Ad Mortem

Unto death

Sunlight bathed Twilight’s chamber through a nearby crystalline window. Colours danced vividly throughout the room, sending arcs of light in every possible direction.

The effect both amazed Twilight, and irritated her beyond comprehension.

It distracted her.

And this was by no means a time for distraction.

Across the room, a dark figure sat on one of Twilight’s finely cut crystal chairs. The figure was covered head to toe in a cloak, concealing their identity.

‘Thank you for wearing the shroud as requested. Whilst the facade has begun to falter, I need my ponies to believe that the situation is still under control,’ Twilight said, shifting uncomfortably in her own seat. ‘If they saw an outsider entering the castle, the situation might escalate unnecessarily.’

‘And is it not under control?’ the figure queried with a solemn, monotone voice.

‘I’m afraid not.’

The figure released a chortle, before unveiling their cloak.

Before Twilight sat a grizzled, badly scarred stallion. His grey coat featured several lines of ugly, pink tissue wherein some unimaginable monstrosity had raked its claws.Further still, his muzzle and face too held its own set of scars. One closed one his blue eyes in a singular downward line.

‘Well, that’s why I’m here, isn’t it, Princess Twilight? You must be pretty desperate to have called me here.’ the stallion cackled, reeling back in his chair.

‘Well yes, the situation is… Less than optimal.’ Twilight replied, avoiding eye contact with the scarred pony in front of her.

‘I remember the last time we met, back in Trottingham. You were passing through on some or other “important business”. Did you enjoy your stay?’ the stallion asked with a cruel grin.

‘I wasn’t there for very long, you know that.’

‘Ah, yes. I do however recall from that brief visit of yours, that you wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. In fact, the exact words were “Crackle, I would never ask of your services, even if Ponyville were on the fringe of eradication”. And yet, here we are.’ Crackle finished, flashing a toothy grin in Twilight’s direction.

‘And yet, here we are.’ Twilight repeated as a sick feeling flushed through her stomach. Crackle was right, calling upon his help was an absolute act of desperation. She remembered the grizzled stallion in front of her explaining the extreme nature of his services more than a year ago.

At the time, she couldn’t comprehend a situation wherein he might be of help.

Crackle was a monster hunter without equal.

Twilight had heard whispers of his name throughout Equestria, as well as rumours of his violent methods. She’d wanted to meet the pony for herself in her trip to Trottingham; see for herself whether he was worth his salt.

And she’d been disgusted.

And yet here we are. Have things really grown so out of control?

Twilight thought back to the report of the mangled bodies across Ponyville in the wake of the Aberration.

Yes, yes they have.

‘Now that the formalities are out of the way princess, shall we begin?’ Crackle asked, reclining in his chair.

‘I suppose so, Crackle.’ Twilight replied, shaking her head in defeat.

I can’t believe I’m accepting this creep’s help.

‘Now, tell me about this little monster problem of yours.’

Twilight exhaled.

‘They call it The Ponyville Aberration.’

‘Ah don’t know what to tell ye doc. Ah’m feelin’ fine!’

Doctor Blot Hermane and Applejack sat together in his office. Two days had passed since the events at Sweet Apple Acres, and for the most part, the princess had kept its occurence on a ‘need to know’ basis.

Fortunately, being Applejack’s therapist, Blot was filled in on the matter.

‘Applejack, what you saw was beyond horrible. According to Twilight, you spent a full day repeating the words “What happens now?”,’ Blot said carefully. He’d discovered in his sessions with Applejack that the best way to get through to her was to be as straightforward as possible.

Applejack pouted and crossed her forelegs, imitating a filly.

‘Doc, Ah told ya, Ah’m feelin’ good. What happened, happened. It’s over now.’ Applejack said with a reassuring smile.

Blot leaned back ever so slightly in his chair. He’d grown accustomed to Applejack’s telltale signs of distress and anxiety. He searched for them frivolously, and to his amazement, found nothing.

Is she really okay? Or has she convinced herself that she’s okay?

Blot adjusted his seating position to juxtapose a sense of control over the conversation.

‘Applejack, I need you to be honest with me. You know that you can tell me anything, this is a safe place for you. I’ve never judged you, and I never will. It’s true, I’m your therapist, but I’m also your friend and I’m worried about you.’ Blot stated, holding eye contact with Applejack.

And then, for the briefest of moments, Applejack’s mask faltered.

‘Ah… There’s one thing about that night. One thing that Ah can’t quite shake off.’ Applejack started, looking to the ground and by extension breaking her eye contact with Blot.

‘And what’s that Applejack?’

‘All Ah can think about when it comes to that night, is Winona. Ah don’t concern mahself with the deaths of all those ponies. Ah think of Winona gettin’ hurt. She can’t walk properly anymore y’know. The doctors say she might not walk normal ever again,

‘Ah don’t know why, but that’s the only thing that bothers me. Is somethin’ wrong with me? Shouldn’t ah feel bad for all those bat ponies? For Big Mac and Apple Bloom?’ Applejack exclaimed, and as she did, her mask shattered completely. Tears began to run freely down her soft cheeks.

Blot sat back in his chair and regard Applejack with a look of genuine sadness.

‘Applejack, there’s nothing wrong with you. Trust me, I would know.’ Blot said, his own mask faltering.

Applejack raised a teary face and reaffirmed here eye contact with Blot.

‘What do you mean by that?’

Blot froze for but a moment, before recovering his senses.

‘I-um, well I’m a therapist. I mean, I- yeah. I know when something isn’t right.’ he hastily stammered out.

If only I could facehoof.

Applejack nodded and leaned back in the chair with a sigh.

‘What should Ah do, doc?’ Applejack asked, wiping away her tears. ‘An’ don’t tell me to spend more time with mah family, Ah’ve been doin’ plenty of that already, Ah assure you.’ she teased, before returning to her original sitting position.

‘I’d like to see you again tomorrow, Applejack, instead of next week. I think we have a lot more to talk about. For tonight at the very least, just try to get some good sleep. Don’t think that I didn’t notice the bags around your eyes.’ Blot finished with a concerned tone.

Applejack nodded and arose from her chair.

‘Ah’ll show mahself out then doc,’ Applejack stood up and began to walk towards the door. ‘Ah’ll see ye tomorrow then.’ she said with a soft smile.

‘Take care, Applejack.’ Blot waved and returned a half-hearted smile of his own.

Applejack closed the door behind her, leaving Blot to his thoughts.

A deep sigh escaped the doctor and he found himself fully reclined in his chair.

Where does this end Blot? The lies, the murders; all of it. How many more ponies have to die because of your pride?

‘None.’ Blot said out loud, breaking the silence in his office.

He opened the drawer of his desk, and produced his confession from within. Strapping on a saddlebag which he kept under his desk, Blot slipped the piece of parchment inside, and made for the door.

This ends here. Applejack won’t get her appointment tomorrow, but the violence ends here.

Blot stormed down his hallway, and made for his front door.

‘You seem to be in a hurry, Doctor Blot Hermane.’ a grizzled voice called from behind Blot as he put a hoof on the door handle.

Blot spun around in shock, dropping his saddlebag in the process.

A grey stallion stood up from his seated position on one of Blot’s lobby chairs.

‘I’m sorry doctor, I truly didn’t mean to frighten you.’ the grizzled, scarred stallion said, as he approached Blot.

‘Who are you, and why are you in my house?’ Blot asked, making eye contact with the stallion in front of him.

‘My name is Crackle, I’ve been enlisted into the service of Princess Twilight. I’m here to help with the *ahem*, situation,’ Crackle said, with a cruel tinge in the last word of his sentence. ‘As for why I’m in your house, that orange mare; Applejack I think her name is, she let me in.’

Blot tilted his head in suspicion. He didn’t like the look of his stallion at all.

Nor did he like the idea of him being anywhere near Applejack.

‘I still don’t understand what you’re doing in my house, Crackle,’ Blot said defensively.

‘Well, I’m following every lead I have available to me. And the only one which seems even remotely tangible, is Miss Applejack. She’s the only one who has seen head nor tail of this “Aberration”. Furthermore, in every case so far, she’s been the only witness. A little suspicious, don’t you think?’ Crackled finished, with a cynical look in his eye.

‘You don’t seriously think that Applejack is responsible for all this, do you?’ Blot half quieried, half exclaimed.

‘You know what else is suspicious to me, doctor? That so much information is being entrusted to you. You know more about this case than most of the town does, and you’re just Miss Applejack’s therapist. Ah, yes, don’t be alarmed, Princess Twilight has told me all about you.
‘But don’t worry doctor, we’re on the same side here. We both strive for the truth. I think you’ll be a valuable asset to my investigation. A most valuable asset indeed.’ Crackle finished as he began to make for Blot’s front door.

‘You still haven’t answered my question, Crackle. If I’m not a suspect, then why are you in my house?’ Blot growled, as the monster hunter reached his side.

‘I came to size you up for myself. Seeing that we’ll likely be working together quite a bit in the near future, thought I’d get our initial introductions out of the way,’ Crackle opened the door and took a step outside of Blot’s house, before pausing momentarily. ‘Oh, and doctor, don’t be mistaken. Everypony is a suspect.’ Crackle nodded his head and closed the door behind him.

Blot picked up his saddle bag and slung it underneath a nearby cabinet.

Buck.

Cheerilee took a deep breath as she rested a hoof on the door handle in front of her. She’d spent weeks in the same, tiny room, and now, she was to be set free.

And yet, while she yearned for the freshness and warmth of the outside world, the same freedom terrified her. She felt better than she had a few weeks ago, and had just returned to something resembling a normal sleep pattern.

And now, she was to step back into her old life.

Back into Ponyville.

Se couldn’t help but feel a small part of her tugging her back to her room. She could plea that she still felt unwell and have every need and whim taken care of once more. She wouldn’t have to face the scrutiny of the ponies on the outside.

Return to safety. Return to your cage.

She press down hard on the door handle and flung the hospital door open.

Sunlight beamed onto Cheerilee’s face, and the familiar chirping of birds filled the air. Hills of emerald green encapsulated her view; and a short distance away, the colourful town of Ponyville stood proudly.

Cheerilee found herself taken aback by the tranquility in front of her.

She found it almost difficult to believe all the terrible things Blot had told her about what had happened in the town as of recently. And yet, she’d read about it in the news too.

Cheerilee set off for Ponyville, taking her sweet time as she traversed the hills surrounding her town. To her surprise, the streets of Ponyville were almost entirely empty asides from the occasional exhausted looking guard pony.

It took all of Cheerilee’s willpower to not cut a glance towards that forlorn hill where her schoolhouse had once stood.

She knew it wouldn’t be good for her.

And so, she set off home.

To her own new beginning.

Author's Note

Welcome back to The Ponyville Aberration.

With the holidays/exam season out of the way, and a destination for the story set, expect plenty of more content in the coming weeks!

Hope you enjoyed this last one, consider this the calm before storm.