Chapter 4- Losing My Sanity

"You might want to look at this," Roan said, tossing the newspaper to Twilight. The purple unicorn seized the paper with her magic and read the headline aloud.

"Fire burns down barn at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack found dead amongst the rubble." She lowered the paper. "What?"

"I am beginning my investigation at the Fluttershy site today. Maybe I'll swing by Sweet Apple Acres and take a look there on my way back."

Twilight nodded, staring blankly ahead. This was the second friend of hers to die this week. This time it was Applejack. She was the reliable and the strong one. She was the one you could turn to and she would always tell you the truth, no matter how hard. The wise Applejack, now she was gone.

"What is happening to my friends?" Twilight whimpered.

Roan walked up to her and embraced her. "That's what I'm here to find out. I'll find out the truth, and drag the darkness into the light."

"Thank you, Roan."

---

The vase shattered into diamond dust against the wall of Rainbow Dash's house. She had just read the article in the newspaper. Her emotions swirled through her like a hurricane. Rainbow's anger was directed not at any particular pony. She wasn't sure who had even been the murderer of Fluttershy. Applejack may have just been caught in an accidental fire. But she was angry at fate.

"Why did you take them away!" she yelled at the abstract force. "They didn't have a chance at anything! You ripped them away without letting them see all life has to offer! What do you have in store for me, huh? You gonna tear me out of this world like you did to my friends? Is that it? You gonna make us all suffer?" She launched a picture frame into the floor, feeling satisfaction when the glass obliterated into miniscule fragments. The chaos was comforting. The anarchy let out her pain.

Then the thought struck her. She could end her own pain. Then she wouldn't have to face the deaths of those she loved. Her friends would be there, and they would live for eternity in happiness in the afterlife. All it would take is a fall. She could fly into the great blue sky. Then she would fold her wings and plummet, reaching speeds that were impossible if she valued her life. Then she would be gone, off to join her friends.

Rainbow slumped to the ground. She couldn't commit suicide. It was the cheaters way to die. It would mean she lost at the greatest game of all: life. And Rainbow Dash never lost. Plus, she could still protect her living friends. She could still protect her sister.

Dash stood once more and shot out of her house. She was going to find her friends, and she was going to keep them safe. Safe from fate. Safe from sadness. They wouldn't fall to pathos.

---

Roan didn't know where to start. Dried blood covered everything, the stench of rotting flesh was unbearable, and the gore showed signs of unimaginable torture. This was more than her run of the mill crime scene investigation. The brown-coated mare managed to keep her cool and set down her suitcase on a clean part of the floor. Others had come and set up florescent lights for her shortly before her arrival.

The unicorn sighed and cantered over to where the grotesque tapestry of Fluttershy's pelt hung. She read the letters carved into the skin: Revenge of the fallen soul. Roan opened the suitcase and removed a camera. She snapped a quick photo and hung the device around her neck. She took a closer look at the skin around the edges. From a distance the cuts looked flawless. However, up close, the cuts were slightly ragged, as if there had been a struggle while the incisions were made, which could only mean…

"Was she alive when she was skinned?" she asked herself, incredulous.

Pulling out a quill and paper, she jotted down a quick note then turned to the other carnage around the room. The rotting hunks of flush were too mangled and decayed to get much use out of. The bones did appear to have grooves in them, but it would take extremely close examination to deduce what weapon had been used. The skull on the table bore no new evidence and the bowl beside it was simply foul, reeking sludge. The couch nearby was stained red, nothing to be surprised by. The piece of furniture wasn't in that bad of shape. On it laid a single shard of bloodstained glass. Roan levitated it and looked at it curiously. As she was tilting it back and forth, a reflection caught in it momentarily. She gasped and the glass plummeted to the ground, shattering into oblivion.

Had she really seen that… thing? That mangled stallion with pitch-black eyes. Roan shook her head. No, it had to be the fumes getting to her. She heaved a sigh. The unicorn turned and exited Fluttershy's cottage. The air refreshed her and seemed to ward off a rising headache. Overhead, the Weather Crew from Cloudsdale was busy clearing away stray clouds. It reminded her of when she was a filly.

Long ago, Roan had always dreamed of seeing the city in the sky and home of the pegasi. It was the one place she had always longed to be, but only pegasi could walk on their cloudy streets. Roan tried to figure out how to get up there, when she had run into that pegasus that worked for the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation. He offered to bring her up to the city after his work shift. It never occurred to her at that age why a complete stranger would take her there. She rode on his back the entire way to the city, which was nothing short of spectacular. But when she asked the pegasus to take her home, he swung her off his back and dangled her above the ground miles below. If it wasn't for the scarlet pegasus colt and his father passing by, she would be dead.

The pegasus that had tried to kill her was sent to prison, and the colt and his father flew her back home. When she arrived, her parents were both furious yet relieved to find their precious daughter safe. Roan was perplexed by the whole day and went to find out who this pegasus that had tried to kill her was and why. She researched for days on end, to the point where her parents were worried that the pegasus had caused her psychological damage. But then came the day she discovered who he was. Apparently this pegasus, Cyan, wasn't a mentally stable pony. Roan discovered that, after hearing about a rather peculiar legend, he went insane. He didn't kill manage to kill anyone, but a list of names was found, Roan's among them. Finally, having slaked her curiosity, she realized that researching crimes what she was meant to do and her magnifying glass cutie mark appeared.

Roan and Firemane, the colt who had helped save her, became close friends after the incident. They wrote to each other a lot and he even visited her home in Canterlot a few times. When they grew older, they got married and have been happy together ever since. It was surprising to see so much good come from such a terrible thing. It goes to show that light can be found even in the deepest darkness.

Roan turned back to face the nightmarish cottage. She would find the truth in there. She would find the light.

---

"You don't have to do this."

…Wrong… Revenge is the only way…

"No. Just let it go."

…Too much pain…

"It's not worth it. Why do you need revenge on them anyways?"

…Suffering… Pathos…

"These ponies never did anything to you. They don't deserve to die."

…YES! ... Somepony must pay! …

"Why them?"

…Descendants…

"What did they do?"

…Nothing to live for… Except vengeance…

"They made you feel you had nothing to live for?"

...Yes…

"I think I understand. But why are you using me?"

"Hey Scootaloo, what are you doing down here?" The voice wasn't Pathos'. It was Sweetie Belle, calling to her from somewhere across the void of her dreams. She was dragged away from the realm of sleep into reality.

Scootaloo blinked open her eyes. She was lying at the base of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' treehouse in the heart of Sweet Apple Acres. Midday sunlight washed over her from directly above, filtering through the leafless limbs that enshrouded the clubhouse. Sweetie Belle was standing over her, a look of concern painted across her face.

"You all right? I haven't seen you in almost a week," the unicorn filly kneeled down to help her friend up. Scootaloo accepted the assistance gratefully. A pounding headache throbbed in her skull. She swayed a bit, didn't fall

"I… think I'm okay," Scootaloo said, gaining her footing. She gazed up at the treehouse, and noticed a sound coming from inside. It sounded like somepony crying.

"Who's in there?" Scootaloo asked.

"Apple Bloom. She's was devastated when she found out Applejack died. I was just coming to comfort her. She shouldn't be alone." Sweetie Belle replied.

"Oh. Applejack…" The orange pegasus squeezed her eyes shut as memories of the night before washed over her. Images of leaping flames galloped before her eyelids, making her want to scream. A tear slid down her cheek.

"There, there," said the white unicorn, wrapping Scootaloo in a hug. "It's been hard on all of us. But, it won't last long. It'll all seem like a bad dream soon. I hear that somepony from Canterlot has come to track down Fluttershy's killer. And if you ask me, the barn fire wasn't an accident. Once this horrible pony is gone, we'll be able to sleep peacefully again."

Scootaloo tensed. They were looking for her. What would she do if they caught her? Everypony would think she was a coldblooded killer. The truth was just too strange to be believed by anypony. She would either be thrown in prison for the rest of her life, or hung. Scootaloo couldn't let either happen. She couldn't go down in history as a heartless murderer, the kind of pony that gave nightmares to young foals, and was looked upon with disgust for thousands of years even after death. Nopony must find out, or her soul would know no rest.

"Come on, Scoots. Let's go in and say hi to Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle said, leading her to the ramp that led into the tree.

Just as they were about to step inside, a thought crossed Scootaloo's mind. Why hadn't Apple Bloom seen her if she had come there just this morning? Scootaloo would've been in plain sight. She may have dismissed it as the young earth pony being simply too grief-stricken to notice her, but it wasn't the first time something like this has happened. The blood hadn't washed off the tombstone back in the Everfree Forest.

---

Twilight Sparkle heaved a sigh. "Rainbow, I know you're upset about the deaths of Fluttershy and Applejack. I am, too. Heck, all of us are. But, I think you're taking this too far."

"But, Twilight! I can protect you! No one else has to be killed," Rainbow Dash complained.

"You don't know that AJ was killed," Twilight pointed out.

"You think it's just a coincidence they died only a few days apart? Somepony is trying to kill us, but they can't easily do that if we're all together, the four of us."

Twilight rolled her eyes. Dash was stubborn on a normal basis, but she was being illogical. It was just coincidence that Fluttershy and Applejack died in the same week, right? There was no proof against it. And there was certainly nothing suggesting that Twilight and her other three best friends were next.

"Listen, Dash. I think you should go back home and get some rest. Plus, if it makes you feel any better, Rarity and Pinkie Pie are coming here tonight to meet Roan. You're welcome to come as well."

"Fine," Rainbow said, turning towards the library's exit. "I guess I'll go home then. Get some shuteye like you said." The cyan pegasus hovered over to the door and swung it open.

"Alright. See you tonight?" Twilight asked.

"You can count on it," Dash replied as she closed the door behind her.

"What's the matter with her?" Spike queried, coming from downstairs with the stack of scrolls Twilight had requested. The young dragon gazed at the doorway through which Rainbow had exited as he handed Twilight the rolls of blank parchment.

"She's just worried, is all. She'll be okay after she gets some sleep." However, just as the words left her mouth, she had to wonder: is that true?

---

Rainbow Dash tossed and turned, buried deep beneath her covers. Sleep refused to come, regardless of the pegasus' attempts. The afternoon sun streaming through the small window did help though. It warmed her blankets in a soothing way, but the cold darkness clinging to the back of her mind kept sleep at bay.

Twilight was wrong. There was someone out there trying to kill her friends. And she thought she knew who it was. But it wasn't possible. Even if Pathos did exist, how does a pony two hundred years dead come back to life and kill during the night. Rainbow struggled to push away the oppressing the thoughts. Surprisingly, she had some success. Dash was just about to be lulled to sleep when a loud knocking sounded from her front door downstairs.

"Ugh! Why now?" the rainbow-maned pegasus complained, kicking her covers off. She stumbled out of bed and trotted through her house, which was still a disaster. Downstairs, the knocking continued.

"COMING!" she yowled as she descended the staircase. Dash opened the front door just a crack and peered outside. A green pegasus with blue eyes gazed back at her. It was Aero Wing, her boss.

Rainbow opened the door the rest of the way stepped back. "Oh, hi," she murmured.

"Listen, Rainbow Dash. Now I realize that one of your friends has died recently and–"

"Two actually," Rainbow interrupted the pegasus.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "However, I still have to ask you to come back to work. If you don't come back soon, then I'll have to fire you. We need to make an afternoon rainstorm this evening and need your help doing so. We are falling behind schedule."

Rainbow sighed. "Sorry, but my friends need me more than you do." She went to close the door but Aero blocked it.

"Come on, Rainbow. I'd hate to lose one of my best employees."

"I said no."

"Is there any way I can change your mind?" he asked pushing his way in.

"Not unless you bring me the head of the killer that's running loose out there," said Rainbow Dash trying to keep Aero out of her house.

"What if I did this?" Aero lunged forward and grabbed Rainbow's head. He leaned over and kissed her hard on the mouth. Rainbow struggled to free herself, feeling rage boil inside of her. She managed to catch him in the stomach with her hoof, making him reel back in pain.

Rainbow slammed the door shut, but before she could lock it Aero was pushing the door open. The cyan pegasus threw her body against the door, trying to keep the green pegasus out.

"Let me in!" he yelled.

"What's wrong with you!" she shouted back.

"I want you! I need you! I always have! Don't make me do this!" Aero replied, doubling his efforts in forcing his way in.

"You're insane!" Suddenly, the door splintered, a couple shards of the wood pricking Rainbow's side. She flinched backwards at the unexpected pain. The door burst open and the green pegasus flew in. tackling Rainbow Dash and pinioning her to the ground. He leaned down to kiss her, but Dash twisted her head away from her attacker.

"Come on, Rainbow. Don't resist me. I am your manager after all," he said in a strangely calm voice.

"Go to Hell! I quit!" Rainbow cried in fury. Her wings fluttered on the ground as she writhed under the bigger stallion. "Let me go!"

"How about not?" he said, leaning his head down once more to try to force a kiss out of her. Seizing the opportunity, she bashed her forehead into his snout. Aero let out a screech and withdrew, holding his now bleeding nose.

"You bitch!" he shouted at her. The green pegasus sprang at Rainbow. She dodged the attack and flew upstairs and into her room, slamming the door shut and locking it. Immediately, a bashing sounded from the other side as Aero battered the door. The frightened sky-blue pegasus went to the window; it was a pitifully small, circular window, but it led outside didn't it? She opened it and tried to squeeze out. It was hopeless, her shoulders wouldn't even fit.

"Open the door!" Aero shouted as he continued to smash the door. Suddenly a crack appeared in the frame. A fresh wave a fear lanced through Rainbow. There was no way out. There was no way she could get past him. There was no telling what this psycho would do to her if he got in.

She searched throughout her room looking for any way out. Rainbow dug through her belongings, searching for anything that would let her escape. Then she found something. Apparently, she had been eating up in her room and forgot to take her dishes back downstairs. For once she was glad to have done so, for upon the plate was a knife.

Then the door splintered loudly. Rainbow wielded the tool-turned-weapon in her mouth, facing the doorway. The door burst open and a furious green pegasus marched in, glaring at Dash with eyes dripping with malice. Rainbow then lunged forward with the blade, plunging the weapon deep into Aero's skull.

---

"I'm fine now," said Apple Bloom, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Thanks girls." The three fillies embraced each other in a group hug. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had been there for hours comforting the yellow earth filly. Now, finally, her tears ceased.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I kinda just want to sleep. It's been a rough day for me," Apple Bloom mumbled through a yawn.

"Yeah," the white unicorn agreed. "Hey, how about the three of us stay the night in the clubhouse?"

"Sure," said Apple Bloom, "But maybe you should go tell Rarity where you are before it gets much later."

"Nah, I'll tell her where I was in the morning. Besides," she said sticking her head out one of the windows, "It looks like it's about to start raining. If I go to her boutique all wet, she'll demand I get a makeover and I'll never get back." Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom laughed, but Scootaloo remained silent, gazing downwards, not looking at anything.

Apple Bloom leaned into Sweetie Belle and lowered her voice. "What's the matter with her?" she asked. The unicorn filly only shrugged. A silence settled over the ponies for a few minutes. Sweetie Belle was uncomfortable. Scootaloo's silence was unnerving. Usually, it was a challenge to get the young pegasus to stop being loud and showing off. However, now she was acting more depressed than Apple Bloom who had just lost her sister. What could the orange filly be thinking? A distant rumble of thunder broke the quiet and Sweetie's thoughts. Rain began to patter outside.

"So where are we sleeping?" the unicorn asked.

"I have some blankets in the trunk over there," Apple Bloom said, indicating a brown chest in the corner against the wall. "We can make pallets on the floor."

"Um, what's a pallet?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "You know. It's like a sleeping bag made of blankets."

Sweetie Belle only gave a blank stare. She was befuddled with the new term. There was kind of an idea in her head of what it was, but it was closer to a cot than a sleeping bag. She just couldn't picture it.

"Ugh! Here, let me show you. Now, I know Rarity would never sleep on the floor, but you've never slept in a pallet?" Apple Bloom rambled on as she dug through the trunk, pulling out the covers. She laid one out on the ground, lied down on it, and then folded half of it over her.

"Oh!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, finally getting it. "It's like a sandwich of blankets with only one piece of bread!"

Apple Bloom looked annoyed. "It's exactly the same concept as a sleeping bag. Since when did a sandwich even come into the process?"

The two fillies began laughing. However, they stopped when they heard Scootaloo crying. Apple Bloom stood up, and walked over to her distraught friend. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm so sorry," Scootaloo whimpered through her tears.

Sweetie Belle was alarmed. What was going on with the young filly? What has shaken her up so badly?

"What's the matter?" Sweetie Belle asked, walking up and placing her hoof on her shoulder.

"I have to go," Scootaloo said suddenly. She pushed past her two friends and ran out of the treehouse, into the rainy dusk. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom exchanged worried glances. Something was bothering their friend that she wasn't letting on.

---

"Hey Twilight!" said Pinkie as she stepped into the library. She shook the rain from her pelt, showering the purple unicorn in icy droplets of water. "Where is everypony? I thought Rarity and Dashie were supposed to be here."

"I don't know what's keeping Rainbow, but Rarity stopped by earlier. She realized Sweetie Belle was gone and went to find her. Inspector Roan will be out soon, though. She's still in the shower."

"Okie dokie lokie. I'll hang tight. So, watcha wanna do?" said Pinkie Pie, sitting on the floor.

Twilight paced back and forth. "I'm not in a very social mood right now, Pinkie. I'm kind of anxious about what Roan has to say. I wonder if she's found anything."

"Oh, okay," said the pink earth pony, deflating a little. The cheery pony instantly shook off the disappointment. She stood up and walked over to the bookshelves that lined the walls. Surely, she could find a good book about parties somewhere.

"Let's see here. Under P." She ran a hoof along the shelf as she spoke to herself. "P. P. PA. PA. What? It's checked out? Shoot!" She looked further down the shelf, looking for anything that might be worth reading.

"Hm. What's this?" Pinkie thought aloud, pulling out a dusty, leather bound tome. "Pathos? Sounds kinda weird. Hey, Twilight! What's this book?"

Twilight cantered over to the fluffy, pink pony and looked at the book. "Hm. This book is an old legend that used to be popular long ago. It was very scary, and gave many young foals nightmares. It's very graphic, though. I meant to discard it, but I guess somepony picked it up from the discard pile and reshelved it."

"Can I check it out?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"A horror story? Really? I didn't take you for a scary story type of mare," Twilight stated.

"Come on! Who doesn't love a good thrill every now and again? Besides, Nightmare Night is in a few days. I can be forgiven in reading a little dark story," said Pinkie mischievously.

"I warn you that it is rather violent," Twilight warned.

"I'll be fine! It'll take my mind off of the sad stuff that's going on lately. And, hey! You gotta giggle at the ghostly. Guffaw at the grossly. Crack up at the creepy. Whoop it up–"

"Please don't sing, Pinkie Pie," Twilight pleaded as the pink pony began to slip into the words of the song.

"Sorry. Force of habit," she apologized. Twilight trotted off to do whatever while Pinkie cracked open the book to read. As soon as she did, though, a loud crack of thunder exploded outside and the door flew open. A completely soaked Rainbow Dash flew in and slammed the door shut.

"Sorry I'm late," the pegasus said contritely. "I was… busy."

"Don't worry, Dashie. Inspector Roan is still in the shower," said Pinkie. She looked at her rainbow-maned friend with scrutiny. The pegasus seemed a little jumpy, as if she had done something wrong. It was normal for Rainbow to hover in the air instead of standing because of her energy, but the pacing was a little odd. Wait. Would you call it pacing if she was flying back and forth? Whatever. Her friend was acting shifty.

"Um, Dashie. I think you have something on your chin," said Pinkie. Taking note of something on Dash's face

"Oh?" The pegasus rubbed her snout and a red smear appeared on her hoof. She flashed a fearful glance at Pinkie and wiped the smear off on her side. "So, where's Twilight and Rarity?" Dash asked, her quavering voice veiled with nonchalance.

"Oh!" Pinkie jumped. She took a second to compose herself before replying, "Um, Twilight's somewhere around here and Rarity is out looking for Sweetie Belle."

Rainbow glanced at Pinkie, at the door, then back to Pinkie. Then she said, "I'll go out and find Rarity. You know how she gets in this weather." Rainbow flew and shot out the door.

"Alright," Pinkie said, trailing off at the end as the door the end of Rainbow's multicolored tail was whisked out of sight. There was definitely something wrong with her. However, she simply shrugged it off and returned to her book.

---

Rarity trotted through the rainy night toward her home at the Carousel Boutique. Through the gloom, the white unicorn thought she saw Rainbow Dash leaving the building and flying off into the night. As she approached the door, she saw a note hanging on the door. Using her magic, Rarity grabbed the note and brought it into the boutique with her.

She closed the door behind her and switched on a light to read the note. The paper was slightly damp, but the lettering was still legible. It read:

Dear Rarity,

I came over to see if you were okay but found that nopony was home. I'm worried that there is a killer out there hunting us down. Be careful. Oh, and I ran into Sweetie Belle on my way home this afternoon, if you're still looking for her. She said she was going to Apple Bloom's to cheer her up. She's probably still there. Whatever. Come on over to Twi's place if you get this. I'm sure Sweetie's fine with Apple Bloom.

Your loyal friend, Rainbow Dash

Rarity chuckled lightly. "Oh, that pegasus is worrying far too much for her own good, bless her heart. There's no killer. She's far too paranoid. I'll have to be sure to talk to her when I get the chance." She walked over to a mirror and saw her drenched mane.

"Oh, dear me! I look simply awful! Maybe I'll spruce myself up before I go back to Twilight's," the unicorn said to herself. Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck thunderously outside. The lights flickered then died, leaving Rarity in the dark.

"Wonderful. Now I'll have to fix myself up by candlelight. Oh, the pains of trying to look beautiful!" Rarity complained, quickly locating a candlestick and match and lighting it.

"But you're already beautiful."

"Aw, thank y–" Rarity halted midsentence. She whirled around to peer into the darkness. "Who's there?" She was surprised to see two eyes reflecting the candlelight, yet the pony's body was completely shrouded in shadows.

"You know, you should really listen to the advice of your friends. Even if they seem paranoid, you never know if their suspicions are correct," the young filly's voice drifted out of the darkness.

"This isn't funny. Reveal yourself!" the white unicorn demanded.

"Oh, this isn't a joke. Your ancestor, Diamond Star, she was one of the worst. My works were not a waste of time! At least, they wouldn't have been if she and her worthless gang of friends had left me alone!"

Rarity backed up and bumped against the table. She levitated the candle and cast it into the gloom. A young orange pegasus was creeping towards her menacingly. Rarity let out a shriek as Scootaloo lunged forward, teeth bared.

---

Roan stepped out the bathroom, refreshed after her shower. She spotted a pink pony reading intently in the corner who she assumed to be Twilight's friend Pinkie Pie. The mare scanned the room for Twilight, but the purple unicorn was nowhere in sight. Neither were the two others that were expected to be there. Pinkie looked up from her book as Roan entered.

"Oh hi!" she jumped up and bounded over to the brown unicorn. "I'm Pinkie Pie! You're Roan, right? Twilight told me about you. Not much though. Although she did tell me you were a detective. Is it fun? I tried it once but I'm not that good at it. I'm good at parties though. Oh! Do you want to throw a party with me?"

Roan laughed and replied, "Not now."

"Oh, okay. Maybe another time, then?" Pinkie asked, still bouncing.

"We'll see." Roan trotted away from the energetic character and found her bag. She dug through it until she found a yellow portfolio and eased it out of the case using her magic. Her azure eyes skimmed over the contents of the folder as to refresh her memory on her findings.

"Roan, you're out."

She turned to see Twilight Sparkle coming down the stairs. Spike followed closely, carrying a quill and a piece of parchment with a few words scrawled on it. "I was getting Spike to write a letter to the princess about how everything is going."

"Why not wait until I tell you and your friend about my findings. It may change the news you have to give," Roan replied. Twilight nodded and Spike wadded up the paper, tossing it behind him on the stairs.

"Wait, Rainbow and Rarity still haven't shown up?" Twilight asked. She rubbed her head with her hoof.

"That's strange. They've had plenty of time, and Rainbow is never late. Well, at least not when she promises to be here."

The two ponies and dragon walked into the main area and gathered around Roan. Pinkie hopped up from her book and joined the group. The fluffy pony sat down with a thump and looked up expectantly at Roan. Twilight sat down, too, along with Spike.

"Are we going to start without your friends?" Roan asked. She was anxious to give the news, but didn't want to be disrespectful to Twilight. They were actually becoming pretty fast friends. Even though they had many differences, they were a lot alike. They were both from Canterlot; they both loved studying, though what they studied was different; among other things.

Twilight shook her head. "No, that's fine. I'll fill them in later if they show up. I am kind of worried for them, though."

"Don't worry Twi!" said Pinkie Pie cheerfully, "Dashie can take care of herself, though she was acting kinda funny earlier. And Rarity, we all know that she's really tough when you get on her bad side! So, I don't think there's anything to worry about."

"Thanks Pinkie." She gave the fluffy, pink pony a hug, and then turned her attention back to Roan.

"Alright," Roan said. She ran a hoof down the back of her ponytailed mane and took a deep sigh. "I've found a few things visiting the two death scenes. In this portfolio are pictures I took of items of interest." Roan levitated the file over to Twilight to let her and Pinkie look over them.

"What's this?" Pinkie asked holding up a photograph. Roan peered at it closely. It was one of the photos she had taken at Sweet Apple Acres. It was a picture of plank of wood, half burnt.

"See here, Pinkie? There are words carved into the wood. It's hard to make out, but I think it says, 'Will, lead me'," Roan explained.

"Who's Will?" the pink earth pony puzzled aloud.

"No," the inspector shook her head. "I think its saying his will, as in his spiritual force, will guide him."

"Oh! I… don't… really understand."

"It's okay. I don't really get it either. But it does let me know two things for sure. Applejack's death was not an accident and the two deaths are connected."

Twilight looked up from the photographs. "How do you know they're connected?"

"Simple," Roan replied. "Both show signs of some sort of cruel death, and both have a message left behind."

"Oh," said Twilight. She returned to the photos but it wasn't long before she beckoned Roan again. "What's with this picture?" It was a photo of the shattered glass upon the bloodstained ground. It was once the sliver where Roan had seen that… creature in the reflection. Even though she had only glimpsed it, the image had burned itself deep into Roan's mind.

"I thought I saw something in the glass," she said.

"What?" Twilight pressed.

Roan shook her head, clearing away the memory. "Never mind. There's something I wanted to ask you."

Before Roan could form the question, the front door flew open and Rainbow Dash flew in. The drenched pegasus looked petrified. "I can't find Rarity!"

---

Rarity blinked open her eyes. She was in the attic of the boutique. The white unicorn rarely came up here. She stood up and looked around. A fire burned in an ill-kempt fireplace. Besides and the dusty, metal table, the attic was empty. Rarity sneezed at the dust floating about her. Then she remembered her last conscious thought.

The orange filly was not in the room with her, but that didn't stop Rarity's pelt from crawling with the sensation of being watched. She was actually scared of the younger pony. Rarity saw the door across the room; an escape. The unicorn darted for the door but her footing was yanked from under her, causing her to plummet and crash in a cloud of dust. She gazed back to see a chain connecting one of her hind hooves to the wall.

That wasn't good at all. Rarity wasn't proficient enough at magic to know how to pick a lock. Levitation was one of the only spells she knew how to use. Rarity tugged against the chain with all her strength. The tightness of the cuff around her ankle began to cause chaffing. Though it pained her, she kept struggling until it became unbearable and her ankle was rubbed raw. That's when she collapsed, breathing heavily.

The attic door swung open and Scootaloo cantered in, pushing a large box in front of her. She uttered not a word as she shoved the box beside the table and opened it. The pegasus filly then looked up at Rarity with teary eyes.

"I don't want to do this. But, he's making me. I'm losing my willpower. I'm losing my sanity… I'm sorry. I'm so tired of fighting…" Scootaloo lowered her head.

"Scootaloo? What's going on? What are you doing? Let me go!" Rarity cried, tears of her own appearing on her cheeks.

Scootaloo, head still down began to shudder. It looked like she was crying, but as the sound grew louder Rarity could tell it wasn't. She was laughing. "Isn't it Ironic?" said the orange pegasus, looking up with a psychopath's grin plastered across her face. "That this little filly has tried so hard to keep her friends alive, yet they die at her own hooves. She can't fight me much longer. Soon, poor, young Scootaloo will no longer exist. All that will remain is her body filled with my soul. It's rather sad, really. She hasn't done anything wrong."

"Scootaloo what are you saying?" Rarity asked. Shying away from the insane filly, the white unicorn flattened herself against the wall.

"Not Scootaloo. It's Pathos." The orange pegasus shot across the room and seized Rarity by the throat. "And don't you forget it," she hissed in the unicorn's face. For a second a different face replaced the young filly's. Black, soulless eyes with red pupils were set in mangled grey face framed by a bloodied blue mane. It was only a fraction of a second, but Rarity knew she saw it all the same. This wasn't the little filly at all. It was something much darker.

Scootaloo threw her to the ground. Pain lanced through her head at the impact. While, she was reorienting herself, at the same time crying, Scootaloo marched to the box. Rarity didn't see what she pulled out but it clanged loudly as she placed it on the metal table. Rarity took the opportunity to fight back. She reached with her magic towards the fireplace and levitated a burning ember and launched it at the deranged filly. With supernatural speed, the young pegasus spun and kicked the ember. The hot coal shot across the room, directly into Rarity's right eye.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" she let out an agonizing wail as her eye sizzled in her skull. All went black in that eye. The ember fell out but the severe burning sensation lingered. Her melting face tainted the air with a foul burning scent. Tears streamed from her good eye, but they caused the other one to bite with reinforced fiery pain.

Scootaloo coldly approached and seized Rarity by the nape of her neck. She dragged the writhing unicorn to the table with unnatural strength and slammed her head painfully to the table. The pegasus produced more chains and secured Rarity's flailing hooves to the table. The feeling of restraint caused her to panic even more. Adrenaline pumped thickly through her veins and her breathing became ragged.

"Let me go!" she shrieked. Scootaloo laughed and grabbed her head, firmly with both hooves. The bruises on the side of the unicorn's head throbbed with pain that threatened to equal that of her bubbling eye. Through her tear-blurred vision she could see what the pegasus had pulled out earlier. It was a vice grip.

"NO!" Rarity screeched as Scootaloo shoved her head into the device. She tried to thrash out of the filly's grasp, but it was hopeless. Scootaloo tightened the valve so that it pressed excruciatingly into her temples. Her head was immobilized. Scoots' walked into her vision bearing a rusty-looking hacksaw. Rarity merely whimpered; her voice had been torn to shreds by her squeals of terror. She could taste the blood at the back of her throat.

Scootaloo whispered, "It'll be over soon. But we have to get rid of this. You'll only wind up hurting yourself worse." She brought the saw up and began to drag it across Rarity's horn. The vibrations reverberated agonizingly through her skull. Her head was filled with the sound of metal grinding upon bone. She clenched her teeth as the rusty saw wore deeper into her horn, becoming more and more painful with each stroke of the weapon. Suddenly there was an agonizing snap as her horn came off. A stream of blood, wound its way from her severed horn into her eye, blinding her entirely. She let out a pitiful moan as she was engulfed in darkness. All she knew was pain. Her head was pinned with insufferable pressure from the vice. She couldn't move her limbs. She wished Scootaloo would just finish her already.

---

And that's just what she did. The orange pegasus plunged the horn deep into Rarity's skull with a sickening crunch. Scootaloo's heart skipped a beat as she knew she had just ended another life. This time it was Sweetie Belle's sister. It was an act of mercy to end her death so quickly. Pathos was furious that she hadn't tortured her more; that her will had broken through his once again. She didn't care. She just wanted him to leave.

Scootaloo stood there, gazing at Rarity's corpse as blood flowed out of her eyes, nose, and mouth. She was beginning to grow numb to it. The death, the violence, the blood, it was all fading into a blur. What was more real to her was the pain of carrying the deaths. If anypony discovered her secret, she would be ruined. There was a demon inside of her that she couldn't control, and she loathed it. What could she do to make it go away?

Suddenly, her body seized up again as Pathos took control again. He forced her to run and throw herself into the wall. She reeled back, but then she threw herself once more at the wall, causing her nose to start bleeding.

"You IDIOT!" Pathos yelled at Scootaloo using her own voice. "You could have just let me torture her and get the revenge I deserve! But no! You have to go and take her away before I can even begin to have any fun!"

"N-n-no!" Scootaloo managed to break his will again. "You can't do this! I won't let you do this anymore!"

Then she lost. Her will wasn't strong enough to fight his so much. Her spirit was tiring with the battle. She couldn't give up yet. But how long could her soul endure before she finally broke?