Chapter 7:

Moonless Night woke up with a splitting headache.

"Ugh, my head. Where am I?"

He looked around to find himself in a cell. A cell? Why would he be in a cell? What in the princess' name happened? He felt himself panicking and rushed to the door of his cell. Before he could start banging on the door it opened. In the doorway stood an armored earth pony, probably of the local guard. The guard looked at him with a calculating gaze before calling over his shoulder.

"He's awake, help me get him to the interrogation room."

The guardspony looked back at Moonless Night, his features hard as stone.

"We will escort you to the interrogation room now, do not resist."

Moonless Night took a few steps back, fear quickly coursing through him again.

"Why am I here, what are you doing? Stop!"

The guard was joined by two other guardsponies, one pegasus and one unicorn. The unicorn's horn flared and Moonless Night found himself unable to move. The other guards grabbed him roughly and started dragging him out of the cell.

Moonless Night didn't struggle, he was too scared to do anything. The guards moved him through several corridors before opening a solid steel door. After they entered the room they ordered him to sit behind a desk and left. Moonless Night looked around, the room was empty but for a table and two pillows. The walls were plain grey, except for one wall that was covered by a large mirror.

Moonless Night sat there for a while, not knowing what happened. Finally the door opened and a grey pegasus mare with a white mane trotted inside. She walked across the room and sat across the table, her piercing green eyes never leaving Night's.

"I am detective Hard Facts and I'm in charge of the investigation of the triple murder that took place today. You are Moonless Night, yes?"

Night Nodded and Hard Facts continued.

"You were found in an alley next to Mane Street, what were you doing there?"

Night couldn't help but feel a little at ease, the constant questioning took his mind off his situation, for the moment at least. He took a slow breath and answered in a flat, quiet tone.

"I was walking home from school, and because the streets were so crowded I decided to take a shortcut."

Hard Facts nodded and wrote something on a notepad, then motioned for him to continue.

"I was then ambushed by three bullies from school, two took my attention while the third snuck up behind me and pinned me. They then proceeded to beat me for about five minutes straight."

"And then you killed them?"

Moonless Night looked up to Hard Facts in shock. She looked back with a gaze that pierced right through him.

"W-what are you talking about?"

Her gaze never faltered.

"The three 'bullies' were found dead, in the same alley that you were also found. They were killed by dark magic, which seems to be your special talent, and you had all the reason to be angry with them. So it might not come as a surprise that you are one of the prime suspects in this case."

Moonless Night's eyes widened, one thing still reverberating in his mind.

"My special talent? What are you talking about? I am a Blank Flank, see?"

He turned to show his flank, only to find that it wasn't blank anymore. Where there used to be nothing there was now an equine skull wreathed in black flames. His heart skipped a beat, when did this happen? What does it mean?

Hard Facts was looking at the mirror, where her colleagues stood behind with a truth detection spell. She looked back at the colt, she still couldn't believe this kid could have killed his classmates with dark magic. But appearances could be deceiving, she knew that all too well. She sighed.

"I will leave this room now, no unexpected movement you hear?"

He didn't even seem to hear her, so she stood up and trotted towards the door, opened it and stepped outside. After she closed the door again she was met by her partner, Cold Case.

"As funny as it sounds, he is speaking the truth. At least about being a Blank Flank before."

She looked at him.

"Or at least he believes he is speaking the truth. What about that other guy we brought in?"

Cold Case shifted uncomfortably.

"He is an enigma, really. His description is not in the archives, and he refused to give us his real name. He acts calm all the time, answers questions truthfully and is completely aware of how far he can provoke us without getting additional charges. Not only that, but apparently he's not even a real pony!"

Hard Facts turned to her partner with a worried look.

"He's not a changeling is he?"

Cold Case shook his head.

"None of our changeling detection spells picked anything up, and he wasn't lying either."

"Then why haven't you dispelled his transformation yet? He could be a griffin spy or something even worse!"

"Exactly. Right now he looks like an unicorn, so his magic is locked by the inhibitor ring. But he told us that his real form doesn't need a horn to cast magic, so by dispelling the transformation he would have full access to his powers, or so he says. But that isn't the most problematic thing."

Hard Facts stopped her partner.

"Damnit Case, stop beating around the bush and tell me the full report already!"

Cold Case shifted uncomfortably and sighed, looking his partner in the eye.

"He claims to be friends with the Elements of Harmony, and that the medallion that holds the transformation spell is made by the princesses and enchanted by Lady Sparkle herself. He refused to answer any other questions until they arrived, and even requested forms so that he could press charges on the guardsponies that arrested him."

Hard Facts groaned, could this go any worse.

"Detective Hard Facts? One miss Sparkle is in the lobby, she wishes to speak with you."

Hard Facts facehoofed, she just had to ask.
~
Sandova was alone again. He sighed.

"So much for having fun then. Oh well, I think I bought enough time already. Twilight and the others will be here any minute."

He spoke out loud deliberately, hoping that some of the guards were still monitoring him. Just because he wasn't going to give them more information didn't mean he couldn't mess with them. Sandova snickered for a moment before turning serious. This case was strange, and somewhat familiar. Three ponies, young colts even, were murdered with dark magic, and the only witness was a suspect. This reeked of a set-up, but for whom? The kid really seemed confused, and the cutie- no talent mark of that colt was uncomfortably similar to his own, not to mention the fact that the kid was manifesting a charnel touch!

Sandova suddenly understood the situation better. This colt is a dread necromancer! But why didn't he recognize one of the most basic abilities of one? How did a colt in this happy world even learn those abilities. Sandova decided he was going to help this investigation as an 'expert' as soon as the girls bailed him out. It was not like the guards could keep him around for longer, considering their lack of evidence.

Sandova felt he had accidentally stumbled onto something big, but he had no clue what it might be. In his world he would've brushed it off as just another necromancer or undead creature causing minor havoc, but here there were practically no necromancers, right? Twilight did mention that the magic existed here, but only soldiers ever learned such spells. Was this a cover-up for some secret government organization? Or is there some cult or cabal involved?

Sandova quickly dismissed the first theory, the government was led by a lawful good deity for crying out loud! There was no way something like that could exist here, right? That left the cabal theory, but what could a criminal organization, cabal or cult gain from killing three kids and framing a fourth? It made no sense!

"Grah!"

Sandova threw his hooves up in frustration, without additional information this was getting him nowhere! Now calm down, take a deep breath. Okay, first things first. He needed to get out of this interrogation room, gather some information and either solve this mystery, or go sightseeing and then head for home. The guards could handle this, or could they? There was necromancy involved, and more importantly, he was involved as well! There was no way in Nine Hells that Sandova was going to just sit back and watch! Whoever this fool was that got Sandova in this position Sandova was sure to make him pay!

"Hmpf, if they need to kill someone, at least have the balls to take the blame yourself or have the brains to cover the crime up completely. Involving the innocent never works out in the end."

Sandova turned his head around when he heard the door open. In the doorway stood a grey pegasus mare with a white mane. Her piercing green eyes locked on Sandova's ice blue ones. Sandova smiled.

"Hello there milady, are you here to get me out of here or is this another 'interview'?"

The glare intensified.

"Spare me your useless chatter. Your 'friends' are here."

Sandova's smile became wider.

"So you did come here to get me out of here. Why thank you miss..."

"Zip it. I'm here to further question you. Your 'friends' are being questioned about you as we speak. This is a murder case, and you're a suspect. Do not think that you're getting away so easily."

Sandova's smile took a turn for the sinister.

"If I wanted to get out of here I'd be gone already. Believe me, you can't handle someone like me. Now, let's get this 'interview' under way then, I have other things planned for today."

He saw her look and smiled even wider. Aah, it was so easy to get under these ponies' skins, it was almost not funny anymore! ' Almost' being the key word here. Sandova chuckled. Before the guardspony could speak up he interrupted her.

"Look, I have nothing to do with this murder. But, I am an expert in necromancy, as my talent mark clearly shows. Not only that, I have probably more experience with these kind of things than everypony else in this building. Now, after you're done with questioning me and cross-referencing my answers with those of my friends, I can help you out."

He saw her surprise, savored it in fact.

"Yes, you heard me right. You see, whoever did this involved someone innocent to take the fall, and that just aggravates me to no end. I may have questionable morals, milady, but I have a strong sense of justice. Now you can go and check with your colleagues behind that mirror there to see if I'm lying. Or," he paused for dramatic effect and winked at her flat stare.
"Or you can go ahead and question me already, I bet you have much to ask."
~
"Boss, your 'consultant' has returned."

The 'boss' looked up at his subordinate.

"Where has that bastard been? No matter, I'll go and see him as soon as possible. You are dismissed."

The other pony nodded and quickly left the office. Abyss sighed, how powerful he might be he knew he was nothing compared to lord Terminus. Still, he had to keep up appearances, so no one knew his exact relationship with the mysterious entity that called itself Terminus.

He trotted towards a bookcase and pressed a hidden switch, making the hidden door swing open. Behind the hidden door a staircase appeared, a gaping, black hole in the wall. Abyss used his magic to close the door behind him and lit his horn, illuminating the cold stone walls around him.

After a while he reached the bottom of the stairs and entered a small hallway. His horn flared again and torches lit up along the walls. He moved towards the end of the hallway and stopped in front of a large door. He swallowed, then reached out to knock.

"Please, my little pony, enter."

Abyss shivered at the raspy voice. Although he was one of the most powerful unicorns of the city, and certainly the most influential, he couldn't help but feel afraid of entering that room. He opened the door and knelt at the darkness before him.

"My lord, You have returned."

Two glowing eyes looked at the kneeling unicorn from across the room. Abyss had never even seen his master, apart from the eyes. He waited, kneeling, for a response.

"Yes I have, how observant of you."

Terminus chuckled.

"Now, I have discovered something interesting. Some colt has developed a very interesting talent, and I want him brought here."

Abyss straightened and nodded.

"Of course my lord, how can I recognize him?"

"Easy, his talent lies in necromancy. I don't bother much with appearances, fresh meat looks alike no matter how you pack it after all."

Abyss gulped, the more he discovered about his master the more he wished he had never met him. But it was too late for that. Besides, the benefits of Terminus' patronage were great.

"Then I will order my subordinates to look for somepony with a necromancy-related talent mark. Anything else, my lord?"

"Bring me somepony useless, I'm hungry."

Abyss swallowed again.

"As you wish, my lord."

Author's Note

Hello there! I finally got over my writer's block! So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, cuz I enjoyed writing it.
I have been busy with college and such, combine that with a small writer's block and you get a severely delayed chapter. I hope you haven't given up on me yet!

Sandova out.