Author's Note: this is my first fanfiction publish here, feedback is welcome as long as it doesn't contain too much negative.
WARNING: does contain some graphic image of death later on, discrestion is requier.
Silence night, everything is quiet, too quiet; when she heard the sound of hoof-steps from behind broke the silence, a cold chill went down the young mare's back. She turned around in a blink of an eye, but find the alley is empty. Each building is cover in complete darkness, the night become silence once again. The only light sill shine is the full moon up above her, enough to blind away the starlight. Decided it only in her head, the mare continued walking back to her home. She cursed how she got hang up with her friends' party that she has to walk home so late. A soft caw startled the mare almost knocks her over. She looked over and saw a huge raven standing on the point of the roof above, looking at her with its blood red eyes; this give her enough motivation to started walking in a faster pace. Once again, she heard hoof-steps, much closer and louder than before. The mare sense a strange present is close, her mane almost stood on edge as she saw a glimpse of shadow flew right across the alley.
"Who's there?" she said, looked around more frantic than before, trying to find the source of the noise. The noise then just stops; only the sound of the night breeze can be heard. The mare about to trot back as fast as her hooves can do, but then she caught a small glimpse of a silvery object before her body shudder with pain, and everything faded to black. The raven caw once again before flew away; its flutter wing kept the silence of the night, its black feather slowly descend back and forth, touching the red liquid on the ground with the mare laying there, lifeless with a silver knife on her back. Next to her, a dark figure of a pony staring down at the body; each passing second, he turned his face toward …
"Twilight…" a voice spoke out, making the lavender unicorn jump off her bed with a terrifying shriek. She slowly looked up from the ground, seeing her dragon assistant standing there with his hand to his chest: "Gee Twilight, you almost give me a heart attack."
"Spike," the unicorn angrily replied, "how many time have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?!"
Spike looked over the bed and took notice on the blanket is a red hard-binging book lay near the pillow, "Are you…reading that book again? No wonder you scream."
"Is there a reason you interrupting me and my reading?" Twilight asked.
"Y-You told me to remind you about Fluttershy's tea party at noon."
"Spike, it's only…" she looked at the clock; both its hand almost pointed up together. The unicorn's eyes open wide; with one swift moment she rushed out the door before Spike even get a chance to say anything. He sighed and pick up that red book, be sure to mark the page before putting it back to the shelf then return to his daily chore: "Honestly, I don't know what she find so cool about this stuff."
Few minutes pass over the green cottage near the Everfree Forest, squeak of laughter and talking harmonize with vary animal noises from inside. A group of five ponies gather around the table laughing as the animals inside the cottage surrounded them. In front of them is a big round table with a teapot and six teacups place in front of each of them, except one is in front of an empty spot.
"Who here's ready for the Partey!?" The pink pony with poofy mane shouts out and blew up a green balloon before let it flew all over the place.
"Pinkie, this is just a normal tea-party, not that kind of party." The cyan Pegasus with rainbow mane and tail speak rather annoy when the balloon landed on her head. The pink pony, however, continued hopping around with a carefree smile on her face.
"Oh Pinkie dear, wherever did you get all your energy from?" the white unicorn said.
"Probably from all them candies she had at Sugarcube Corner." The orange earth pony replied, placing her hat on the table while watching the pink pony hop around nonstop.
Before the yellow Pegasus with long pink mane grab the teapot, the door swung open hard, cause the yellow Pegasus to squeak softly and hides under the table. The other look at the door and see the lavender unicorn breathing hard from all those running.
"Oh Celestia," she said that repeatedly, "I am so sorry I was late. This morning I thought I still have some time before your tea-party so I drawn to a book but it drawn me in so much I completely forgot about the time until Spike snapped me out of it and tell me that…"
"Whoa easy there Twilight," the orange pony put her hoof up to the unicorn's mouth, "slow down, you almost sound like Spike when he came and told us 'bout Rarity got horsenap by them Diamond Dog."
The yellow Pegasus then slowly flew over to the door: "it okay, Twilight, I don't feel bad if you forgot because you were busy reading." She said with the most calm and softly voice.
Twilight slowly calm herself down before she breathed normal again: "Thanks you guy, I needed that."
The pink pony then shouted: "Since we're all here, let's party!"
The tea-party last for hour, it all went really well despite the early commotion. Pinkie, being random as usual, decorate Fluttershy's cottage with streamer and balloon everywhere using her Party-Canon. Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash have a slight argument about who is better than who again, decided to figure it out by having a tea-drinking challenge to see who can handle the hot tea longer. Thanks to Fluttershy's help, both the cyan Pegasus and the orange pony get better after the hot tea almost burn their tongue. Rarity, of course, talk about her newest customer over at her boutique yesterday.
Rainbow, Rarity and Pinkie went home once the tea-party is over. Applejack and Twilight decided to stay behind to help Fluttershy with cleaning up.
"Thank you so must for helping me," Fluttershy said to them, "you guy are the best."
"It okay, Fluttershy, that's what being friend are for." Twilight replied with a smile, "Besides, it's the least I can do for forgetting your tea-party time."
Once they are done, Applejack and Twilight wave farewell to Fluttershy and walked home together.
"Tell me, Twilight," Applejack spoke, "what was that story ya can't put down today?"
"Well," Twilight replied, "it's a really good mystery novel call Crimson Daylight. The story about a young detective name Crimson Write on a trail of serial murders happened in Equestria."
"Um," Applejack looked at her friend, "you sure you want to fill your head with that stuff?"
"Applejack, though the story is very dark and gory, the story and the deduction are very good. The author really knows how to make the tone of the story not only scary but realistic as well."
"Well, if that's what you like to read, I won't judge ya about it."
"Well anyway, the author wrote many novels follow up that series; I own all of them."
"Now that I ain't surprise to hear about. So what's the fella's name?"
Before Twilight can answer, another pony bumped into her; a book with black cover drops on the ground close to her hoof.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry about that. I didn't pay attention to where I'm going." The other pony said; his voice is deep but calm.
"Oh, it's quite alright Mr…" Twilight looked to whomever bump into her and the sight almost makes her fall over in shock.
Before her is a young black stallion Pegasus with his mane almost covered his crimson color eyes. Both his mane and tail have a lighter shade of black compare to the body; though the manes, a little bit fluffy and wavy, do give a certain shine as the sunlight reflect upon it. His crimson color eyes are deep and crystal clear, fill with kindness and compassion, meeting her gaze with a weird sense of connection. On his face a white diamond area stood between his eyes. On his flank is a cutie mark of one brown eye, five small white stars around it and a strand of light yellow ribbon under the eye. Twilight trying to speak, but all she could get out is a soft breath with excitement.
Applejack looked at her with a bit concern and confused, this kind of looks coming from Twilight only happen when something really shocked her to the core: "You okay there, sugar-cube?"
Finally Twilight regain her voice with some difficulty to speak normally: "Oh my…it's you!"
The stallion looked at her, a bit confuse as well.
"You're Crimson Write."
Applejack looked at her: "you mean that character in that story of your? I'm sure he only…"
"No Applejack, this is Crimson Write, the author of the novels." She turned to the stallion, "I am a big fan of your books."
"Well," the Pegasus replied with a small smile, "it is great to actually find a fan of my work."
"You name a character after yourself?" Applejack raised her eye at him.
"Well, why not? Anypony can come up with crazy name for their character, so why can't I name him after myself?"
"Mr. Write, what bring you to Ponyville?" Twilight asked, fill with excitement.
"Please call me Crimson, no need to be formal. I'm here for a bit quiet rest. Truth to be told, I have a small writer-block that I need to get out off, so I thought a little town visit would be nice."
Twilight use her horn to pick that black book near her hoof up and give it back to Crimson; she notice the title of the book At the Crimson Tide written in gold letters: "Isn't that the latest novel of the series?"
"My, you are a big fan of my work, aren't you?"
"You have no idea." Applejack replied.
Twilight had never been more excited like this, except the time when Princess Celestia makes her the personal apprentice. Here he stands, one of her favorite book authors, talking to her. Though with an intellectual mind and a sense of grace and dignity, she feel the urge to asked him for his autograph like those fillies fan of Rainbow Dash.
"You are correct; I'm trying to write the next of the series, so I thought read over the previous books would help me connect the plot without messing up the detail."
"The book ends with a really good cliff-hanger," Twilight said, "where Crimson and the killer finally meet face to face at Marenback Cliff. Just when he about to bring him to justice, the killer escape, and the story end."
"And unfortunately, that is where my writer-block happens. I don't know how to continue that last part. I thought this place might inspire me somehow."
Before anything, a sound of broken glass followed by a scream surprise them:
"That's sound like Mrs. Cake. C'on Twilight, she might be in trouble." Applejack and Twilight rushed toward Sugarcube Corner with Crimson flying behind them. Once they all arrive, the bakery store is a complete mess: Mr. and Mrs. Cake looked over a broken ice sculpture, on the other side are Pinkie and three young fillies. One have a big bow on her red mane, the other is a white unicorn with swirly mane of light pink and light purple, the last is an orange Pegasus with purple mane.
"Applebloom, what happen? What are y'all doing here?" Applejack called out for her little sister.
"H-hello big sis," the young filly replied, "we're…um, we are here to…get some cupcake for Sweetie Bell here."
"We were?" the unicorn filly confuse; she then get nudge by both her friend, "oh yeah, we were."
Twilight then walked over to the Cake, "Can you tell us what happen?"
"Well, you see Twilight…" Mrs. Cake explained to her about one of the customer asking for an ice sculpture along with a wedding cake for his wedding. "But when we both were decorating the cake, we heard something shatter. We rush here immediately and saw the sculpture on the floor in pieces, and Pinkie Pie stood next to it."
"Pinkie, did you accidentally break the sculpture?" Twilight turned to her best friend.
"N-No, I didn't do it. I heard the noise so I rush here to find the sculpture was broken, I swear."
"It okay, Pinkie, we won't be mad, just tell us the truth." Mr. Cake said to her.
"But I am telling the truth, Pinkie Promise."
"Ahem!" Crimson clear his throat really loud so they all look back at him, "One mustn't assume a conclusion without any evident."
"Um, come again?" Applejack asked.
Crimson then turned to Mrs. Cake, "Ma'am, do these three young fillies there go near the sculpture at all?"
"Why no. When we saw Pinkie with the sculpture, they all came in and stand next to the door the whole time."
Crimson then gave out a calming smile; he walked toward the three fillies: "now little fillies, you don't have to hide. I'm sure they willing to forgive you all for it."
The three fillies looked at each other in silence for a long time before Applebloom spoke: "Well, you see…" the three young fillies told their confession, "…we all decided to see if we can get our cutie mark in ice sculpturin', so we came here to try it out. But…we slip and accidentally hammer the ice sculpture there."
"We were afraid if you knew, we won't be allowed to be in here ever again." Sweetie Bell added.
"We're very sorry." They all said in unison.
The Cake looked at each other before they all smile: "it okay you three. We can make a new one fairly quick. We won't be mad at you for an accident."
"We just glad you told us the truth."
"But girl," Twilight said to them, "do be careful next time. You all might get hurt."
The three fillies looked up and smile again: "we understand, Twilight. We will be careful next time."
"But mister, how did you know it wasn't Pinkie?" the Pegasus filly asked.
"Well, one needs not to be psychic to see you three acts a bit nervous earlier. Besides," Crimson then touched the filly's cape, "your cape is torn."
"Huh? When did that happen?"
"I guess when you run out the room, your cape caught on that table there," he pointed at the foot of the table with a small fabric on it, "since Mrs. Cake said you came here after Pinkie and stay by the door the whole time, that tear couldn't happen after that."
"Wow mister, you're like a detective." The Pegasus replied with excitement.
"Hey, maybe we can get our cutie mark in Private detective" the unicorn said.
"Oh my gosh, you're right. Let's go find out." Applebloom finally spoke before they all shout together: "The Cutie Mark Crusader, Private Eye!"
As the three fillies ran outside, Twilight and Applejack walked toward Crimson: "Wow Mr. Write, I never thought you can solve problem just like your character."
"That? Oh that wasn't very difficult. But I do have a tendency to look at every detail and connect them together. And please call me Crimson."
"Well Twilight, I better follow them to make sure they all stay'n out of trouble. See y'all tomorrow." Applejack said and wave good bye.
Twilight then feel a bit nervous staying alone with her favorite author, she looked around for something to talk about, but somehow her mind run dry of topic to discuss.
"Well, I better finish up that book so I can finally have something new."
Before he could leave, Twilight shout out: "wait, if you…um, if you need any help, you can c-come to the library. I-It might get you some idea."
"Well, that would be very helpful. I have some things I need to do in Canterlot tonight, but I'll be sure to come by. Thank you miss…"
"Oh, my name is Twilight Sparkle."
"Ah, Twilight Sparkle, now that's a lovely name befitted for a mare like yourself."
With that, he flew away, leaving Twilight standing there with a blush almost the same color as Pinkie Pie. Speaking of which:
"Oohh, Twilight, you finally have a special somepony." Pinkie shouted out.
"What?! No, he's my favorite author of the book I read, nothing more."
"Okei-dokei-lokei. Don't worry; your secret is safe with me."
Twilight face-hoof; 'great, now she'll never leave it alone,' she thought. When she got back to her library home, she noticed Spike finishing all his chores: "Hey Twilight, how was the tea-party?"
"Oh Spike, you never guess who I bump into today."
She told him about the meeting with Crimson Write, except the last farewell part; Pinkie already have the wrong idea, she didn't want Spike thought the same.
"That's great, Twilight. Though I think you should stop reading that kind of stuff, I know nothing can change your mind."
"Thanks Spike…I think. Now, I'll be upstairs; tell me when dinner time came, but don't sneak up on me. You almost scare my heart out this morning."
Twilight then went up to her room. Spike return to his chore: "then stop reading that when I call you" he mumbled to himself.
Twilight lay on her bed and levitated the book toward her again: "You just have to look pass the dark graphic image to find the true stroke of a genius underneath." She told herself before she turned to where she left off that morning.