The Haunting of Harrowstone

by Wendy Crescent

Rating: teen
Tags: Anthro, Alternate Universe, Mystery, Horror, Adventure
Length: 1556

During a visit to the small town of Ravengro, for the funeral of one of her old teachers. She and a group of other unfortunate visitors are dragged into a mystery revolving around the old burned down prison of Harrowstone.

Violet Glow is a prominent mare, a rising star in the Equestrian Inquisition. She is young for her station and inexperienced compared to her elderly mentor. During a visit to the small town of Ravengro, for the funeral of one of her old teachers. She and a group of other unfortunate visitors are dragged into a mystery revolving around the old burned down prison of Harrowstone.

When Harrowstone Prison burned to the ground fifty years ago, prisoners, guards, and a host of vicious madmen met a terrifying end. In the years since, the nearby town of Ravengro has shunned the fire-scarred ruins, telling tales of unquiet spirits that wander abandoned cell blocks. But when a mysterious evil disturbs Harrowstone’s tenuous spiritual balance, a ghostly prison riot commences that threatens to consume the nearby village in madness and flames.

Can Violet Glow and her allies of convenience discover the secrets of Harrowstone and quell a rebellion of the dead? Or will they be the spirit-prison’s next inmates?

Editors:
* Looking for
Proof Readers:
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Setting:
First part of the Equestria Aegis setting.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2016-08-24 13:11:35 UTC

Introduction

Most Esteemed Inquisitor Violet Glow

I am sorry to be the bearer of sad news, but my father Petros Lorrimor passed away last Saturday in his sleep. His passing was quite sudden and I have to admit it I did not see this coming, even though he had been complaining about pains in the chest for quite some time the local apothecary was certain it was a simple bruising of the ribs. I am really sorry to be the bearer of bad news lady Violet. Especially not in the wake of Lord Inquisitor Ignatius' passing. My heart goes out to you Lady Violet, he was a stallion with his heart in the right place.

Following his wishes, we are holding a graveside service with his closest acquaintances. The service will be held in one week at the Restlands Cemetery in the small town of Ravengro where he lived out the last of his days. Father was a modest, and private man and wanted the service to be small with only the most intimate of friends and acquaintances that he had. The towns folk were never his people so to say he lived here but his heart was still with you and the college.

Yours truly,

Kendra Lorrimor

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Letting the letter fall to my desk for the third time that night I leaned back in the chair. My head resting on the comfortable cloth of the head rest. Rubbing my eyes I let out a deep and saddened sigh. It was my third read through of the letter that had come to me carried by a grim looking pegasus courier. If there was anything I didn't need to have only a week after sitting beside my mentor on his deathbed watching the stallion that was the closest thing to a father wither away, and subsequently naming me as his replacement, it was hearing about the passing of his best friend not even a full week later. Shaking my head I stood up and walked around the room, his room.

I doubted it would ever feel like my office, even though all of it was in fact mine. Everywhere I looked there were items, and little knick-knacks that reminded me both those stallions. The room was pretty large, it was more of a small library in all honesty, a plush red carpet adorned the floor and a large oak wooden desk was set at the large stained glass windows. The room had a second level which was more of a walkway to reach the higher of the books; one of the walls was adorned with maps of all of Equestria, while the other one had parchments pinned to it showing off various missions that were in progress across Equestria. A large selection of the books in the large book case were penned by my mentor and his best friend Professor Lorrimor. Journals of their shared adventures, handbooks meant for the novice Inquisitors, ones that I have studied extensively and actually for the most part have memorised.

Letting my mind drift for a moment I thought about the middle aged professor that led most of my classes through college. He was a wise stallion and actually had quite a selection of books and studies to his name. In all honesty the main subjects he used to teach for me was the sciences, astronomy and chemistry. Not to mention the advanced magical classes he taught after school that probably helped me more than the ones being taught by less skilled professors during school hours. I doubt I would ever forget that enthusiastic smile of his, Or the way he would make those wild grandiose hand gestures while passionately explaining something. His classes were always the highlight of the day, and he single handedly kindled my passion for learning.

I hefted another deep sigh, and took the ornate ink pen in my magic. Pulling out a piece of parchment paper I started to write a letter of my own. I needed a week leave for this not that I actually had been sent on a mission as of yet. Being the youngest Inquisitor had a pretty large downside, I hadn't done any field work. I was deemed not ready for service so they locked me up in the palace, sitting at a desk doing paper work as if I was the Grand Inquisitor's secretary. Not that they were wrong, Master Ignatius had told me so many stories of the horrors ponies are capable of once they take the darker path through life; still it felt like I wasn't contributing anything. The only reason I wanted to even follow in his footsteps was to keep Equestria safe. So others didn't have to lose their parents before they were even two years old.

Shaking my head I pushed those thoughts way for the moment I had a letter to write taking a moment she lit the dark purple candle that stood among her writing supplies.

Grand Inquisitor

I would like to request a seven day leave of absence for personal reasons. If possible, I would like to leave this coming Monday. And I expect to be back in my office the following Monday.

If approved, I will be travelling for most of the during this time period, and will be unable to properly be of assistance personally, though my scribes and Acolytes are at your disposal if they should be needed.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Yours faithfully

Inquisitor Violet Glow

She nodded gently at the letter that would have to do, setting her signature under her name she neatly folded the paper, and slipped it into an envelope. Taking levitating the candle of sealing wax she dripped it onto the envelope, pressing her seal ring into the wax. Keeping my ring there for a long moment I pulled it back to reveal my personal seal. Cleaning the ring with a handkerchief I stared at the symbol of a kite shield with two crossed pistols. It was still hard to believe the authority my seal and signature held within the Equestrian government now.

My ring is a modest thing. Relatively plain, adorned with a single motif and a simple motto in old Equestrian. Yet with this little object I can sign the death warrant of an entire town and consign entire communities worth of souls to oblivion. I thought, and shuddered at the gravity of the idea, and the guilt I would have to live with should that day ever come; I knew my Master had done it before, he had hundreds of deaths on his conscious...I doubt that I could ever life with the aftermath of sanctioning something like that. I am not Master Ignatius. I am not as strong pony like him. There is always another way to handle things, at least that is what I told myself over and over again. If there isn't an alternative to one path... then the gods are indeed cruel uncaring beings.

"Raven!" I called out in that neutral tone I had practised so well during my days as an apprentice to Master Ignatius, It was a requirement, distance yourself from those around you. Yet I couldn't help but smile as the charcoal coated Thestral in her simple amethyst and white scribe robes walked in, she was a relatively plain looking mare, although she had a certain exotic charm to her. Most Thestral's didn't actually leave their capital city she was one of the few ones handpicked by Master Ignatius for her sharp cunning mind and her diligence and discretion, as such she made an excellent confidant for both Master and me. She was a nice mare and a loyal one at that, a truly good pony, she was going to make it far someday, she was about my age. I extended the letter to her "Can you please see to it that this gets to the Grand Inquisitor? It's quite urgent."

"Of course Lady Violet, I will see to it personally." She said in that low, almost purring voice of hers. There was a moment of silence as she looked at me and as she closed the door with a wing she went from her neutral expression to a sympathetic and comforting smile. There was a need to wear masks in the Inquisition, appearing weak made you pray for those who covet power, and the power of an inquisitor is as absolute as it gets without being one of the Princesses, or the Empress. "I miss him too you know. He was like..." she paused and trailed off for a moment.

"Like a father to us. I know." I finished for her, laying my head on the slightly taller mare's shoulder as we shared a hug. I wouldn't let her see me crying, but I wanted to cry.

"I heard the news about the professor. I'm really sorry Violet, I know how close he was to you and the Master Ignatius." She said in that soft caring tone of hers. I sighed slightly and drew back.

"Thank you, Raven." I said with a fond smile, if with a saddened tone. "I should get to packing it's a long trip.