Chapter 1 : The Case
The night sky was clear, illuminated with countless stars and beautiful moon. Perfect for a beautiful night, if I might add. I was just staring at the sky all night....well, if I had my telescope to see the stars and Moon more closely, I would've appreciated even more. Anyway, we headed to Saint Isabel via the train, but they said they don't wanna go in or near Saint Isabel, stating it was infected by a mysterious plague or something uncleared. Nevertheless, we must go inside the Saint Isabel in any way possible. Apple Jack suggested that we should don the Hazard Shield Suit, in case if there's really a plague. As always, I've packed everything needed for this trip, even my books about any plagues so we can identify it. We eventually arrived at the Appleloosa Train Station and we exits out the train as we search for a ride.
"Well, we're here! Now we gonnah need somepony to drive us to Saint Isabel." said AJ.
"Right!" I replied. I began my search for any chariots avaliable but there's none until I saw a car near the staircase that leads to town. Ever since I wrote down my adventures to the Human World, a pegasus named Wildfire manufactured these cars for easy transportation but they aren't easy to mass-produce so they are dime a dozen. I told Apple Jack of the car so we grabbed our saddle packs and approached the driver, who seems like a cheerful pony. "Excuse me, we need a ride to Saint Isabel, the sooner the better." I requested. I noticed that his cheerful expression changed to seriousness and his reply sounds angry.
"Are you outta ya' mind?! The town is infected, as well as Oliver Town and Red Valley!! You gotta have some crazy reason to go there!" he harshly demanded.
"Look, Princess Celestia send us to investigate that town. Are you gonna take us there or not?" I asked in serious tone.
"Oh alright!" he replied bitterly. Just what kind of plague the ponies are fearing?
Hours later
"We're here!" shouted the driver as he parked his car 20 yards away from the town's entrance. We both stepped out then Apple Jack brought out her HS suit.
"Ah guess we should wear our suit, right sugarcube?" asked Apple Jack as she noticed the eerie mist coated around the town.
"Yes, let's do that." I agreed as we suit up in our Hazard Shield suit and began to head in the town. Our driver decides to stay in his car. I don't blame him.....maybe....
Anyway, we entered the town's hall and our suits didn't produce any magical aura yet so no sign of the plague yet. As we trots, we saw the entire town is in ruins, corpses scattered everywhere and bullet shells are on the ground like there was a fierce battle and several houses were burn down. Okay......this is getting scary as there's even dead body in the window and half of the grass and wall were painted in blood. AJ is getting freaked out and so am I. It's a massacre and I don't think any known plague in my book describes this kind of aftermath. It's like....someone invades this place and killed them but again, there's no signs who or what caused this. At the town hall, the lobby was barricaded to keep whatever it is away but it seems something broke through it despite the sandbags and furnitures placed before it. Since it's dark, I casted the Candlelight spell to produce a floating sphere of light, brighten the area just to find more blood and mutilated corpses on the walls and floor, forcing me to hold my lunch and AJ nearly yelped and clutched her chest as her heart barely jumped out of her chest. After getting our nerves together, we approached to the mayor office littered with blood in the corridor.
"Who would've done such a thing like this, Twilight? Ah mean there's hardly any bodies, yet there's a lotta blood." asked Apple Jack.
"I have no idea of who or what did this but I do know this is no plague of any sort. All we have to do is find some answers." I answered. My spines chilled with the eerie atmosphere around us and AJ is right, there are more blood then corpses. We stands before the office's doors and we pushed it doors. Unbeknownst to us, the doors was booby-trapped as strings were tied around the left door and leads to the stationary shotgun that aims directly toward the entrance. The left door pressured the string which pulled the trigger and fired its spread pellets. Thanks to my reflex, I immediately conjure a bubble shield the moment I saw the shotgun and its trigger being pulled. The pellets bounced off the barrier and ricocheted around the room. We then heard a female scream in the office.
"Who's there!?" I called out.
"AAH!! Go away monster!!! Don't you dare rip my skin off!! I swear to Celestia I'll use this grenade to blow us all to kingdom come!!" screamed the voice.
"Whoa whoa wait!!! We're not monsters! We're ponies!" I reassured her.
"Sure, that's what they said to Rodney! I'm not falling for that!!!" she snapped at me.
"Wait, is the air contaminated?" Apple Jack asked.
"No..... Why you ask, monster? Surely you know better then me?" she questioned us.
"I see.... Are you the mayor?" I asked.
"Stop stop stop stop!!! No no no! No more, no more question!! Remember, they want to eat you or worse!! Wear your skin!!" she yelled. She's losing her mind.
"Ah reckon we should take her back to Appleloosa for medical check-up." Apple Jack recommend. Suddenly we all heard a roar from the distant but the roar cause our blood to run cold because it sounds distorted, like a wolf combine with a banshee shriek .
"W-What was that!?" I questioned in fear.
"I-It doesn't sound like a Caninu or Timber Wolf!!" cringed Apple Jack.
"You brought them here and now we're all gonna die!!" whispered the mayor. We walked around the table to find a middle-aged mare with brown/caramel mane and tree-brown coat holding a hoof grenade.
"We're not going to die! Now get up and let's go!!" I ordered her. She glanced at us and see we're wearing the Hazard Shield suit the our eyes. She slowly nodded and stood up.
"O-Okay..." she replied. We all headed our way out and I personally was starting to get very scare but there's no time to let fear control me. We galloped through the corridor just when I heard something got smashed into the mayor's office, we didn't look back as who or whatever broke into the office let out an ear-piercing howl then sounds of hooves or paws struck the ground as it chased after us. We reached to the lobby and almost made it out but the mayor stopped and ready her grenade.
"EAT THIS!!!" she screamed as she pulled the ring and threw it at whatever is chasing us then, with fear being her drive, she went ahead of us so we gallop faster and we all made outside just in time for the grenade to explode. The destructive power of the grenade demolished the whole lobby and set the build ablaze. The force also pushed us away and stumbled over for a while until we all lay flat on the grass.
"Arrgh..... That hurts!!" I groaned then AJ pulled me and the mayor up.
"No time for pain, Twi! Let's go!!" she told us as multiple howls were heard. We immediately dash away as fast as the wind can take us.
We saw many creatures emerging from the burn-down houses, they're everywhere but I can't make out of their appearance as it's too dark and my Candlelight faded away. I must focus on getting out of here. I can hear them getting closer and closer, as if Death accompany them! Oh sweet Celestia, please let us reach the car in time!! We finally reached to the car but the driver's....missing....and there's a small trail of blood that lead from the door to the nearby trees. This is not good, but we entered the car anyway and AJ enters the driver seat, start up the engine then she stepped on it. She's driving as fast as car can go and we finally reached to the safe distance where the creatures gave up.
"Alright, Apple Jack!! Whoo hoo!! You saved us!!" I cheered.
"I never thought I get out of that nightmarish place!!" gasped the mayor heavily.
"Okay, now we need to find safe place, because we gonna need to ask you alot of question." I told her.
"O-Oh okay..." sighed mayor.
When we finally reached to Appleloosa, we took her to the town's doctor and, as she's being treated, we took off the HS suit. 20 minutes later, we were informed that she's okay and can be allow to visit her so AJ and I approached her and began our conversations. What's she told us.....i-i was just terrifying. I was taking note from what she said. She commenced the tale by the following:
"We had witnessed a very horrific event. The sky suddenly turned blood-red momentarily then that howl, the howl we heard, we heard it from every direction. It was very frightening event. S-Smike and Springjoy s-stay on watch all night as I ordered the residents to stay in-door until we figure out who or what made those howls or why the sky turn red for few moments." I noticed she's started to shake with fear and AJ noticed that.
"Are you okay?" she asked and she replied by taking a deep breath and resume.
"I.....I think it had been 6 days after that....then......then t-th-they came!! It speaks like Springjoy, walk like Springjoy, looks like Springjoy and even play his harmonica like Springjoy b-but it's not Springjoy!! I-It's the creature.....w-wearing his s-s-s *gulp* skin!" she gasped.
"H-How did you know it's not really Springjoy?" I asked nervously as I almost lost grip of my levitation spell holding my pen.
"Springjoy suddenly atacked my husband and was about to rip his skin off when Deputy Eva shot him. T-That's when he made that horrible howl o-or shriek...... H-His skin l-l-loosen up from the body--N-No, it splits open a-as if it was a cocoon.... I don't remember clearly b-but there THINGS came a day after when we killed the one wearing Springjoy's skin! T-They swarm all over the town... *voice breaking* I-I.....I had seen....friends.... *sniff* family...being devoured by the.....the.....the....!!!" She began to break down in sorrow and we calmed her down. This is among the most scariest thing I ever heard, even more scarier then the Changelings. After we calmed her down, she resumed with her tone feared and scared. "W-We called these thing.....Skinwalker.... I guess you must've seen the scene on your way to city hall..." she said.
"We did. It was a massacre. One more thing: Do you know where the Skinwalker came from?" I asked.
"No...... The only thing I know is that they killed everyone except for me..." she replied.
"Thank ya very much. I reckon that will be all." said Apple Jack. As we left, we began debating on this matter. A "Skinwalker" is beyond anything I read about mystical creature of the time we venture through the Everfree Forest. The Changelings' disguises were magical and very effective with few flaws but this "Skinwalker" wore actual skin of its victim and didn't even raise any suspicious or given off any flaws. I feared that this creature could be spreading and might attack the towns within Saint Isabel, Oliver Town and Red Valley's ranges. I decided to call Celestia with this new technology called the "Virtual Sphere" that was around the corner....I think? Ugh, I wish I should've brought Spike here. Oh well, I'll just use this thing. I searched for my pockets and....uh-oh...
"Oh.... Um......uh Apple Jack? Do you have a Bit? I can't find one." I asked sheepishly as I searched my pockets.
"Sure, ah have a spare one." smiled AJ as she gave me a Bit.
"Thanks." I inserted the Bit to the machine. "Alright, here we go." Since I dunno the phone number of Celestia's Virtual Sphere, this tech is equipped to accept address of selected caller so I dialed Celestia's address to her castle. As we waited, Celestia appears before us via the Virtual Sphere.
"Oh, Twilight! I'm glad to see you two are okay. So....did you solve the plague problem?" asked Celestia.
"Thanks for your concern for us....but Celestia..... Saint Isabel, Oliver Town and Red Valley are not struck down by plague. They were attacked by creatures whose ferocity and cunning are much greater then Changelings! I like to request for more authority in order to solve this with local officers and Celestia Troops." I recommended. Before Celestia can give an approval of my request, a terrible scream echoes through the air and, to my horror, it's coming from where the mayor is.
"Oh no!! Come on, Apple Jack!!!" AJ and I ran, leaving Celestia hanging on the call as we head back to the building.
Several local officers joined us as they also heard the scream. The screaming grew louder and more agonizing and there was crashing, bashing and shattering echoing through the hallway. An officer gave me a revolver and I grabbed it with my levitation spell while AJ grabbed a lead pipe that was on the floor. Suddenly a disturbing, disgusting sound of a flesh being tear off boomed across the hall and the scream immediately died out. We smashed through the door of the room where we left the mayor in. The light bulb flickers and swing about in the dark room. We spotted the creature and confronted it but it threw the corpse at us to prevent us attacking and it fell on me. I can feel the blood dripping on my face and I gazed at the corpse. It's the Mayor b-but her skin got--got peel off from her body. I shoved it aside in complete horror then gazed at the creature began wearing the skin it tooked from the mayor. It slipped its right claw through the right hoof then the left, making squishing sound as it slither in the flesh. Finally its face emerged with the Mayor's face. There's no sign of the wounds or marking of any kind, as if it's really her.....
"S-Sweet Celestia!" I whimpered in fear.
"Oh, how delightful that the Princess of Friendship honor us with her presence!!" spoke the Skinwalker in the Mayor's voice. Oh.....dear Luna..... Her voice is flawless!! It spoke as if it's actually the Mayor. The creature glared at me and grinned its malice grin as it head toward us. We tried to get up but another creature attacked us, which Apple Jack simultaneously swung her lead pipe and struck its left eye.
"Take that!! How's that for a sore eye?!" grinned AJ as she kept attacking the monster. The officers and I start shooting at the one wearing the Mayor's skin but the..."skinwalker" jumped out of the window and ran away. The second one ran as well but we managed to wound it and lost too many blood so it won't get far.
"What are those things, Princess Twilight!??!" asked the commissioner.
"That...was a Skinwalker..." I replied grimly. "We must act quickly before more of them come!!" I ordered. I hope we can stop these creatures from invading the rest of Appleloosa or worse, the entire Equestria.
To be continue.....
Author's Note
I could some help with story , I appreciate the help .