bitch," said Coltstein in a shocked tone. "She actually did it."
The tar covering Apple Bloom's mouth dissolved, and immediately she spoke out in her victory.
"Stay away from me and my friend's!" she commanded, jumping from Annie's lifeless body, and landing on Annie's severed head, shattering like glass.
The shards from Annie's head dissolved to nothing but dust, as Apple Bloom ran to Daisy and Coltstein's aids.
"Ya' ok, doctor?" asked Apple Bloom, attempting to help Coltstein up.
"I've been better," he joked, standing back up.
Apple Bloom and Coltstein laughed, as Daisy helped herself up, continuing to film the entire thing.
"Let's get out of here," said Coltstein. "I'm tired of this place."
"You think you are," joked Apple Bloom.
Coltstein, Daisy, and Apple Bloom took their leave, sealing the exit, so Annie had no possibility of escape. Outside the hut, the maze was gone, and all that remained was a beautiful forest, now that the evil had been removed. Above them, tons of white auras filled the sky, each heading toward a large portal.
"Looks like we're not the only ones getting out," stated Coltstein.
All three of them smiled, as the spirit of a young filly appeared before them. Coltstein immediately recognized the filly as the one that Annie had forced to commit suicide. She was finally free to go.
"Are you ready to go?" asked the spirit.
All three nodded their heads, so the spirit held out a hoof.
"Take my hoof, and we can all go," said the spirit.
All three of them didn't hesitate, and quickly placed their hooves on the spirit's.
"To freedom we go," concluded the spirit, lifting all of them into the air, toward the portal that would lead them back to where each of them belonged.
Coltstein could finally rest, knowing that the ponies he had failed to protect were now at peace, and a great feat of justice had been served. He could sleep again, knowing that the same nightmare was no longer awaiting him.
Peace and harmony. At long last I have found you.
View Online
Chapter 21: Epilogue: Coltstein's Confession
It didn't take long for Apple Bloom's innocence to be proven after the media got a hold of the footage from the exorcism. She was released the next day, courtesy of Coltstein himself. However, it wasn't the footage of the exorcism that became the talk of Ponyville, but what happened within the Canterlot morgue. Patients Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle miraculously came back to life not long after Coltstein, Daisy, and Apple Bloom had returned from Annie's mind.
Coltstein laughed when he read the story about Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle returning from the dead, even though he knew how they truly came back. They were freed just like the other countless souls of victims that Annie had stolen for her own power. Knowing that innocent victims had regained their lives made Coltstein happy, even though it was Apple Bloom who had freed them by killing Annie. That was one thing he could never take credit for, despite his reputation.
As for Coltstein, he along with Daisy, retired after one of the most compelling cases ever documented in the Canterlot case files. Coltstein had seen enough death in his time as a detective, and now that he knew justice had been served, he could retire in peace. The Apple family remains in contact with Coltstein, and still ask him for weekly sessions with Apple Bloom, which is one thing he could accept, as a friend to the Apple family, along with Daisy.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle made full recoveries, and continue to crusade with Apple Bloom, even though not long after her encounter with Annie, Apple Bloom earned her cutie mark. A shield that represented her bravery and strength in the face of danger. Apple Bloom had saved Equestria from what could've been a horrible future. She was the hero, not Coltstein, and Coltstein accepted that. He never wished to be rewarded for anything, and was happy, knowing that all of Annie's victims were free and at peace.
One year after the Unmarked case was solved, Coltstein and Daisy finally tied the knot, and not long after the wedding, Daisy ended up pregnant with a baby boy. Both of them agreed on a name that suited both of them combined; Bolden. Daisy and Coltstein both had bold hearts, and despite the odds, always found a way to triumph over every obstacle in the end. Coltstein and Daisy decided to live out in the country, where they wouldn't ever be bothered by anypony, except for their friends that knew the location.
Coltstein and Daisy have been at peace for three years, having visits from the Apple family every so often, along with Coltstein continuing his sessions with Apple Bloom. The couple couldn't be happier, but one thing still bugged Coltstein, something he remembered from his time in Annie's mind.
Three Years Later
Coltstein sat on his porch swing, admiring the view of the beautiful landscape, remembering his time in Annie's mind. Daisy joined him, handing him a cup of coffee in his favorite mug.
"Here's your coffee," said Daisy.
"Thanks," he replied, taking the coffee from Daisy.
"Something wrong?" asked Daisy.
"Well, I know it's been three years, but there's still one thing about the Unmarked case that I can't understand," he confessed, taking a sip from his mug.
"What is it?" she asked.
"The effect that the poison had on me. It made me remember something that I don't ever recall in my past. Even though it is true that I never knew what my cutie mark represented when it appeared at some Nightmare Night party."
"What happened at the party?"
Coltstein took another sip from his mug.
"I'm not sure, me along with some other friends decided to go looking for ghosts, but the strange thing is, I don't remember anything about that night. I remember waking up the next morning, and everypony was staring at me with strange looks. My cutie mark was there as well, so I sometimes wonder if my destiny is connected to the paranormal. Annie couldn't possess me no matter how hard she tried, and the poison from the dagger made me more powerful than a demon, so I wonder, am I real, or am I a spirit of some sort sent here to help rid this world of demons? Am I a powerful spirit in pony form?"
Daisy put her hoof around Coltstein's shoulder.
"After all I've seen, I wouldn't put it aside, but it doesn't matter," assured Daisy. "All that matters, is who you think YOU are, so who do you think YOU are, honey?"
Coltstein chuckled.
"I think I'm just any other pony, and I prefer to keep it that way, because as long as I have you and Bolden, nothing can ever make me think otherwise," he said, leaning in for a kiss.
"I agree," replied Daisy, kissing her beloved as the sun fell below the horizon, and Luna's moon rose into the night's sky.
Apple Bloom stood within a dark room where she could hear the sound of a pony struggling in the restraints that held their limbs against the table. The room was lit only by a single florescent lightbulb, hanging from the ceiling by only a single thread of wire, creating a gloomy atmosphere. It was only fitting, due to what was about to happen next. Apple Bloom noticed two other shadowy figures move further into the dim light, recognizing them as her two friends; Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
Sweetie Belle was holding a long sharp butcher knife with her magic, while Scootaloo accompanied her with a kit that Sweetie had borrowed from her older sister. In the kit, was thread, needles, and some tongs to grab what she was about to cut. Apple Bloom wasn't a stranger to this sight, seeing she had been here countless times to perform the same hanus act. Apple Bloom started to build up a sweat as Sweetie Belle approached the right flank area of the pony.
Apple Bloom stood in fear, hearing the pony in the restraints start to cry. Scootaloo quickly silenced the victim.
“Quiet down, or I'll give you a reason to cry!” commanded Scootaloo.
The victim didn't respond, only gave her a nod, due to their mouth being covered by duct tape, unable to speak. Just like countless times before, Sweetie Belle carefully cut into the right flank, immediately causing the pony to shake uncontrollably. Sweetie Belle ignored the pony's struggles and cut along the cutie mark, one which Apple Bloom didn't recognize. The sound of the flesh being cut made Apple Bloom cringe, hearing the pony's desperate screams for help, but nopony could hear the helpless pony.
Sweetie Belle continued to carefully cut around the cutie mark, the flesh starting to dangle from the flank, flopping like a pegasus's wings each time Sweetie Belle managed to puncture a nerve. Blood had started to leak onto the floor, but nopony ever came into the room that these acts were done in. It was strictly forbidden, unless you were a Cutie Mark Crusader. The group of fillies had been doing these acts for months, yet nopony suspected them, seeing they were young and looked innocent, but were far from it.
Sweetie had finished the cutting, hearing the chunk of freshly-cut flesh hit the wooden floor, a gushing sound following it. The wound bled terribly, as Sweetie grabbed the tongs from her provided kit. She grabbed the chunk of flesh, and sat it on a nearby table, proceeding to the left flank. She cut into the left flank, moving along the area with ease. Their victim had lost consciousness by now, but was re-awoken every time Sweetie hit a nerve. The pony violently jolted, begging for help, and praying for something to happen. There was no hope. The pony had become a victim of the CMC's “unmarking” process.
Sweetie finished the left side, watching the chunk of flesh hit the floor and spatter blood all over her clean coat. The young unicorn's coat was no longer white, only a crimson-red, as she picked up the second chunk of flesh, and placed it on the table, next to the other chunk. Apple Bloom wanted to shut her eyes, but her eyes were wide open, as the next step of the process started. The CMC had never killed anypony, only took their cutie mark for good, and stitched up the open wound.
The CMC had grown tired of being blank flanks, and had decided that all ponies should be equal by removing what makes them unique. The events of the unmarking had caught up to young Apple Bloom, and she'd never escape it. Sweetie Belle's stitching job usually took a total of one hour, depending on the size of the cutie mark. The unknown victim had passed out, but was once again re-awoken by the CMC when Sweetie had finished stitching up the wound.
“Now you know what it feels like,” said Scootaloo. “You didn't have to choose this path, but you did.”
Apple Bloom's stomach turned, as Sweetie Belle removed the duct tape and blind fold, only to see herself as the helpless victim. She screamed, as the sound of Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle laughing at her echoed within her ears. The Apple Bloom strapped to the table looked at her directly and spoke words that she knew she could never take back.
“It was your idea. You did this, and now, you can never take back what you did to all those you tortured.”
She was speechless, as she finally opened her eyes.
Therapy Session 1- The Origin
Apple Bloom sat on a couch, hearing only the sounds of the ticking clock on the far side of the room. The ticking sounded disturbing to the young filly, due to it sounding like a knife being sharpened. A sound she had heard countless times within the past months, whenever the knife went dull and Sweetie Belle had to sharpen it along the edges of an old knife sharpener that had been disposed of. It might've been rusty, but it was intact just well enough to get the job done.
She couldn't cover her ears, due to her being put in shackles whenever she visited the one pony that was supposed to help her overcome the fears that plagued her ever since the first victim. She knew it was only a waste of time, due to the pony only asking dumb questions she had answered multiple times, and giving her some sort of medicine at the end of the sessions. She refused to take the medicine, and would hide it under her tongue until she returned to her dark and lonely room that only felt like a prison cell to her.
The shackles were heavy on her hooves, but these doctors could care less, seeing they were just here to make a profit. She hated it here, yet it was her own fault she was here. She was the cause of why she was in this terrible place, and the reason her two friends were no more. It was a fair punishment, and she knew it. Her therapist grabbed a notebook and pen, then looked at the young filly resting on the couch.
“Good afternoon, Apple Bloom,” spoke the doctor. “How are you today? I heard from some of the staff that you woke up screaming.”
Apple Bloom didn't want to answer, but knowing she'd just be drug back to her cell to sit in the dark for the rest of the day, she decided to answer. The last place she wanted to be, was in that cell.
“How do you think I feel, doctor?!” she said annoyingly.
The doctor recognized Apple Bloom's behavior, and attempted to calm the troubled filly to a content level.
“Listen, Apple Bloom. I know that you've been through much recently, but please, give therapy a chance. Sometimes it's best to talk to other ponies, rather than sit in a dark room all day acting unsocial. Ignoring me isn't going to bring your friends back. Nothing will.”
The doctor's words calmed the filly, noticing a change in the doctor's attempts at trying to help her. She knew the doctor was correct, and that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were never coming back, even though it might be best that they were free from her.
“Perhaps it's best that my friends are gone,” she said. “I led them to doing unspeakable things, all over being a blank flank. I deserve to be here! They didn't deserve to die!”
Her sudden outburst made the doctor jump, but it didn't surprise him, due to his encounters with past patients being similar. He adjusted his glasses, regaining his composure, then returned to talking to Apple Bloom. This time he decided to approach the conversation differently.
“Explain to me, Apple Bloom. Why do you think it's best that your friends are dead?” he asked.
Apple Bloom's anger had lowered, as she started to shed small tears, and her head hung limp. She was full of guilt, and it was eating her alive. She couldn't even remember a single time when her life was still normal, nor a single time when she went crusading with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Tears continued to shed, as she struggled to even reply to the therapist. The doctor knew he had struck the young filly, and she was slowly breaking.
He spoke calmly to her, knowing she was upset, and he didn't want to upset her too much.
“Do you miss your friends, Apple Bloom?” he asked.
Apple Bloom struggled to lift her head, feeling as if it were being held down by some sort of heaviness that she couldn't explain. She had streams down her face from her tears, and was still struggling to speak through her sadness.
“Of course I miss them! They were my only friends that understood me for who I was!” she replied.
“Do you truly believe they are at peace?” he asked.
This question had caused Apple Bloom's expression to change entirely. She thought about the question, but the conclusion caused her entire body to quiver. She felt as if she was going to be sick, as she muttered out the truth.
“No. I don't,” she replied, starting to cry again.
The doctor knew he had broken the young filly and proceeded to his next question, hoping it would lead possibly to Apple Bloom giving him some answers.
“Why do you believe your friends are not at peace?” he asked.
“Because, the truth of why I did what I did remains hidden,” she confessed. “They'd want justice. They'd want me to do the right thing.”
The filly was broken, and now the truth could be revealed, but the doctor knew that he wouldn't get the full truth in one sitting.
“Are you willing to do the right thing, Apple Bloom?” he asked. The filly hesitated, but finally gave an answer.
“I-I-I'm afraid to,” she said.
This response surprised the doctor. Knowing she was already scared, he spoke calmly.
“Why are you afraid to speak what will give your friends peace?” he asked.
“It's not that I'm afraid to speak the truth,” she claimed. “I'm just afraid of you. How can I trust somepony like you?! For all I know, you can just be trickin' me into a trap!”
The doctor was stuck, now aware that Apple Bloom wasn't going to break easily. Why would she trust him? He was a stranger to her, and honestly, he was trying to get the truth out for the Royal Guard. The doctor felt sorry for the young pony, and knew that he was going to have to do this some other way to gain her trust.
“Fair enough, Apple Bloom,” he spoke. “I won't force you to tell the truth if you do not want to.”
Apple Bloom was surprised, seeing most of the other doctors she had spoke to responded angrily or ignorantly when she refused to speak. She could tell this doctor was different, but it was going to take more than just friendly gestures for this doctor to earn her trust.
“Can I go now?” asked Apple Bloom.
“If that's what you want,” replied the doctor. “Just let me get a nurse to escort you.” As the doctor picked up the phone to call a nurse, he thought of how he was going to earn Apple Bloom's trust. Even though this session was short, he knew he had made some progress.
Chapter 11: Confessions of A Zebra
Coltstein returned to the Canterlot Mental Facility, where his final suspect awaited his arrival; the witch doctor, known as Zecora. He had pieced together most of the case, but two questions still remained. Why did Zecora give Apple Bloom a medicine strong enough to drug her, and what happened the night of the final unmarking? Coltstein knew that only one of those questions could be answered by Zecora, but he knew where he needed to go for the answers of what ever happened that night in the clubhouse. For now, his main focus was his only suspect.
Coltstein walked through the double doors, leading to Nurse Daisy's desk, where she sat, watching Apple Bloom closely. Daisy didn't notice the doctor's presence, so he gave three hooftaps on the desk to catch her attention. She turned her focus away from the monitor, and looked up at the doctor. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked exhausted, due to her shift being a 24 hour shift. She did her best to give the doctor a smile, as he looked at her.
"You look like...
He was cut off by Daisy.
"Like a pile of manure," she said, in an exhausted tone. "I know. I've been up for over twenty hours."
Coltstein giggled, giving her a smile.
"Why don't you go home?" he suggested. "I can take things from here."
"If anypony needs a rest, it's you," she claimed. "You haven't rested ever since the beginning of Apple Bloom's case."
"All in the day's work, Daisy. Besides, I hate to sleep. The nightmares are truly terrifying, and I need to stay focused, because I'm close to putting this case to rest. I just need to interrogate Zecora, and lastly, figure out what the hell happened in that clubhouse that night."
Daisy gave him a strange look, at the mentioning of the nightmares.
"What are the nightmares about, doctor?" she asked.
"It's nothing for you to be concerned about," he replied.
"But, I am concerned, doctor," she claimed. "What sort of nightmare could be so terrifying that it prevents you from sleeping?"
Coltstein knew that she wasn't going to subside from the subject, so he turned to her, giving her a gaze that seemed both sad and troubling.
"When you have worked in a field as bold as mine, you learn and see many things," he confessed. "I've seen so much blood and death to the point of where I have become so used to it, it's only second nature to me. However, there's always that ONE case that will traumatize you for the rest of your life. Not just in your career, but for the rest of your natural life. That one case involved a young filly committing suicide inches from my face."
Daisy gasped, tears forming in her eye sockets.
"I will never forget that night for as long as I live. There was blood everywhere, I found her under the floorboards, and I tried to pull the gun away, but before I had the chance, gunfire erupted. The sight was horrifying. A filly once innocent with no troubles in her short life had a gaping hole through her skull, and I was drenched in her blood. The case was so traumatizing that I went into seclusion for over a year, took therapy, hoping to forget, and even considered suicide myself."
Daisy was speechless. She knew that Coltstein had been through many troubling cases, but the way it was described made her entire body quiver. She couldn't even picture such a horrid scene in her mind, and she didn't want to.
"I-I had no idea that it was that horrifying," she said, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Now you know. If I sleep, I re-visit that night and the horrors of it," he confessed. "It's a night I never want to relive, and I can't sleep because of that reason."
Daisy placed her hoof on his hoof.
"I feel for you, and even though I didn't know before, I'm glad I do now," she confessed.
Daisy and Coltstein had started to lean close to each other, nearly kissing. Coltstein retracted, pulling his hoof from Daisy's grasp.
"Now's not the time, Daisy," he said. "I do care for you, but right now, I need to focus on the case. Maybe someday, but for now, I must solve this case."
Daisy nodded in agreement.
"I understand, and I'm sorry," she said.
Coltstein nodded, as he made his way into the interrogation room.
The room was quiet, as Coltstein entered the room, shutting the door behind him. Zecora sat a metal table, her hooves constricted by heavy metal shackles, and a confused look on her face. She was unsure why she was here, but Coltstein could care less what she thought. He was only focused on getting Zecora to spit the truth, and he knew ways of getting his suspects to talk, even if it resorted to much more violent ways. Zecora looked up at the doctor with fear and confusion in her eyes.
"I'm just going to cut straight to the facts, Zecora," claimed Coltstein. "I already know that you gave Apple Bloom a medicine strong enough to drug her."
Zecora tried to hold a poker face, as Coltstein continued.
"So, tell me, Zecora. Why did you give Apple Bloom something strong enough to possibly make her do strange things?"
Coltstein's tone was of only irritation and anger, as he closed into Zecora, giving her a look that made the zebra quiver.
"I don't understand," said Zecora.
She was immediately cut off by Coltstein.
"Cut the slack, Zecora!" he snapped. "I have the evidence!"
Zecora could see that the doctor was serious, and that if she didn't speak, he'd result to much more physical tactics.
"I did give her a medicine, but I had no idea it would give her these side effects," Zecora confessed.
Coltstein shook his head, stepping closer to Zecora, until he was standing right above her.
"That's a lie, Zecora," he claimed. "In your personal records, found and recovered by Ponyville Police, it was found that you document EVERY ingredient in every single concoction that you make. Therefore, you knew every ingredient and their side effects that was in the medicine you gave to Apple Bloom."
Zecora's facial expression sunk to only fear and guilt.
"Now, I'm only going to ask one more time. Why did you give Apple Bloom a medicine strong enough to possibly make her do the unthinkable? Lie to me one more time, I'll make you wish you hadn't!" Coltstein's temper had begun to rise.
"I swear I didn't know it would be that strong!" Zecora snapped.
Coltstein had grown tired of Zecora's lying, so he resorted to another tactic.
"Fine. You want to keep lying, I'll make you wish you didn't," he said, making his way back to the front of the desk.
Coltstein quickly smashed Zecora's face onto the surface of the table, head-first, jolted her head back up, then punched her hard across the face. Blood had started to leak from her nostrils, seeing he had broken the zebra's nose, and she spat out some blood. Coltstein folded his hooves, looking at the zebra with disgust. Zecora struggled to even look at him, but there was no need, as Coltstein stood before Zecora, now that he had shown the zebra that he wasn't joking around.
"You going to tell me the truth now, Zecora?" asked Coltstein, as Zecora looked up at him.
"You can't do this!" she snapped, referring to his physical tactic.
"Sure I can," he said, punching Zecora hard again. "I can do anything to liars like you, because ponies or zebras like you are nothing but scum to me, now last chance before I do worse. WHY DID YOU GIVE HER THAT MEDICINE!?"
Zecora struggled to say anything, as she spat out more blood, along with some tooth fragments. She caught Coltstein preparing for another punch, so she quickly reacted.
"ALRIGHT!" she shouted in desperation.
Coltstein had finally broken Zecora, and stood back, folding his hooves in victory.
"I only gave her the medicine, because she wasn't going to leave without it! I warned her of the possible side effects, but she refused to take anything else! I swear! That's the truth!"
Coltstein thought about Zecora's words for a second, wondering if she had only said that to escape his violent tactic. Would Apple Bloom have been stubborn enough to accept something that could make her do horrible things? Only Apple Bloom could answer that.
"Stick around, Zecora," he said. "I'm going to find out if what you say is the actual truth, and if you are lying, so help me. I'll make matters worse," he said, making his way out of the interrogation room.
Coltstein returned to Daisy's desk, noticing her half awake, watching the monitors for Apple Bloom's room. To catch her attention, he cleared his throat.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"You might want to get somepony to clean up the mess Zecora made," he replied.
"For Celestia's sake!" she exclaimed. "You really went to that level?!"
Coltstein nodded his head.
"Liars need to be taught not to lie, Daisy. Only then, can the truth be found," he claimed.
"I suppose you're right," she stated.
"Yes. Now, I need you to get Apple Bloom into my office, first thing tomorrow," he asked. "I need her to confirm if what Zecora says is true."
"I can do that, but why tomorrow?" she asked.
"Because, I need to return to the crime scene. I need to know what in Celestia's name happened that night."
"I'm not sure if the sheriff would allow that, doctor."
"I don't care what he thinks!" he snapped. "He's only trying to keep me away, because he wants to get off on the case with the obvious conclusion! I won't allow that! I'm going to find out what really happened!"
Daisy smiled, looking at the doctor, and kissing him lightly on his cheek.
"Go get em, tiger," she said, as Coltstein smiled back, and made his way out of the facility, back to the crime scene.
