//------------------------------// // Case File 2 - Facing the Music // Story: Deadwood's Detective Agency // by TheFullCrumb //------------------------------// “Mr. Deadwood?” Fourteen days had passed since the unfortunate incidents regarding students at Canterlot High school. Since then, there had been forty phone calls, seventeen letters, and a couple of attempts at in-person contact, but they had all been turned away. The fiery-haired girl sighed as she entered the small agency, looking around before her ears picked up on a noise coming from a room at the back. “I hurt myself, today… to see if I still feel.” The song and the guitar meshed so well, and she could have sworn she saw the image of a kindly old man in the back of her head. Shaking it, she walked towards the source of the singing and music, opening the one door to the back a small amount. “That song was always something that meant a lot. I was once in the same position as all of you, at one point or another, and the urge to do things that might result in… harm, that can seem like a good idea at the time in the short term, but in the long term, all you’re doing is creating a dependency that will end up hurting yourself and everyone who cares about you.” The door creaked open, startling Deadwood and the seven other people he sat with. Each one had a different musical instrument, and the girl swore she saw several with bandages up to their elbows. She rubbed her own arms out of instinct, remembering the same urge, and how much she had resisted it. “Ah, my assistant is here. Well, everyone, we will meet the same time next week. Just remember that regardless of how you feel, this is a safe place for you to talk, and everyone here has been through the same things.” With that, the group slowly filtered out, murmuring greetings to the girl who stood in the doorway, her Crystal Prep uniform wet from the snow outside. Deadwood stood up, walking to the door, still holding his guitar. “I didn’t know you played guitar, Mr. Deadwood,” Sunset stated, placing her school bag on an end table. She took off her school shoes, placing them in a drying bin near the door, and flopped down on the single couch she had managed to convince Deadwood to allow her to bring into the office. Her fiery hair was wet and clinging to her head as she pushed several of her bangs out of her face. “I don’t like to. Music was never a strong point in my life… not after my parents… well, let’s just say I’m not exactly able to talk with them much. They loved music, but after my departure from them, I couldn’t stand to even look at an instrument. Despite that, for this little support group I run, I can still make some compromises,” he quietly replied, placing the guitar back into an unassuming matte black case. Taking off his jacket, he carefully laid it across the back of his office chair, spinning it until he could easily sit down. “Sunset, it’s a Saturday. You don’t have to-” Sunset wordlessly tossed a newspaper clipping onto his desk, in regards to someone the papers were calling the ‘Pied Piper.’ Picking up the clipping, he skimmed through the information, trying to discern what was rhetoric and what was fact. The Pied Piper had only left one victim alive, and if he was reading it correctly, it was the sound of a pan flute that preceded each attack. Their other victims had disappeared, no bodies being discovered. The survivor, a young woman about Sunset’s age, named- “Sunset, the survivor is one of those girls from CHS. One of your-” “Former friends, yes. They tell me they’re serious about trying to patch things up with me, but all they want to do is cry and apologize. Considering what they did to me, it’s not something I can forgive so easily.” She started to go through her school bag, pulling out a three-ring-notebook and a math textbook. Retrieving a pencil and an eraser, she started to work through the assigned problems, sighing as she felt her pocket buzz again. Snapping it out, she looked down at the name, seeing ‘Rainbow Dash’ as the Caller ID. “Here, let me talk to them, Sunset.” Without another word, Sunset handed her phone to Deadwood, who initiated the call. “Hello, Ms. Dash. This is Detective Deadwood.” “H-Hey… um, we’re trying to call Sunset and apologize- okay, I’m trying to call and apologize, because the other girls aren’t here. Detective… have you heard of the Pied Piper?” Deadwood almost dropped the phone in response, quickly keeping his grip steady as he listened. “Yes, I have. Was just made aware- no, I wasn’t aware of that- yes, Ms. Dash, I could look into it- my prices are fair and reasonable. Have your parents give me a call if you’re this concerned. Otherwise, please leave Ms. Shimmer alone. Do I need to remind you of the stipulations of a restraining order, Ms. Dash?” The voice on the other end choked for a minute, coughing hard before catching her breath. “I didn’t think I needed to. That includes contact through phone, landline or cell. No- listen here- no, you listen- wait, seriously? Okay, come by my agency, and we’ll talk. Only you and me. The constraints I made sure of are still in place. Don’t forget that.” Ending the call, he tossed the phone back to Sunset, who stared at him in fear. Ten days prior, they had all ended up in a court hearing, to determine how best to keep Sunset Shimmer protected from any further issues. Of course, Deadwood’s idea of prison time had been downright rejected, but a restraining order – the suggestion courtesy of Principal Celestia, of all people – had been accepted, with the main stipulations of zero contact. Of course, Deadwood had anticipated that there would be issues, which is why he often fielded Sunset’s calls. It made most people think twice about talking, and a few of them seemed like they were trying to get through if only to ridicule her for some reason or another. As he had said fourteen days ago, ‘the damage is already done.’ Sunset sat there in silence, tears starting to fall as she looked at her employer, her eyes wide in fear and shock. Deadwood knew she was suffering from a pretty intense form of post-traumatic stress disorder, and he knew that even seeing Ms. Dash could cause an intense relapse of emotion and pain. It was not something he wanted to do, but Rainbow Dash supposedly had information he could use. After all, according to the rainbow-haired soccer player, the other five had somehow gone missing. She herself had heard the pipe music, and instead of following it, had turned around. “Sunset, you can go over to Joe’s. I’m sure Minty’s waiting for her favourite Auntie to show up.” “Why.” That one question, filled with an intense amount of emotion, hit him like a bullet. She seemed to feel that he was somehow betraying her, betraying her trust. Crossing his arms, he put his head down on his desk, staring at the entranceway. He hated when he had to play devil’s advocate, and in his life, he had needed to just to keep people safe. It did not make it any easier when he did so, it just made it easier for him to hide how he felt. “Because the Pied Piper appears to be targeting your former friends. I understand you don’t want to see them, and I’m giving you a way out. Joe’s always got a room for you to sleep in, and Minty’s always happy to see you. But this is serious, and as a former member of law enforcement who kept at his job like how I am now, I can’t ignore this. Besides it being a paying client, the Pied Piper is someone who need to be brought to justice.” He slid out a drawer in his desk, retrieving a small snub-nosed device that made Sunset inhale sharply. Popping out the cylinder, he loaded his Coltfield Special, making sure he had extra ammunition in a belt he tightened around his waist. He looked up to see the tears in Sunset’s eyes as he set his own face, a mask of anger trying to be overcome by the little voice telling him not to leave her alone. Lifting his jacket, he swung it around and slid his arms quickly through the sleeves. “W-what? Why are you getting a firearm ready?” “Because something about this feels incredibly fishy, and Joe’s got the most secure building in the area. Not even my agency would be secure,” Deadwood explained, sighing as he dropped down onto his chair. He hated even feeling that revolver in his hand, an echo of bad memories that had always haunted him, but today? It was going to most likely be one of those kinds of days, the ones where someone was not going to want to talk, and instead, they preferred to fight. He hated those styles of confrontations, as they almost inevitably ended in him almost losing his license and almost killing the criminal. Justice was justice, but when it blurred between justice and vengeance, it was impossible to discern between the two. “If the Pied Piper is targeting those girls, there’s a chance that the person who is coming here is not Miss Dash, but someone else. Maybe. No one knows anything about how he does it, as evident by the clipping you gave me.” “I-I’ll get going. B-but I e-expect double, Mr. Deadwood.” “Don’t worry. You’ll get what you’re due, Sunset. That’s not the problem.” Grabbing her kit and uniform, she slowly walked toward the door, as Deadwood slid out an old picture of a group of friends from his childhood. Each one held a special instrument, Deadwood with his electric guitar, and his friends with various instruments. One stood out to him as he pulled out an old yearbook to reference the picture. One of his friends, clearly in the photo, held a pan-flute, and the look on their face was not one of friendship, but one of malice. As he remembered, he could recall that his parents had been having disagreements with him about that person, calling him an extremely bad influence, someone to avoid, and something clicked in Deadwood’s head. The door jingled as someone either entered or exited, and he looked up, seeing the girl with the rainbow hair standing in his doorway in an… odd position. She was glancing all over the place as she walked towards his desk in silence, her pupils pinpricks as she took a seat, her hands balled up on her knees as she stared at the ground. “I-Is Sunset here?” “No. Do I have to explain restraining orders to you again? Because if I have to, then I think this is going to be a long day. Speak quickly, before I start realizing how bad of an idea this is.” “B-But I need to talk to Sunset-” Deadwood rubbed his forehead. Rainbow Dash sounded like a broken record, repeating every request she had made over the phone as she talked to him. Each one sounded like pleading, but there was something missing, and his mind clicked as he realized the missing piece – her voice was almost robotic, barely changing in tone. The Coltfield Special held in his hand underneath the desk, he pushed his yearbook over to her as he pointed to one picture, bringing special attention to the expression on the child’s face. “You survived this man’s talent? I… don’t think you did.” Her reaction was almost too fast for him to catch, but his honed reflexes kicked in, catching a hand with a knife before forcing her to drop her weapon. Dragging her across the desk, he tossed her into a nearby filing cabinet. “You’re nothing but a puppet, just like I was when I was a kid.” “I need to talk to Sunset. That’s what friends do, right?” Her expression had shifted from the teary-eyed blank stare of before to the malicious smile of the person he had once known. Pressing against her, he held his arm against her throat as he lifted her, his own face heating up with the rage he had not known he possessed. “How about you settle down and we talk about this-” He blocked a knee aimed at his side, lifting and tossing her onto his desk. “-like rational people?!” The tossing had activated something Deadwood had seemingly forgotten about, and a song began to roll from speakers he had forgotten about as Rainbow Dash held her hands up to her head, seemingly in pain as she tried to block it out. Letting go of her, he reached underneath his desk, retrieving a remote. Increasing the volume, he smiled as he started singing along. “Can we live a real life between the devil and the digital sea?” With that final line, Rainbow Dash looked around with surprise before she smiled and started nodding her head to the song. Slumping down into his chair, Deadwood stared in shock. He had not expected that whatever ‘control’ the Piper had, it could be broken so easily by something simply overpowering the ‘control sound,’ or whatever it was called. He opened his drawer again, tossing in the revolver and the ammunition belt, and snatched up his guitar case. As the song ended, Rainbow Dash stood up straight very quickly, her cheeks burning bright red as she looked from the damage to the agency to the knife laying on the desk right next to her. Rolling backwards, she sat back in the chair she had been sitting in, staring wide-eyed in fear at the detective who was… grabbing a guitar case? “Well, it seems that I managed to ‘break’ that bastard’s control. You know, he’s probably the reason I had a falling-out with my parents. I desperately wanted to do music, to the detriment of everything else, and it nearly cost me. Now, Miss Dash, would you mind grabbing that amp over there? My car’s not far from here, and I need some help lifting it.” “M-Mr. Deadwood? How did I get here? Why-ow… what happened to me?” “You attacked me while under the Piper’s control. I defended myself and accidentally turned on my stereo system. It broke the Piper’s control, and now you’re confused, since your actions since your phone call have not been your own. At least, that’s the assumption I’m making, because if you decided on your own to come here and commit attempted murder, then you’ll have to sit there while I call the police. However, seeing as an accidental discovery has created our current advantage, I would like to capitalize on it. Though we do have to make a quick… stop. Now, in regards to this ‘stop,’ I have to mention that, if you say anything about it to anyone, you will find yourself on the business end of a very painful subpoena, you get me? Rainbow nodded quickly as she lifted his guitar amp, feeling the sheer weight of it as it brought a smile to her face. Guitar players often picked a small amp if they were simply going small time, but the sheer weight of his amp made her raise an eyebrow as she followed closely behind the detective. Her mind was a flurry of thoughts, but she kept wondering- “Why do you not like your own music?” Deadwood stopped and turned back towards Rainbow, raising an eyebrow as he looked her dead in the eyes. No one had ever really asked him why he had ever quit music, or why he refused to use his own instrument without a good reason, but the one person he had expected to be afraid of him had picked up on something that no one else had been. He turned back, retrieving a set of keys from his pocket as he stopped near a rather unassuming tan sedan, the back seat old and weathered, just like him. “My music almost destroyed my life. The Piper, well, I think you remember your former Siren opponents, right? His power seems to work like theirs, except more insidious. It worms its way inside your head, making you believe whatever he tells you. Took me years of therapy just to figure out what he put in there and what was real. He put an obsession with music as a sort of… control. He was always obsessed with that old tale about the Pied Piper and the rats...” Deadwood trailed off as he unlocked the sedan, tossing his guitar case into the back. “Put the amp carefully there. Damn thing probably weighs more than you do.” Rainbow obliged quietly, watching the movements of the older man as she thought back. There was someone speaking to her before, and his words had seemed so… easy to follow, to obey. It definitely felt similar to the Sirens, but she could not figure out in what way. After she had called the detective, there was a distinctive blank in her memory, which concerned her. “Hop in. You’re gonna take me to where you were last when you heard his music. It’s time we-” “Mr. Deadwood? I have to make a stop first.” Deadwood raised his eyebrow as he sat down in the driver’s seat, unlocking the passenger door as the rainbow-haired teenager settled herself in. “What’s the stop?” “I need my guitar.” The stop at Rainbow Dash’s residence was a quick and quiet one, though the tripping and clumsiness did not strike Deadwood as particularly stealthy. A wait of fifteen minutes allowed him enough time to retrieve a cellphone from his glove box, checking several messages. He had given the number of the phone to Sunset in case of emergencies, and nothing had been sent his way, so he allowed himself a moment’s respite as Rainbow came sprinting out. Tossing her guitar in the back, she hopped into the passenger seat, almost bouncing in excitement. Raising an eyebrow yet again, Deadwood backed his sedan out of their driveway, placing a cassette into his car’s old stereo as he held the old leather of the wheel. “So, fighting a bad guy with music. Not my weirdest style of work, but still, it’s up there. You really want to do this, Rainbow? After all, this is not your average musician we’re dealing with. The main thing we have to focus on is his flute. Keep the sound of that lower than the guitar, and I think we might have a winning combination.” “Mr. Deadwood, why are you helping me like this? You were reminding me earlier of restraining orders, a-and-” “Kid, there’s a lot of mistakes people make in this world of ours. Making up for it by bringing a criminal to justice? Hell, there’s easier ways to atone, but we’ve passed the point where you can just leave. If we’re going to do this, we see it through to the end. Got it?” Rainbow nodded as he drove on through the encroaching darkness, his headlights cutting a swath through the black as a small amount of snow began to drift into view. She looked out the window, staring at the lights of Canterlot becoming distant, like a fading memory as she watched the snow fall harder and harder. Her eyes drooped lower as she started to drift off to sleep, the man at the wheel snatching an old blanket from his back seat and tossing it over her. “Kids these days. No energy. But at least I know where I’m going, don’t I, Blank Bliss?” His thoughts drifted back to his childhood, to a singular building that the damnable prick he had remembered as the Piper obsessed over, a small, rundown shack of a house that he had said he once lived in. Knowing that no one had lived there for years, they always laughed at the idea. Unfortunately, one day, everyone stopped laughing, and started listening. On that day, everything had changed. No one would talk to one another, everyone would simply talk with Blank Bliss, his words their entire world. Relationships ended and began on a whim, his own perspective warped by that damnable asshole’s silver tongue. Even thinking about it made his blood boil as he turned off the main highway onto an unkempt gravel road, a rusted old gate hanging from disused hinges. The snow began to slow, few flakes falling as he pulled up to an old estate he remembered as the White Gables Farm. A lot of disappearances had been linked with the estate over the years, but few people ever linked the disappearances with Blank Bliss and his silver tongued ways. Shaking Rainbow awake, he pointed to the house, his face an expression of anger. “This is where he is. I’ll bet on it.” “Where who is?” “Blank Bliss.” He stepped out of his sedan, slamming the door shut in an attempt to create as much sound as possible. Almost a whisper, he could have sworn he heard crying and screaming like echoes on the wind as he pulled out his guitar case. Rainbow followed suit, snatching up his heavy amp as well, standing beside Deadwood as he stood in front of the old house. Stepping onto the porch, he looked around, seeing multiple footprints nestled in the packed snow, snow that had not been moved in ages. Pushing the front door of the building open, he sighed, staring at the walls. Fresh photos had been placed, and the teens in the pictures made his blood boil. As he looked, he saw the progression from unwilling kidnapping victims to willing followers. His fist clenched as he came to one last frame, empty and awaiting a new photograph. A voice creeping up behind him sent a shiver down his spine as he listened. “The master bids you welcome, Deadwood. He has dearly missed you for his… ambitions.” Spinning around, Deadwood came face-to-face with the missing girls, Rarity, Pinkie, Applejack and Fluttershy all wearing rather revealing Prench outfits. They looked barely awake, and in the case of Fluttershy, barely alive. Marks were up and down her arms, as if she struggled. “They always struggle at first, you know.” “The Pied Piper.” Deadwood silently motioned at Rainbow to place down the amp quietly, and plug in his and her guitars. “It’s been, what, twenty years, Deadwood? And still you can’t escape my voice. Like a little earworm that’s taken root-” “It’s been twenty years, Blank. Long enough to know that your little tricks don’t work on people older than twenty. But right now, I would like to treat you to a little music. You always did say you loved my guitar the best, though I think it was more because you played me like a puppet.” As he said ‘now,’ Rainbow flipped the switch on the amp’s power supply, letting the crackling surge into life as two guitars hummed. Blank Bliss stepped out from behind the girls, his long brown hair tied back into a manageable ponytail, his pale white skin a testament to his unwillingness to go outside. His clothes were a reeking mess, an old, patchwork hoodie covering him from head to toe, and even Deadwood had to steel himself in order not to retch at the wafting scent. Picking up his guitar, he strummed a small chord, watching the reactions of the girls behind Blank Bliss, their eyes starting to squint in pain as Deadwood strummed. Reaching down, he turned the dial up, pushing the sound louder and louder. “You can’t break them out of my control, Deadwood! It’s useless-” “No, Blank Bliss. You’re useless. You wasted your talents, your life, and now you want to ruin everyone else’s over, what, petty revenge? How about I bring up something I know brings things back to reality?” “Mr. Deadwood?” The strumming of his guitar accompanied his words, as the song grew louder as the amp was increased in volume. “I look into the mirror and I hate what I’ve become, ‘cause I’m the only casualty of damage that I’ve done...” Keeping on the beat and tempo, Rainbow joined in, filling in the parts Deadwood was not able to continue on, watching her friends clutch and grab their heads as Blank Bliss fell to his knees, his eyes wide-eyed in shock and fear as he listened to the song. Deadwood witnessed as hundreds of emotions filled the Piper’s face, tears streaming down his face as the song continued, the guitars meshing as a light began to fill the room. “I’m the only enemy in World War Me!” With the final part of the song played, a wave of white energy flowed from Deadwood and Rainbow Dash, the combined energy lifting and slamming Blank Bliss into the wall. Sliding down slowly, he crumpled into a heap at the base of a nearby cabinet, its silhouette revealed by the blinding light. Blinking, Deadwood looked over at the girls, sighing in relief as he watched them stare around in shock and fear, their expressions filled with confusion and anger. Turning to Rainbow Dash, he placed his hand on her head, smiling as he patted her twice. “You did good, kid. You know, why don’t you come by the office on Friday next week? You might fit in well with some people I know.” She shivered as she looked over at her friends, rushing over to hug them tightly as Deadwood made his way over to the stirring Blank Bliss. Reaching down, he lifted the younger man by his collar, holding him up against the wall. “H-Heh. You grew a backbone, Deadwood.” “Shut up, Blank. You’ve controlled and killed for far too long. This time, you’re going to be behind bars for a long time.” Lifting him up, Deadwood tossed him out of the front door of the house, flipping out his phone as he dialed a number quickly. “Yeah, Officer Shield? This is Deadwood. I’m at the White Gables Farm estate. Yes, I know that it’s considered off-limits. No, this is in regards to the Pied Piper- yes, the girls are fine, if somewhat frozen. Yes, an ambulance would be fantastic. See you in twenty.” Carefully making his way down the steps after the criminal who was trying to crawl away, he once more lifted Blank Bliss, and held him up. He pointed him towards his own car, pushing him down with an elbow as he held him in place. Blank grew a wide smile as he started to purse his lips, as if to whistle when Deadwood punched him square across his jaw. “Just be glad I’m not doing worse to you. You’re a deviant, Blank. Always have been. Nowadays, there are doctors perfect for you. You’re gonna get help, but you’re not gonna get away from the justice you deserve.” Almost as if on cue, several police cars came speeding up the driveway, sliding into position as a pair of ambulances followed closely behind. Officers swarmed around Deadwood as he lifted Blank Bliss, holding him steady as they handcuffed and gagged him. As he watched the officers drag away the criminal he had known since his youth, he leaned back against his car, sliding down into the snow as he started to feel a chuckle rise up into his mouth. Another person sat down next to him as they closed the door on the side of his sedan, sighing and smiling. “Is this what it’s like for you, Mr. Deadwood?” “Just Deadwood, Rainbow Dash. And yeah. Sometimes it’s not as exciting, sometimes it’s simply weird, but in the end, I get the job done. I’m just glad we got here when we did. Your friends-” he motioned to the ambulance where four girls were covered in blankets and were being given warm beverages and soup “-are going to need you to stay around them. You’re loyal, but you’re also pretty hot-headed. I know you want to make amends with Sunset, but she’s not ready for that yet. I don’t know if she’ll ever be.” “Detective?” A tall officer walked towards him, her swaying grace hinting at an agility that had given her an edge in her preferred employment. “Officer Iron Shield. Thanks for everything. Blank used to be a good kid, but he’s a menace to society, and to himself. He doesn’t need jailtime, he needs psychiatric help.” Shield nodded at him, shrugging as she looked around. Familiarity broke across her features as she took in the old farm. “We used to love playing music here, didn’t we?” Deadwood smiled, standing up slowly. Holding out his hand, he helped Rainbow up as well, sighing as he looked at the snow in the sky. “Yeah. Bastard kinda ruined it for us.” “Yeah, he did. Well, we’re going to take the other girls home, and take Blank Bliss to the Canterlot Psychiatric Ward. The doctors there should be able to give a treatment suggestion. Hope we meet again in better circumstances, Detective.” With that final word, Officer Shield returned to her squad car, following closely as the other squad cars and the ambulances drove away. Opening his car door, Deadwood sighed as he looked at the old farm house, a tear falling from his eye as he closed the chapter in his mind. A man he had once called friend was now in custody for kidnapping, and most likely reckless endangerment, among other charges. A man that had taken his own control away from him when he was younger, until he moved away and never contacted him again. He smiled as Rainbow took her seat, buckling in. Pushing lightly on the pedal, he sped away into the night, leaving an old memory behind. A month's passed since the incarceration and committing of the Pied Piper, a man who was not shown in any newspapers, only talked about. Deadwood's visited the hospital, only to see a drooling mess of a former man. The last visit he made, the doctors had told him that Blank Bliss was almost catatonic. Something had reacted badly, and he could barely function. He was not brain-dead, but he was effectively paralyzed. He knew no one deserved to live like that, even an old enemy, but even he could not bring himself to ask if they could do something for him. Rainbow Dash decided to join his weekly meetings, sharing her own problems with depression and anxiety. She even brought an acoustic guitar to join him in the songs he would play for them. Her addition to the group was something that was well-received, as her energy was something that gave the group hope and a good amount of brevity in a day of misery. The other four are still wary of anyone they don't know. Their protective instincts took over and they broke off a lot of contact with others. Unsurprising, but not entirely shocking either. “You know, you made a lot of money from those girls’ parents thanks to their safe return and the capture of the Piper, right?” Sunset Shimmer closed her Journal, staring at Deadwood as he pulled out a remote. Raising an eyebrow, she watched as he turned on an old sound system, playing a soft, classical tune that calmed the nerves and sharpened the mind. “Yeah. Your pay has already been sent to your account. Though, I’m curious. Why did you decide to make your home permanently at Joe’s?” “Because his niece needs a positive female figure in her life. Her parents are stuck somewhere on the other side of the world, and they’re not there for her anymore.” Sunset picked up the folder marked ‘Piper,’ and filed it away in a nearby cabinet, tapping the drawer twice as she shut it. “Another case closed, and yet, I don’t think you’re even close to an ending, are you, Mr. Deadwood?” “Unfortunately, Sunset, with stories like his, it’s only just beginning.”