Warning This is where it starts to get violent

The week after the duel the Lunar guard got dozens of applicants. After screening, 24 ponies were selected. Many serve regular guard duties but then there are ponies like Gumshoe. He is eccentric and maybe a little crazy, but a fantastic detective. However at this moment her captain’s eccentric associates were the least of Luna’s troubles. Princess Luna stood in the dank linen warehouse on the far side of Canterlot. Not much out here but warehouses and the unfortunate. The Lunar guard’s were securing the area and keeping the few ponies that were around out of the scene. Before her was a morbid mural of blood and pieces of ponies.

“Three,” Gumshoe walked up to Luna, he was a small earth pony. His coat was naturally beige with a soft brown mane, his glasses hung low on his nose. Like his counterparts his armor had changed his coat to black and eyes to green. However he didn’t wear his helmet often and tonight he was out of uniform. “I count at least three different ponies were, used, to make this writing?”

“Who were they?” Luna’s tone was sad, again she was not used to seeing acts of violence in this modern era. She had hoped that ponies had grown past such things, but she of all ponies knew of their dark sides. After all she was the dreamwalker, and ponies dream about all sorts of things.

“No identification,” Acropolis came out from behind some of the containers, “No records, I would say vagrants, most likely homeless judging from the blanket clothing.” He throws a small sack down in front of Gumshoe, “And I would say thieves too. Two wallets and a hoof-full of bits. Not theirs.” In a small flash Rune appears next to Acropolis.

“No signs of forced entry anywhere.” She reported.

“Assailant could have teleported in.” Gumshoe suggested.

“I don’t know, usually that leaves a some residual magic. Sort of like a echo.” Rune searched around with her magic. “And I don’t feel any magic here.”

“They could have let in the assailant.” Acropolis chipped in examining one of the remains.

“It was magic,” Luna blurted out. Every pony looked to her confused. Rune tuned in to Luna’s armor. She was upset, she knew something about this. "Just old magic, all most untraceable."

“Luna,” Rune approached her, Luna’s eyes never left the bloody writing. “What is it?”

“Do you know what that says?” Luna motioned to the writing.

“No, but I would say its an ancient language, older than I am versed in.” If Rune didn’t  know what it said, almost no pony knew what it said. “Do you?”

“Evil has been punished, Struck down by Lunar law. That is what it says.” They all looked at Luna in shock. Their armor tuned in and shared in her confidence. She definitely knew what this was.  

“Lunar law?” Acropolis was visibly shaken, “Are you saying that some pony on the Lunar guard did this?”

“No, we would know. I can detect this sort of things through the link. Anyway how would anypony know this language,” Luna explained, “It was dead long before the Lunar guard was revived.”

“Then who would know this language?” Gumshoe asked.

“Somepony who should already be dead.” Luna turned a walked out of the warehouse.

“Somepony already dead, huh?” Acropolis pondered as he looked at the bloody writing.

“What do you suppose that means?” Gumshoe asked. “Zombie?”

“No, they can’t write.” Rune commented as she swept the area with her magic again.  

“Huh, maybe it really was just a pony with the knowledge of the language? And maybe a bone to pick with the new guard?” Even Acropolis thought he was grasping at straws.

“Unlikely,” Gumshoe examined another one of the corpses, “We haven’t been around long enough to really piss anypony off this badly. All we've done is stop some purse snatchers and petty thefts. These ponies were ripped apart and their limbs used to write a bloody message only Luna could read. This was a message for her, not for us.”

“Ever get the feeling you’re caught in something much bigger than yourself?” Acropolis asked.

“Every time I wake up.” Gumshoe Took a photo of one of the corpses.

The sun was coming up over Ponyville. Some of the shopkeepers were out and about getting their stores ready for the day. Rainbow Dash was lazily cleaning up the night clouds as the small town began to stir. Everypony was getting ready for another peaceful day in Ponyville except for Spinneret DeLoom. She was a Unicorn with a pink coat with a soft blue and red mane and a loom wheel as her cutie mark. A Ponyville native she ran the local bedding shop. Selling quilts and sheets she made a good living in the small town. But this morning she woke up covered in blood that wasn’t hers. Confusion and panic quickly set in.

“Oh, sweet Celestia! What happened!?” She remembered very little of last night, her brother had come home with something, what was it? Then she saw it. A blood caked golden Helmet laying on the floor next to her bed. “Where did that come from?” She quickly went and took a shower, trying to keep calm as the blood swirled the drain. Heading down stairs she took the helmet and tossed it into her basement. There came a knock on her door.

“Just a second!” Running into the kitchen she splashed some water on her face trying to maintain her composure. Returning to the living room she opened the door. Her brother pushed his way into the house.

“Sis! thank goodness you’re okay!” Burlap was Spinneret's twin brother, identical in appearance but their talents were far apart. Burlap was a bit of a trouble maker, unfortunately for Spinneret he was a klepto. He liked to steal, most of the time whatever he took he would give back. But he stole from some ponies in Ponyville and sold their stuff. Which is why he isn't allowed in town. “I need that helmet back!”

“What is with that thing! Burlap! I woke up covered in blood!” He looked at her shocked. “What did you steal you hay for brains!?”

“You what?”

“Woke. Up. Covered. In. Blood. You idiot!” She was trying very hard to not scream at him.

“The helmet, its cursed, Spini. I need it back. I need to get rid of it.” Panicked he tried to explained.

“Cursed? What like sprays blood at night?”

“No, Spini, it’s Hannibals Helmet.” Spinneret fell silent as the realization of what was in her basement came to her.

“H-Hannibal? THE Hannibal? From legend?” She sat down on her couch. “As in the ‘Don’t break the rules of he will get you’ Hannibal? The Bogey Pony!? The childrens story!?”

“Yeah, apparently he was real.” Burlap sat down next to her.

“And how do you know this? what’s going on, Burlap?” Spinneret was on the brink of crying.

“I found out from a friend at the Unicorn School, I described the helmet and he said it sounded like Hannibal's, since they don’t use gold for armor. His was the only time anypony famous used gold as the base for their armor. He also said that the rumor is that Hannibal's Helm is fused with his anger and will take over anypony who wears it. Spini. Did you put on the helmet?” Burlap’s concern was genuine, she hadn’t seen him this spooked in years. “Spini!”

“N-No! I don’t think I did.” A thump came from the front door, the morning news paper. “The paper. Get it  quickly!” Burlap swiftly opened the door and grabbed the paper, tossing it on the table he sat back down.

“Spini!” She was silent. Her eyes were fixed on the paper as it lay open on the table. “Spini! What is it-” He looked over at the paper. The headline read : Three ponies found dead in linen warehouse, Officials say they were dismembered Magically, guards baffled. “Spini! Where is the helmet?”

“Burlap, I think I killed those ponies.” Her eyes were glazed over.

“What? No way.” His disbelief came through in his voice.

“No really, they, they were stealing my product. It’s been happening for weeks. A quilt here, blanket there. I-I think I killed them. Burlap, what do I do?” She was sobbing now.

“No, no, you listen to me Spini, you didn’t kill anypony okay? You didn’t do anything okay. The Helmet did okay?” He wrapped his arms around her. “Look I know somepony who might be able to help us. Just maybe.”

“WHITE GLOVE!” Agora’s voices boomed through his home. Before him lay the shattered remains of his window and display case. His leverage with Luna had been stolen! And from his home! The pony responsible for this will pay! This is way ahead of schedule. “WHITE GLOVE!” he shouted again opening his den door. “GET ME THE-” he stopped dead in his tracks. Princess Luna stood before him and she looked pissed.

“IF ANYPONY WILL BE SHOUTING, WHELP, IT WILL BE ME!” Luna unleashed her Canterlot royal voice on him. Stumbling back from the force of her voice he tried to get his footing. “I DO NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR GAME AGORA! YOU TELL ME YOU HAVE THESE ARTIFACTS AND THEN UNLEASH THEM ON CANTERLOT!?”

“Princess, wait please!” Agora was pressed up against his desk, Luna leaned down and put her face right up against his.

“Explain.” The hate dripped off her words

“I was robbed! Last night, I had just found out when you arrived. Princess, please I have full intention on releasing the artifacts to you!” Agora pleaded.

“And now the most dangerous artifact you have is loose in Canterlot!” Luna fumed.

“Hannibal’s Helmet? Its not dangerous, unless somepony. Oh no, did somepony put it on?”

“How did you know it was Hannibal's helmet? And yes apparently somepony put it on.” Her suspicion of Agora grew more by the day.

“Its may talent Princess, ancient artifacts. We need to get it back.” Agora began collecting his things to leave. “According to lore it will eventually drive its wearer mad.”

“I know Agora, I can confirm that as much.” Luna spat at him.

“Luna look I know i'm not your favorite pony right now but we need that Helm back. Ponies could die.” Agora's hat floated onto his head

“They already have, Agora.”

“Then we are running against the clock.” Agora put on his jacket.