CHAPTER 12

Hello again, everypony. I'm back with another chapter, finally. Still a bit ill, and I think it's just a case of the flu. Hopefully I'll be alright in a couple of days, but at least it's not keeping me from my writing. Forewarning: This chapter gets dark...very dark. If you've read any of the prior volumes of this series, then you know what I'm talking about. If you're a young 'un, or you have a weak constitution, you may not want to read this chapter. The rest of you...you've probably been waiting for something like this. That said, I hope you all enjoy this installment. Please review.

Dash and Budder followed as I walked down the street toward Sugarcube Corner. The sun was setting, and shadows began to consume the small town as darkness fell. Not sure what we may run into, my cavalry saber hung from my sword belt as I walked. My sister had her wooden practice sword tucked into a belt, and Dashie had strapped a dagger to her right hind leg. We all three carried lanterns in our mouths, the steady yellow light illuminating our way, but doing little to fight off the gloom. There was a killer in this town again, and we were hunting them. Just knowing the danger that had wormed its way into this innocent little hamlet and disrupted life here yet again was enough to alter the atmosphere of the place.

At last, we finally came to our destination. The dark windows of the old bakery stared out onto the street like dead eyes. If you ever have to abandon a place because of a gruesome homicide, please leave curtains up and the lights on. I will pay the bill. Having dark, bare windows watching everypony that passes just makes a place look more uninviting, and I often wondered why so many houses with bad reputations seemed to have been made even more menacing-looking by the owners like this. Yellow police tape stretched across the closed door of Sugarcube Corner completed the scene, and as I reached the door, I had to pause for a moment and take a deep breath before I opened the door and stepped inside.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I had been here only eight hours before, and already...it was impossible. What lay inside the building was was worse than anything I had expected, and I was frozen for a few moments. It was honestly horrifying beyond words. It was a party of the dead...that's the only way I can describe it. A party of the dead, and the theme was insanity. Three ponies sat around a table, tied to their chairs, their heads down upon their chests. I sat my lantern down on the table, and cast Dash and Budder a nervous glance. I slowly reached out toward the nearest pony, a light blue stallion, and raised his head up, causing the brightly colored party horn to fall from his mouth. His eyes were open, glazed and pale, and across his throat was a long, jagged wound.

"Shit..." I muttered, and slowly let his head back down. Next to him was a young mare in a foil party hat. A slice of cake sat on a plate in front of her. I didn't have to get closer to see that she too was dead. The entire front of her body was soaked with dark blood. I looked as Dash approached the stallion sitting on the other side of the table. She barely touched him, and with a sickeningly wet sound, his head rolled forward, falling from his neck and landing on his lap. Dashie jumped back, and gave me a fearful look. I nodded, silently telling her to stay calm. I looked back at my sister, who was standing nearby, sword in hoof, watching with wide eyes. That's when I heard the dripping.

It came from the middle of the table, a faint drip..drop...drip. I grabbed my lantern and held it hear the cake in the center of the table. After a few moments, I noticed a drop of something fall onto the strawberry-glazed cake from the ceiling. I raised the lantern high and peered up into the darkness. Above the table, a teenaged filly was somehow suspended upside down from the ceiling. I motioned to Dashie with my head as I climbed upon the dining table. She did the same, and I began to examine the victim.

She was about my sister's age, a light purple filly with a blue mane and tail. How she had died made me feel sick to my stomach. Somehow, somepony had nailed her hooves to the ceiling, leaving her hanging there unnaturally. The blood running up her legs told me this one done shortly before her untimely death, and I couldn't help but wonder how badly she must have suffered. At some point, the attacker had tied streamers to her legs, swagging them out across the room, turning the dying filly into macabre party décor. Unable to scream because of the gag in her mouth, she had died from blood loss, from a combination of the injuries to her hooves, and the dozens of cuts all over her body. Her blood dripped down onto the cake, giving it its red glaze.

"Dashie..." I whispered.

"Y...yeah...D...Drake..." She trembled.

"This wasn't just one killer."I said in a low voice.

"How do you know that?" my marefriend asked, obvious fear in her voice.

"Just one pony couldn't have gotten her up here like this..." I whispered, taking off my hat. "Damnit, we're probably looking at a gang of killers here." I put my hat back on, and we climbed down off of the table. "Let's get out of here...we gotta report this, and I have to contact the princesses. Let's go."

"Did you find anything?" Twilight asked as we practically barged back into her house. She noticed out expressions. "Guys?"

"Miss Twilight..." I began, in full army officer mode now. "Get the police to Sugarcube Corner, now. I also need a letter sent via magic to Princess Luna ASAP." She had a worried look. "We have a major problem, ma'am." I said, the seriousness of my tone snapping her into action.

"Yeah, of course..." She said. "Spike?!" A few moments later, the little purple dragon showed up in the room.

"Yeah, Twilight?" He answered, looking around, wondering what was going on.

"Take a letter for Drake." She stated. He grabbed a parchment and a pen.

"Alright, Spike..." I began. "Write what I say word for word, and don't tell anypony what I've said, okay?"

"Sure thing, Lieutenant Drake." He answered dutifully.

"Princess Luna,

I have run into a problem in Ponyville. I'm afraid there may be a group of killers, the exact number unknown, beginning a mass slaying in the town. Five ponies have already been killed in less than twenty four hours. I need as much of our weaponry as possible, and immediate backup. Send somepony trustworthy to our house for our gear. Need swords, daggers, crossbows and long-range ordnance. A few commandos would be welcome if you can spare them. Also need official permission to assume control of the operations here.

You may have been right in your feelings about this, milady. Situation confused, and we're not sure exactly what we're dealing with. We will be at Twilight Sparkle's library. Awaiting your reply.

Your friend,

-Lieutenant Drake"

"Oh man...this sounds bad." Spike commented, closing the letter.

"I'd take bad over this..." I said truthfully. He gulped loudly, and rolled up the letter. With a puff of flame, the dragon sent the letter off to Canterlot.

"I'll go get the police." Twilight said.

"Get all of them. It's pretty bad over there." I added. "Oh, and Miss Twilight?" She stopped and looked back at me. "Don't go in there. Please. Just send the cops there, and come back here. You don't need to see what's in there, okay?"

"O...okay Drake..." She answered meekly. "I'll be back soon."

We didn't have long to wait for a response from Luna. Twilight had only been gone about five minutes and the three of us were sitting in the study, decompressing over what we had just seen. Spike was sitting nearby, when he suddenly belched up a parchment in a cloud of smoke. He handed it to me, and I immediately unrolled the scroll and read the contents.

"My dearest friend:

I am worried to hear that our fears may be well-founded. And as usual, I am concerned for the well-being of my dear friend and his family. Consider all of your requests granted. I will send for your effects at once, and dispatch a team to provide you with the backup you asked for. Expect an envoy tomorrow morning. As for your consent of authority over this matter, you have it as of immediately. You are authorized to use whatever means necessary to stop these killings. Please, I beseech you, proceed with caution. I do not have to tell you again how I cannot spare you. Be well my dear Drake, and Good luck.

Your friend

-Luna"

"Thank you, Spike." I said. "You can go now."

"You need anything, lemme know, alright?" He offered. I nodded solemnly, and Twilight's assistant left the room.

"Well...I guess we have backup coming..." I sighed. "I hope it's enough."

"Bub?" My sister said in a low voice.

"Yeah, angel?"

"That was the most messed up thing I've ever seen..." She said, emotion showing through in her voice.

"I know..." Was all I could say. "You alright?"

"Yee...think so..." My sister answered. "I think I want to kill the ponies that did that."

"That's a start." I stated. "But keep your head on straight and stay calm, baby sister. You're too much like me, and it scares me."

"Don't ever call me baby sister again." Budder grumped. "It's like calling me 'pumpkin' in public. I'll beat the crap outta you." I grinned. At least my sister wasn't too badly affected by what she had seen. Then again, she had seen some pretty dark stuff over the years. At least she was sort of desensitized to things like this.

"So what's the plan?" Dashie asked.

"We wait till morning, when backup gets here." I answered. "Then we go hunting."

That was certainly a twisted little scene, eh? And it looks like things may be worse than initially expected. So Drake is calling in reinforcements. Who will his backup be? And will it be enough to handle what he has been silently fearing? I will try to return with the next chapter in the next day or so, so I'll try not to keep you waiting too long for answers. Until then, thanks for reading, everypony. -Drake