//------------------------------// // Meeting the Residents // Story: Spectral Eclipse // by Relux_the_Relux //------------------------------// Five nights remain until the Nox Eterna Festival. The ringing of the alarm clock slowly pierced Dusk's mind. Jerking, yanking and tugging, he hastily tried to free himself from his blanket and cloak. Unfortunately, this only further exacerbated the situation. The blanket and his cloak seemed to morph into a tartarian amalgamation between a cocoon and a straitjacket. Dusk's carcerophobia aggravated even further, haste making his body tangle even further into the mass of fabric. Then in a moment of clarity Dusk stopped. While remaining still, he used his magic to slowly lift the blanket. Checking the time, he turned the alarm off. It was still the eleventh sleeping hour. He needed to withdraw before Cockcrow's engines of blabber could be ignited. This would allow him peace and tranquility while making his investigation in the city. He quickly folded his blanket with his magic, putting it on his bed and swiftly moving towards the staircase. However, the moment he stepped on the first stair, the aroma of pancakes filled his nostrils, accompanied by a set of noise coming from the kitchen. Cockcrow was already awake. Dusk damned military discipline, before slumping down the stairs. Arriving on the ground, he was greeted by Cockcrow who had popped out of the kitchen with his seemingly never-fading smile. "Good new night, sir." Dusk also muttered something that was presumably meant to be greeting. He trudged to the kitchen table, before slumping onto the head seat. Besides the sets of forks, knives, plates and cups for them, the table was also laid with a diverse assortment of dishes. Including bowls of apples, pears and grapes, a jar of milk, bowls with cereal and dried wheat, plates with waffles and pancakes and a bowl with omelets and an empty teapot. Seeing Dusk observe the table, Cockcrow commented, “Uh, I saw that you wanted to wake up early and I thought you’d probably want to eat something.” Only now Dusk recollected that he hadn’t actually covered himself with a blanket before falling asleep. Cockcrow approached the table as he continued, “I was unsure what you’d want for breakfast, sir.” Dusk simply nodded in agreement as his mind was still in the process of waking. Cockcrow had already moved to Dusk’s left, asking, “So, what would you wish to drink?” Still drowsy, Dusk barely lifted his eyelids and pupils to look up to Cockcrow before uttering, “Black tea.” Cockcrow then proceeded to the stove, taking a tea kettle and a teapot out of the cabinets. He poured water in the kettle, boiling it, then took a small wooden box from another drawer, measuring four teaspoons of leaves from it and placing them in the teapot. Meanwhile, Dusk slowly slipped a few pancakes onto his plate and sloppily covered them with syrup. Not bothering to cut them, he merely levitated them towards his mouth and began to slowly munch away at their edges as his brain gradually exited its drowse. Being more aware of his surroundings, Dusk noticed that Cockrow, now sitting to his left, wasn’t wearing his armor. This allowed him to take a look at Cockcrow's cutie mark, a shield with a rooster depicted on it. Continuing to lethargically chew away on his pancakes, Dusk’s mindless stare shifted upwards, setting on the now helmetless head of his companion. His pale magenta mane reminded him of the royal gardener's mane, missing only the bangs always covered in dirt. His wandering eyes came to a stop as he noticed Cockrow staring at him wide-eyed, not having touched any food yet as if he were waiting for something. Dusk slowly masticated, reciprocating Cockcrow’s steady gaze with slight anxiety. He then swallowed and, in order to dissolve the awkwardness, he briefly remarked, “It is good.” Cockcrow gave him a broad smile, leaving Dusk disconcerted. He didn’t know if he should worry more about the guard’s face ripping up from this constant smile or for himself being pulled into the abyss of his broad smile. “So, aren’t you going to eat too?” Dusk indicated his companion’s still empty plate. “Uh, yes, of course,” Cockcrow answered as he hurriedly put some omelet on his plate. As he finished doing so, the kettle whistled, prompting him to stand up. With a mitten over his muzzle, he swiftly lifted whistle lever of the kettle and poured its boiling content over the tea leaves. Balancing the teapot on his stretched left wing. Dusk watched, slightly amused, as Cockcrow carried the tea to the table and carefully placed it down, all the while inattentively munching on the pancakes still in his telekinetic grip. Cockcrow then dropped his muzzle mitten to the side of the teapot, leaving the tea steeping, and sat back down to finally eat his dish of eggs. After the tea had steeped enough, Cockcrow put the mitten on again to heedfully pour Dusk a cup, before pouring himself one. Laying what was still left over of his pancakes back to his plate, Dusk brought the cup up to his muzzle. The aroma of it filled his nostrils, reminding him of the times he and Moondancer had had lessons from Nightmare Moon in the early night. At first, he took a small sip, probing for the temperature, then, he proceeded to take progressively larger swigs of tea, savoring it while it slowly flushed pieces and bits of pancake still left in his mouth with each swallow. As the tea helped to gradually wake Dusk, he let his eyes wander around the kitchen. It possessed a fireplace, which made him wonder if it was just for decoration as he hadn’t seen any chimneys outside. Beside the fireplace lay Cockcrow’s foam mattress and bed linen, now once again tidily folded. The only window of the kitchen had its thick canary yellow curtains closed, precluding Dusk from taking a look outside and blocking any external light. The kitchen was illuminated only by a few lit lanterns that hung from the ceiling. He also noticed a telescope left in one of the corners. He deduced it was probably used by the librarian to make star charts, lists and other astrographic needs of the previously small town. He then noticed that Cockcrow discreetly observed him in between the ingesting of his omelet and taking a swig of his own tea. Both of them continued silently with their meals until Cockcrow broke the silence by asking, “So... how was your meeting with the triumequat yesternight, sir?” Dusk slowly placed the remains of his pancakes back on the plate. “It was certainly significantly less helpful than I anticipated.” “Then what are your plans for tonight, sir?” Cockcrow promptly queried as he leaned slightly closer. Dusk took a slow sip of his tea before replying, “Well, if our associates from the triumequat don’t desire to adequately collaborate with us then I will need to elicit information from other ponies around here.” “You should probably speak to the magistrate of Ponyville, Mayor Mare,” eagerly recommended Cockcrow. “I am sure she’d be interested in meeting you.” Dusk didn’t like dealing with politicians, but given the circumstances, he was willing. “She is currently supervising the preparations for the Nox Eterna in the town hall,” added Cockcrow as he leaned even closer to Dusk. Still knowing where he left his possessions yesterday, Dusk levitated without moving from his chair two scrolls and a pen out of his luggage from the entrance hall to himself. He then opened one of the scrolls; it contained a checklist. Having quickly found the two last items of the list, he proceeded to check them and add two more items to it. [...] ☑ Be briefed on the situation by the triumequat ☑ Settle in your lodging in Ponyville ☐ Find the “Ghost”(List of Tasks: D-4) ☐ Capture the “Ghost” After having successfully appended, he rolled it back together and then unrolled the other one and wrote down: List of Tasks: D-4 As of necessary for: finding the “Ghost” ☐ Ascertain the location of the crime scene from the magistrate ☐ Examine the location: ☐ Why was it perpetrated there? ☐ Who was the victim? ☐ What was the cause of death? ☐ Find a lead to clandestine activities in Ponyville As Dusk zealously inscribed his scrolls, Cockcrow simply continued to stare at the clear side of the scrolls, unsure if he should say anything. Seeing that Dusk was finally putting the scrolls away, one back to his bags and the other into one of his cloak’s inner pockets, he decided to ask, “So, when do you wish to leave, sir?” “As soon as we can meet with this Mayor Mare, I see no reason to waste any time,” Dusk replied solemnly, hoping that this Mayor Mare did not have some overtly lax working hours. He then stood up and started walking out of the kitchen. Then looking back at all the unconsumed food he said, “Next time, just the pancakes should suffice.” Having now exited their arboreal dwelling, Dusk noticed that on each street corner of the library square was a gray-armored guard standing watch. Various windows and roofs had been decorated with the Queen’s banners, portraying a dark Alicorn standing on the full moon, and flags, depicting an upwards-facing crescent with stylized wings and a star in its center. He also noticed how deserted the square apart from the guards seemed to be, as none of the scaffoldings present on a few of the surrounding buildings carried any construction ponies. This made Dusk wonder if the construction work was interrupted due to security reasons as he was staying in the library, even though their absence could be explained because it was still the first waking hour. As Dusk and Cockcrow moved through the streets, Dusk noticed how Cockcrow would signalize as they passed by guardponies keeping watch on the intersections. Two guards would then escort them for a short while until Cockcrow signalized another set of guards, causing the previous two to return to their post as another pair of guards would now once again accompany them for another short while. Another thing Dusk noticed was that the further they shifted through the streets, the more decorated and festive the town became. At least one variation of the royal flag or banner hung from every window, crescent-shaped lanterns illuminated the streets with a silver glow and a multitude of indigo pennant banners depicting either a star or a crescent were stretched from one roof to another. The streets also became more filled, as the ponies had awoken from the sleeping hours. Many of them continued to adjust and add decorations for the Nox Eterna Festival. Various foals wearing Nightmare Moon masks ran around, playing and giggling. Even as the preparations for the festivities were going on, the further building of new houses advanced. The scaffoldings were brimful of working ponies. Because of the construction sites, even the widest streets were still cramped with ponies. Dusk, however, had little problem going through the crowds as the guards accompanying him made room for him to pass. After passing through various progressively more congested streets, they arrived at the town hall square. A massive, but still clearly not completed, red-brick building in similar in style to the train station occupied most of the plaza. A multitude of construction ponies worked on the scaffoldings and cranes. The only part which was not being worked on from the outside was the entrance. The new town hall was being constructed upon the old one, and as such, it was incorporated as the entrance of the new one. Plastered on the red wall lay the once circular and now semi-circular structure. It possessed two floors with a double loggia with wooden railing and columns encompassing them. The walls were made of wattle and daub on wooden frames, a clear testimony of this town’s agricultural beginnings. Its circular red-tiled roof was topped with a gazebo. Over the entrance hung an indigo banner picturing stars and white letters saying: WELCOME TO PONYVILLE, NIGHTMARE MOON MAY YOUR REIGN AND NIGHT BE ETERNAL Dusk then noticed a brown earth pony with a construction helmet standing on a platform below it. He was furiously scribbling on his clipboard as he watched over the plaza. To each of his sides stood a gray-armored guard, Dusk guessed he was probably the construction supervisor. Actually, after taking a better look, he noticed that there was plenty of guards standing on the scaffoldings and on the roofs of the surrounding buildings. Seeing Dusk observing the city hall, Cockcrow stepped towards him. “So,” Cockcrow began while still wearing his perpetual smile, “Would you like me to tell you more about our old town hall, s–?” Without averting his gaze, Dusk replied with a quick and short, “No.” “Oh,” Cockrow shifted his gaze in slight disconcert. But then he tried to ask, “What if I t–” “I think we should just get inside and talk to the magistrate,” Dusk said, stepping forward. “Yes, certainly, sir,” agreed Cockcrow before lifting off. As he did, Dusk noticed the long queues coming from and into the town hall. The capacity of the narrow entrance of the old town hall had clearly been outgrown by the populace of the booming town and the new entrances weren’t yet finished, causing the backup. There was a variety of ponies coming in and out of the city hall; painters and decorators in messy overalls, neat civil servants or ponies that just came here to deal with the bureaucracy. Guards stood beside the queue to keep them in order and to control the flow in a manner that when one pony would leave, then another would be let in and vice versa. Looking now upwards once again to check on Cockcrow, Dusk saw him talking to the supervisor and his guards while pointing towards Dusk. After seeing Dusk, the two guards tried to signal to the guards overseeing the queue and entrance, but before their efforts could bring any success, the supervisor had taken a megaphone and made an announcement, “Clear the way for the Honorable Apprentice, he wishes to speak with the magistrate!” The guards stopped the queues immediately. A collective groan among the waiting ponies could be heard. The guards then started to push them to the side so that Dusk could pass. As they did that, Cockcrow returned to Dusk's side. Dusk did not acknowledge him and simply walked towards the entrance. Cockcrow quickly caught up and accompanied him. Some of the ponies just grumbled something; others quietly observed as Dusk passed by and a few bowed under his look at them. Looking to his side he noticed how Cockcrow’s wings kept shifting; he could easily read his companion’s uneasiness from being observed by the masses. As they approached the entrance, Dusk could finally take a look at the inner turmoil. He caught glimpses of banners, stripes and other decorative objects being passed around, as well as some ponies simply trying to pass through the crowd. When they finally reached the entrance, the guards watching it quickly ushered them in. As soon as they passed through the door, the guards hastily began to move the queues back into position. The former town hall was mostly comprised of a single large room with interior balconies hanging at multiple levels, their back rooms curtained with long purple drapes. Also, one could easily notice the two stone staircases that were recently built to connect the old part of the building to the new, as they lacked any proper finishing. A few ponies, many holding documents, others wearing helmets, were climbing the stairs. A large crowd, however, still remained in the entrance hall, rendering it nothing short of tumultuous as they prepared it for Her Majesty’s arrival. Ponies hurriedly adorned the walls with bouquets of blue roses, lavenders and cornflowers, never seeming to agree on the final position of each one. Blue banners were hung from one balcony to another. Silver and indigo tapestries hung from the ceiling depicting some of Nightmare Moon’s greatest achievements. One was showing her banishing Celestia to the sun, another depicted her guards attacking a retreating Changeling line and the third one showed a dragon bowing to Nightmare Moon while offering the Dragon Lord Staff. Dusk wondered when the decorations would be completed, especially the other tapestries. Nightmare Moon surely wouldn’t be pleased if even one of them were missing. Cockcrow interrupted his thoughts, indicating a gray-maned mare in a brown robe with green lines forming a diamond pattern, coordinating the decorative efforts. Judging by her position and attire, she had to be the Magistrate of Ponyville. As they approached her, Dusk also noted the red tree symbol of Ponyville inside the diamonds on her robe. “Magistrate Mayor Mare?” Dusk asked. The old mare turned to see who called her. “What is it this ti...oh.” The words died on her tongue as she readjusted her glasses. She forced a sheepish smile across her features. “Honorable Apprentice, I’m glad to see you decided to visit us.” She then continued with a brighter smile, “But I am sure there are more serious things that you wish to discuss.” “Evidently,” replied Dusk, keeping a blank expression. “Well, then please follow me, I am certain we should talk about it somewhere less... hectic.” Cockcrow stood guard outside, as the magistrate led Dusk into a room with no windows and only barely illuminated by the lamp on the over-cluttered desk. Scrolls, quills, folders and books covered the desk almost completely while pinboards, too many chairs and boxes with office supplies filled the room. Dusk had the urge to sneeze from all the dust all of this was collecting, but he resisted it. He deduced this was a temporary office for the magistrate until her new one was finished. Then the magistrate finally spoke, “the residents of Ponyville assuredly appreciate the pupil of the Her Majesty coming to aid the operations.” Then, staring directly into Dusk’s eyes with a firm smile, she added, “they would certainly love if you could address them.” This was the main reason Dusk despised having to deal with politicians. He certainly couldn’t let her know that the triumequat didn’t properly brief him. She would certainly use any information as leverage to parade him before her constituents to gain approval. “I am sure the loss of such pony is very painful for this town.” Mayor Mare nodded in agreement. “Yes, Doctor Horse was beloved by all townsponies he treated,” she said. ”It also happened little more than one week after he returned from duty.” This doctor had probably been drafted, Dusk thought, medics were definitely needed. “Still a bit weird that he was found so far to the south. Almost at the municipality border,” he commented, remembering the general area that Midnight Oil had marked on the map yesterday. Mayor Mare ground her teeth a bit before answering, “Since he had seemed a bit... scatterbrained,” she paused before resuming, “we thought he would just need a bit of time to... process everything. He started to go on these long treks since he returned from duty. We thought it was good to leave him alone, let him unwind... Although”, she pondered, “Nurse Redheart wanted us to intervene. Maybe we should’ve before he was found at the southwestern windmill...” She then regained her initial composure, re-establishing firm eye contact, “But I am sure the triumequat has briefed you with what you need. What did you come here for anyway?” “The triumequat has sent me here,” instantaneously replied Dusk. “They wanted me to tell you that Scarlet Scar shall be arriving tomorrow.” He lied, but it didn’t really matter. Scarlet Scar was the Supreme Inquisitor missing from the cottage yesterday. Of course, he didn’t know when she would be arriving, however, he had already gotten what he wanted and would hopefully not have to deal with the magistrate. The magistrate raised an eyebrow. ”And... That’s everything you wished to meet me for?” “Yes, that is all,” Dusky replied promptly. The magistrate cleared her throat. “Well then, have a nice night, Honorable Apprentice. Don’t forget that if you need anything I and the city council are glad to help.” “I won’t.” "So, do you know where the southwestern windmill lies?" Dusk asked Cockcrow while tweaking his checklist, as they left the city hall. "Uh, yes, of course, sir," his escort quickly confirmed. "Do you want me to take you there, sir?" Putting the scroll and pen back to one of his inner pockets, he answered, "Yes." "Well," Cockrow shifted his wings before resuming, "it is almost the sixth waking hour already." He averted looking towards Dusk before resuming, "If you're hungry, there's an establishment I know on the way there, sir." Considering it was on the way it would probably not cost much time, also, Dusk was in a somewhat good mood now, having finally acquired some information. "Sure." Dusk could’ve sworn that Cockcrow's eyes had brightened when he replied, "Then I shall take you there." Dusk noticed his companion was undoubtedly walking faster now. Not that he minded, it meant he could complete the checklist faster. They had reached a square which Dusk hoped was not the proposed location. As if it were he suspected their meal would be probably... somewhat unbalanced. In the middle of the square lay an establishment that looked like it had come right from a confectioner's oven. The roof appeared to be chocolate frosting and its eaves and ridges looked like whipped cream. A tower that looked like two pink cupcakes on top of each other, with even giant candles, stuck out of the roof. The entire scene was completed by the weather vane being a chocolate brown pony holding a sugar cane. Even though the square was still busy, navigating through the crowd here was definitely easier as the masses diminished as they moved farther and farther away from the town hall. There were several booths here selling Nightmare Moon related merchandise for the festival, including the masks he had seen the foals wearing earlier. Dusk wondered if the farmer's market normally took place here or if the booths were set up only for the holidays. His mind drifted as he watched ponies going from booth to booth with their special someponies or with their foals. Seeing the little ones trying to get their parents to buy things for them, made Dusk wonder when was the last time he had seen his. Distracted by the sight, he almost crashed into Cockcrow as he suddenly stopped just before the dreaded establishment. "Let me present to you the source of Ponyville’s most delicious creations," Cockcrow announced, even more enthusiastic than usual which Dusk had hoped to not be possible. Cockcrow pointed towards the establishment. "Sugarcube Corner!" Dusk didn't find the "corner" part very fitting, considering it stood in the middle of the square. However, the "Sugarcube" part only made this restaurant disguised as confection complete. "It's fine," Dusk replied unenthusiastically, not wanting to argue about what was Cockcrow's idea of a balanced meal. Not taken aback by his half-hearted response, Cockcrow proceeded to lead him inside. While this, a couple of ponies, a red earth pony and a lime-yellow pegasus, that had come out of a nearby building, passing by them and walking in just before Dusk and his companion. Also, Dusk noticed a wooden sign with an image of a pink cupcake plastered on it in case the kind of establishment wasn't obvious enough yet. Their two guards stayed at the entrance, standing watch. As they entered, they were immediately greeted by a yellow stallion wearing a red and white striped bow tie and an apron, "Nice to see you here again, Cockcrow. What brings you back to Ponyville?" "Well, besides having to escort the Honorable Apprentice due to," Cockcrow paused a second before continuing in a somewhat somberer tone, "the obvious turn of events." He then returned to his more enthusiastic self, "I am here because I couldn't let the apprentice of Her Majesty's apprentice come to Ponyville and not taste the delicious creations of Mrs. and Mr. Ca—" The stallion quickly cut him off. "We're not called that anymore." He then proceeded to Dusk, bowing slightly. "Please, call us Gateau. It‘s an honor to have you here." Indicating a free table, he added, "Please, take a seat. We shall serve you shortly." As he indicated the unoccupied seats, Dusk glanced around the restaurant. Besides the pink decorations with images of sweets, he noticed that only around half the tables were occupied. Most of them by officers who Dusk reasoned were taking their lunch break. As Cockcrow accompanied him to their seats, Dusk saw that some ponies were staring at him, including the red earth pony mare and the lime yellow pegasus stallion that had entered just before them. Cockcrow broke his concentration, motioning to their table neighbor. "Sir! This is Octavius," introduced Cockcrow the gray earth pony stallion who stopped to sip on his tea to see the source of the noise. "He is one of the royal musicians. He even goes often to the castle to give private concerts to the q..." "Cockcrow, I know him,“ interrupted Dusk. “Oh.” Cockcrow chuckled awkwardly, avoiding the gaze of the two other stallions in slight embarrassment. “Of course...“ “So, how have you been? It has been a while since I have seen you in the castle,“ asked Dusk in friendly words, but a monotone tone. The stallion fixed a lock of his carefully maintained mane that could easily rival Elusive himself. He finally spoke, "Since the Ponyville philharmonic has been finally completed a few months ago, I‘ve been giving concerts there. However, it also seems the queen has had a preference for my sister's services lately." Before returning to his tea, he remarked with a sly but discrete snide, "I‘m just surprised the queen has let you out of her wing.“ Not knowing what to say to this conversation, Cockcrow decided to remain silent staring vacantly. Deciding to ignore the last remark, Dusk answered, "I can most certainly assure you that I do not prefer your sister‘s... music." Only giving a side glance Octavius replied, "I‘m certain you don‘t." Not knowing what to say anymore, Dusk simply continued to his own table. "Oh, erm, until later Octavius," Cockcrow said before quickly following Dusk. "Have a nice night," acknowledged the musician, now once again enjoying his tea. Dusk was already checking the menu as Cockcrow seated himself. He tried to take a look over the menu, anxious to know what Dusk would order. Lowering his menu to look over it, Dusk inquired, "Aren‘t you going to take off your helmet while at the table?" "Uh, yes, of course, sir," Cockcrow quickly replied while hastily removing his helm and placing it under his chair. After placing his menu down, Dusk inquired, "So what do you want to order?" "Anything you want is okay by me, sir. Everything here is good anyway." "Fine," nonchalantly accepted Dusk, taking his eyes back to the menu. At this moment, the apron-wearing stallion returned to take their orders. "So, what would you like to order, sir?" "Twelve blueberry muffins, please," Dusk ordered, closing his menu. "Anything to drink?" The waiter checked. "Two cups of green tea," Dusk added to his order. "I‘ll be back shortly with the order, sir." Mr. Gateau vanished behind the counter, taking the two menus with him. As Dusk watched Mr. Gateau trot away, he noticed the couple, that had come in just before them, leave their table. He could have sworn they were staring him back. But before Dusk could think any further on it, their waiter returned with a plate containing the ordered muffins. "Here are your muffins, sir." Placing the plate down Mr. Gateau bowed again. "The tea is still brewing, I will bring it then." "Thank you. I wish to pay now," Dusk requested, not wanting to waste any unnecessary time waiting for a bill here. "That’s fifty-four bits, sir,“ Mr. Gateau quickly answered. Dusk brought out a bag full of bits out one of his cloak‘s inner pockets. Then using his telekinesis, he built six pillars per nine bits from the bag. "Here you go," Dusk merely stated, before taking his first bite from the muffins. Mr. Gateau shoved the bits into the pocket of his apron and wished Dusk and Cockcrow a good meal before leaving. As Dusk was halfway done with his first muffin, he had noticed that again Cockcrow had not touched the food yet, looking at him with the same anticipating eyes earlier tonight. However, this time Cockcrow broke the silence. "So, what do think of the food here, sir?" Dusk simply answered, "These are one of the best muffins I have ever eaten." Cockcrow noticed a strange lack of emotion for such answer. Dusk then continued after putting his muffin down and looking into Cockcrow‘s eyes with a blank expression, "However, what does make me worry is that you do not follow a healthy diet if this is your idea of lunch." Cockcrow tried to formulate a response. Failing to do so, he simply tried to avoid Dusk‘s gaze. "Now please, eat up. We still have things to do tonight," Dusk requested before returning to his own muffins. After their lunch, the trip to the mill was a short and uneventful one. However, Dusk found the lack of Cockcrow‘s smile during it almost as creepy as his constant smile. He thought it was probably because of Cockcrow‘s facial muscles finally tiring and decided to not think further about it. Arriving at the mouth of the river where the windmill stood, Dusk noticed a water wheel attached to it, meaning it was also a watermill. Furthermore, he could finally catch a glimpse of the crime scene. The yard had been closed off with barricade tape, although it could almost seem unnecessary considering how solitary this place was. It appeared most of the investigation here was done as only three seemingly bored guard ponies with white edges on their armor remained. Dark red blots near the mill‘s bright red door were the only reminder of the crime. As Dusk approached the mill, he was interrupted by one of the guards at the tape. After checking him, the guard lifted the tape for Dusk to pass. Cockcrow tried to follow, but they pulled him out by his tail as he attempted to pass. He would need to wait outside again. Dusk looked at the lake that bordered the crime scene. This concerned Dusk, as the culprit could have used it to get rid of evidence, the worst was that this lake had an outlet river meaning anything thrown into it would have flowed further down the stream. Approaching the mill's wall, he noticed that the red spots formed into the words, "The queen's death doctor tastes his own medicine." The hoofwriting got sloppier as the sentence progressed. Getting closer to the wall, he could now smell an iron-like stench, furthering Dusk's suspicions that this was blood. Then he noticed smaller stains on the cobblestones less than half a meter away from the spots on the wall. Seeing no blood trails leading to these stains, he imagined the victim being cornered before being attacked. Dusk looked around. He could only see two houses and trees on their side of the river and a small pier on their side of the lake. Also, while he examined the surroundings, he noticed that besides the yellow crescent with its horns pointing upwards on the door, there was previously another yellow symbol in the middle that had been painted over. Looking at the other side of the river, he could spot only trees and a small dirt road that led to a bridge connecting to this side. He decided to ask one of the guards about the two houses here to check if there were any witnesses. The guard explained that one of the houses was currently abandoned and the other was a boat business that worked mostly by renting the ships on the pier. Both the owner and his wife said they hadn't heard anything, they found the body when they were opening for the night. The mill itself was empty at the time. Deciding to test his luck, Dusk asked the guard where the weapon of the crime was. However, he didn't expect the answer he received. "Well, they have already collected the scalpel for analysis," clarified the officer. A... scalpel? Dusk wondered, wouldn't it have been easier and more effective to get a knife? Most importantly, why didn't they throw it away instead of leaving it at the crime scene? His thoughts were quickly interrupted as the officer spoke again, "But all evidence collected should be catalogued in the case file, sir." Stepping back, Dusk answered, "Yes, of course, I must have missed it." Looking around once again, Dusk thought how lucky the attacker was to find Doctor Horse right here so far in the outskirts of town in the middle of the sleeping hours. The place was surrounded by trees meaning, they could have surprised the victim from any angle and then flee into the concealment of the woodland. Considering the river was not very wide and the current quite weak, even if the attacker was not amphibious they could even surprise him from the water. But one thing bewildered Dusk, why didn’t the owner of the boat hire business hear the victim scream? Dusk wanted to question him immediately, but he saw a notice informing that the boat hire would be closed and he and his wife would be with their family for the time being. Unsurprising, Dusk thought, I guess one wouldn't want to sleep next to a murder scene. With most of the evidence already collected, further investigation here probably wouldn't be very fruitful. I need to get the case files one way or another. Or... Dusk pondered, I definitely need to arrive at the next crime scene before the triumequat. Resolute in his decision, Dusk decided to return home. There were a few things he needed to ask Cockcrow on the way back. "So, do you know the boat renter?" Dusk asked as they entered the square where he had feared he would have suffered from a sugar shock. Although a bit lost in thought Cockcrow replied, "Uh? Floating Rate? Oh, yeah, of course, sir. When I was a little co—" "Can you take me where he is staying?" Dusk precautiously cut the story short. "I want to ask him a few things." "Well, that depends if they are staying with his or his wife's family, sir." He then pondered and continued, " I guess we could check on both of them, but that would take a while. They both live far from here." Dusk was slightly amused, hearing Cockcrow talk about wasting time, but he took his point and decided it would be better to try to find the owner tomorrow. After all, remembering from his conversation with the magistrate there was another pony he wanted to talk to. "So, you also know Nurse Redheart, right?" "Uh, yes. She works at Ponyville’s hospital and...", Cockcrow stopped as he saw something, "Actually," he pointed towards the crowd, "I think that's her right there, sir." Dusk spotted the white pony with the mentioned cutie mark, she had a pink mane that was tightly packed into a bun. It seemed that she was about to leave the square. Not wanting to miss this opportunity, Dusk quickly cantered towards her. Cockcrow tried to caution Dusk about leaving his guards behind. "Wait! Don't just simply go off on your...". However, he was too late. The last thing Dusk remembered was an explosion and a scream. Everything was dark. There was a ringing in Dusk's ears. He felt an incessant shaking. He felt light-headed and lethargic. The shaking persisted. Opening his eyes only slightly, he saw there was somepony over him. Opening his eyes further, he became aware that it was a gray-armored guard who was shaking him. Due to the to the buzzing, Dusk couldn't hear, but it seemed that he was calling somepony before noticing Dusk was awake. Dusk could see but not hear the guard sigh before he tried to speak to Dusk. Unable to hear what he said because of the buzzing, Dusk shook his head and swallowed in order to get rid of it. Upon hearing a few screams nearby, Dusk thought he could hear well enough and asked, "W-what happened?" The guard promptly answered, "Sir, an explosion just came from a nearby building." Another guard arrived and helped lift Dusk back to his feet. He wobbled a bit before finding his equilibrium back. Looking around, he quickly noticed the building he just had passed by lost its front door and in turn had gained few charred marks. The square was littered with dropped goods and small bits of debris. Thankfully, from the few ponies that were lying around it didn't seem that anyone had been gravely injured, or least not outside the building. Most injuries appeared to come from when the mob tried to flee in hysteria. The stand that was closest to the door was partially destroyed with one of the booth’s supporting poles splintering and hitting its operator in the right foreleg. As the splinters bore into their flesh, it colored their forest green coat red. However, although bloody, their wounds didn't seem very deep. Still, a pair of officers tried to stop them from moving their foreleg so that it would not worsen. The guards now formed a pony wall, blocking the crowd from approaching this part of the square. A few guards stood at the charred entrance, apparently checking the extent of the damage done to the building itself. At this moment Cockcrow had finally managed to break through to Dusk. "Sir, you shouldn't just wander off away alone! It is really dangerous out here," Cockcrow attempted to admonish Dusk. Shaking the dust off his cloak, Dusk simply observed the entrance while wondering if this was the result of improper storing of fireworks for the festival or of someone accidentally triggering their explosives too soon. Then, looking at this building’s position relative to Sugarcube Corner, he noticed something. Seeing now a couple more officers going in, he decided. "Let's go check it," Dusk said nonchalantly, going towards the entrance himself. Unsure how to respond to Dusk's lack of response, Cockcrow hesitated before following him in silence. At the entrance, they were greeted by one of the guards. "Oh, a general inquisitor. Thank the moon you're here." "I suppose the scene is already safe to inspect?" Dusk inquired, indicating the officers that just had entered. "Yes, sir. There were just some small fires but we've taken care of them," explained the guard before stepping aside. Dusk immediately entered, not wanting to waste any time before someone else from the inquisition appeared. Cockcrow hesitated for a moment, unsure after being denied entrance twice before. But ultimately he followed in. Charred marks covered walls and fire extinguisher foam caked the paper bin and what he guessed had been the communal cork board. Despite this, it didn't seem the building had suffered any structural damage from the explosion. A few worried residents tried to go down to check what happened, but guards blocked the stairs and informed they should stay inside their apartments until they gave a signal, saying it was okay. Dusk noticed that the guards were mostly concentrated around an opening which presumably once also contained a door. As Dusk approached it, the guards cleared the way for him to pass. However, before he could enter, he was interrupted by an officer who wanted to talk to him. "Heh, nice to see someone from inquisition finally showing up." Looking at his helm Dusk could tell he was a lieutenant, because of the three stars forming a triangle on the front of it. He guessed the guard had gotten here so fast because he was enjoying his sweets at Sugarcube Corner like the other officers he had seen there before. "Yes, I wish to check the scene now," requested Dusk. "Fine, follow me," the lieutenant prompted, leading them into the room. It was difficult to tell from all the extinguisher foam that covered everything, but the room was a janitor's closet. As expected, it was in utter chaos. Broken supplies, tools and overturned shelves littered the charred place. However, it seemed that there were some unusual tools and supplies for a janitor. The lieutenant led them towards a body. It was badly burnt, neither coat color nor cutie mark were recognizable from the remaining blackened skin. The only thing that could be identified right now was that it had been a unicorn. However, none of them viewed the pony’s identity as a great problem. The building's owner will know who the janitor was. Instead, the lieutenant wanted to point out something else. He then lifted a piece of broken glassware with a blue powder inside. "We haven't done the analysis yet," and continued by putting it into a zipper storage bag, "but we're sure it's probably Rohyponol, also known as 'Dream Eraser'," noted the officer. "This should leave little doubt about the motive." Rohyponol was a sleeping drug that allowed the user to sleep without dreaming. This reminded him of the couple which entered Sugarcube Corner before them. Maybe one could think Dusk hadn't spent enough time in the new scene that just had formed, as Cockcrow and the lieutenant did. However, he had already confirmed what he wanted and also didn't want to stay until other Inquisitors arrived, especially the triumequat, as to not be the one answering the questions. Now outside the house again, Dusk took out a scroll and a pen from his cloak's inner pockets. Cockcrow simply observed in silence as Dusk added to the document. List of Tasks: D-4 As of necessary for: finding the “Ghost” ☑ Ascertain the location of the crime scene from the magistratelied about the return of Scarlet Scar, remember to avoid her ☑ Examine the location: ☐ Why was it perpetrated there?besides being desolated, nothing noteworthy. Do they just lurk in a desolate place waiting for a victim? ☑ Who was the victim?Doctor Horse, physician at the Ponyville Hospital, returned from duty 2 weeks ago ☑ What was the cause of death?blood loss from scalpel-caused wounds ☑ Find a lead to clandestine activities in Ponyvillesuspicious couple seen exiting the building hours before the explosion ☐ Question Nurse Redheart ☐ Find and interrogate the boat renter, Floating Rate, on the events of the crime night ☐ Find the red earth pony mare and the lime yellow pegasus stallion from Sugarcube Corner As Dusk wrote the last sentence, he smiled.