Quick and Flash made their way back to the main dirt path that lead back into Ponyville. The path winded off into the distance and the thatched roofs of the buildings of Ponyville's suburbs could be seen dotting the horizon ahead of them with the sun beaming down. It was quickly getting hotter by the minute and all the excitement was taking its toll on the stallions.
It wasn't long before Quick pointed out clouds of black smoke on the horizon. As they neared the source of the billowing tower, Flash suddenly burst out into excited shouts.
“Oh dear, look Quick! That's the inn we were staying at, it's burned to the ground!”
“I can't say I wasn't expecting it, Flash. Those lanterns and haystacks were the perfect accident waiting to happen, and it doesn't surprise me that it did. I'll be the fire started right in our room too.”
Flash was lost for words again, and was beginning to wonder if Quick's paranoid intuition was actually spot on the whole time. This was enough of a excuse to warrant a change in pace. Both reporters set off at a gallop towards Ponyville without stopping to so much as chat with any of the passerbys.
By the time the pair had arrived in the town, the crowds in the street were abuzz. Word of a break in at the public records building, a random fire on the outskirts of town and suspicious intruders at Sweet Apple Acres were only the start of the gossip. There were also rumors of ponies being injured by falling signs, and a two mares were hospitalized after eating some tainted cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner, leaving the owners baffled as to how such a thing could even happen. Not a single pony had time to notice the two stallions pushing through the crowds towards the police headquarters slowly looming ahead.
Neither Quick nor Flash had time to admire the architecture of the grand building, assembled in a similar fashion to the archives, magically sculpted from marble and adorned with golden etchings. The carved reliefs showed various depictions of justice ponified and crushing criminals beneath its iron hooves, but the situation had led the stallions to realize the opposite had been true all along.
Two officers had been on guard and, had Quick and Flash taken a moment of pause to look them over, any pony would have been able to note that these were the same guards who had been posted outside of the archives the previous night. Of course neither the officers took the time to take notice of the two stallions who bolted past them, leaving their hats askew and both rather confused as to what had just happened.
Quick and Flash slammed the precinct doors aside and galloped through the halls. Both had expected to be attacked as soon as they entered, but were surprised to find the majority of the guards in the building were all laying on the ground, out cold. At the far end of the hall, a gruff looking mare was poking her head out of an office door.
“Hey, you two! Get in here, now! I've been expecting you and I don't think we have much time.”
The two wordlessly complied and entered the small office, while the mare closed and locked the door behind them. It was a cramped room and the walls were lined with newspaper clippings. A small light hung above and caused the dust floating about in the room to glitter like stars on a clear night. The cream-colored mare now sitting across a large wooden desk from Quick and Flash sized both of them up. She was dressed in full traditional pony police style, a uniform consisting of a dark blue vest marked with golden buttons and medals, a small gold chain from one of the pockets and bright red epaulettes on each shoulder. A small cap covered her dusky mane and offset her startlingly blue eyes.
“I'm Commissioner Steele and you two must be the cause of all this ruckus.”
Quick looked back at Flash and the two silently agreed to trust her.
“I'm EU Reporter Reel Quick and this is my photographer, Flash. You would not believe the trouble we've been through these past twenty-four hours.”
“I can believe it, you two must have really riled up the Syndicate because they've been causing trouble all day. Normally I have to turn a blind eye to the random acts of violence they seem to cause because we can never find proof, and I simply can't trust any of my officers enough to send anypony out to investigate. The bad ones come back empty hoofed and the good ones just don't come back at all. I couldn't trust anypony here anymore, so this morning I slipped some sleeping tonic into the coffee. Knocked the lot of them out cold. You two had better have some really solid info though, otherwise you'll be risking the safety of every pony here in Ponyville.”
Flash was the first to reply.
“You bet we have solid info! Not only did we find secret tunnels connecting the archives, which mind you were heavily guarded, all the way to a shed in Apple Acres, but to top it off, we found, in the graves of the two previous owners of Apple Acres who died in a mysterious fire, the bodies of multiple missing ponies from all across Equestria!”
“This is a serious accusation you two are making. Organized crime is one thing, but murder is another. Can you two take me to these bodies?”
“I think time is running short, but if we hurry, I think we can make it there and back in time to stop the gears already set in motion, Commissioner Steele. It's probably for the best that we get out of these thick crowds before somepony gets the chance to get at us. It's just not safe here anymore.”
“Agreed, so let's not waste any more time chatting about it, you can fill me in on the details on the way there.”
Commissioner Steele unbolted the door and swung it open, revealing the two guards who had waited so patiently for their second chance.
“Lookie at what we have here. Two little rabbits on the run and one big one sneaking out from its hole. Looks like the chase is at an end little bunny, you don't have anywhere else to run.”
The Commissioner stared at the two guards and stopped for a brief moment. She quickly turned her head to look behind her and snapped back to look the guards in the eye and laughed.
“You two have been after those two so long you've forgotten one important thing about the hunt: there's always another way out!”
Without waiting for their reaction, the commissioner turned where she stood and leaped onto her desk, flung apart the curtains on the back wall and revealed a large glass window. Quick turned to see what she was doing and laughed as well.
“I guess the hunt is still on. Looks like you two are going to have to keep up. Again.”
Quick flung the window open and jumped into the back alleyway with the commissioner and Flash following without delay. He immediately slammed the window shut again and yelled back to the guards.
“Come on you two, is this the best you can do? You're going to let a window keep you from your prize?”
Urged by Quick's taunting and not afraid to break a little glass, the two guards charged headlong into the window, only to find it a lot less solid than expected. Rather than shattering, the window flexed under the force of their impact and bounced back like rubber sending the guards flying back out into the hall they came from.
“You're going to have to teach me that softening spell one of these days, Quick!”
“No time for compliments, we have to run and now!”
The alleyway outback was tight squeeze but let out directly into the market crowds. Nopony would have noticed three new faces joining the crowd, let alone recognize them. Using the cover of the crowd to their advantage, the trio pushed onwards towards the next narrow alleyway when Steele pulled them aside.
“We can't keep pushing through crowds like this, the going's too slow and we'll be less and less able to escape in an emergency. If we're heading towards the cemetery out west, we're going to have to take a shortcut through the alleys. Follow me.”
She motioned into the dark corridors that sprouted out from every main path, each one more foreboding than the last. Quick had his apprehensions about heading into each potential trap but was immediately reassured by Steele that nopony would set up such an obvious ambush.
The alley paths led between buildings and on a few occasions into dead ends which had to be bypassed by barging into the nearest back door, shouting “official PPD investigation going on here, nothing to see” and charging out the nearest front door onto the next street.
Considering neither Quick nor Flash had gotten any sleep since the start of their adventure, both were running down pretty fast. The constant galloping pace had left both panting and foaming though neither was about to stop and admit they were completely exhausted.
At long last, after passing by a local blacksmith's shop, they found themselves at the edge of Ponyville's western border staring out onto the grassy fields ahead. The sun was well in the sky now and the ground beneath them was baking from its heat. Off in the distance was a small dark smudge on the otherwise perfectly green hills, this was their destination and it was in plain sight. The only thing keeping them from it was distance.
“Alright boys, we just need to get to that cemetery and I can confirm the evidence while you two can get all the pictures you need for your story. Let's not waste any more time in getting there; every minute we lose is another minute of planning for the Syndicate.”
Flash and Quick knew she was right, but were afraid to admit they could barely stand to run any further. Their goal was just in sight and there didn't seem to be anything out to stop them. Far off in the distance, a small cloud bank had began to drift in front of the sun, its writhing white mass casting dark blotchy shadows on the ground below.
“Looks like rain, Quick!” Flash yelled to his companion who seemed to not notice him over his intense focus on running.
The fields were simply flying by beneath their hooves and it was only a matter of time before they got there. By this time, the clouds in the horizon were now drifting overhead, taking on a slight gray tinge. A deep rumble sounded from above and a single fine drop of rain landed on Flash's muzzle, spraying him in the eyes as he ran.
Drop by drop, the rainfall had slowly become more and more rapid and by now could be classified as actual rain as opposed to drizzle.
“Is this the best you've got?” Quick suddenly shouted at the sky, as if he were expecting someone to be listening.
The cemetery was dead ahead and the rusted iron gates hung wide open. There wasn't a pony in sight and their target was in clear view.
Ahead rested the graves of Golden Delicious and Royal Russet, Applejack's late parents and within it lay the unavenged bones of the Syndicate's many victims.
“Wow, it's all still here” Flash shouted over the rain, which had now turned into a downpour.
“I know, you'd think they would have taken this time to get rid of all the evidence!” Quick shouted back.
“I can't believe it, you guys were telling the truth about all this! There must be at least ten bodies in here!”
By now their voices were being drowned out by the wind and rain which had become torrential.
Flash leaned over the edge of the grave and snapped a few pictures, taking care not to slide into the now-soaked pit. Any false movements could cause the edge to collapse and leave him stuck in a mud pit.
“Quick, come take a look at this! Somepony's left an apple in here!”
Flash had to scream over the rain to get Quick's attention and indeed there was a single apple, soaked and complete resting atop the bones. Steele, who had just moved close enough to see for herself started to pace backwards with concern.
“I've seen this before you two! Apple signals have been used by the Syndicate for generations to warn of danger ahead! The more apple left let other gang members know how dangerous the path was!”
Steele's voice was nearly inaudible over the rush of wind and rain pounding down on them.
“But there's nopony else here! What could they possibly have waiting for us!” Flash yelled back.
To confirm his fears a single siren blared off in the distance. Its mournful cry left both Quick and Flash chilled to the core.
“Steele, what is that siren for?” Quick called across the curtain of rain which was obscuring his vision.
“That's the Cloudsdale emergency weather siren! They use it to signal when a whirlwind gets out of control and escapes the factory!”
“Quick, you don't suppose the Syndicate has connections in Cloudsdale too, do you?”
Quick looked at him with serious concern.
“Flash, I think we need to move and fast!”
“Where can we go? There's nothing around for quite a ways!”
All three ponies looked around in every direction looking for any landmark at all. The sheets of rain had reduced visibility too much to give them a clear shot at Ponyville. Quick spotted a small glow off to the south.
“Over that way, I think that's a light from Sweet Apple Acres!”
“Of all the places, Quick, why there?” Flash replied.
“Anywhere's better than here you two, let's get a move on it before this storm gets any worse.'
“How can it get worse than this?” Quick yelled.
As if in reply, the clouds overhead were now spinning viciously in circles and a small pinprick could be seen forming at the center.
“You had to ask, Quick!” Flash screamed.
Without another word, all three galloped towards the light through the pouring rain and gusting winds. The ground beneath their hooves was getting muddier by the second and every step threatened to pull them into the soggy earth below.
Within minutes, a small but familiar shed was coming back into view. When they finally got close enough to make it out clearly Flash spotted another pony ahead.
“It's Applejack!” He called instantly, getting the attention of both his comrades.
Commissioner Steele called ahead but Applejack didn't seem to hear her over the rain.
Just a short distance behind them, the wind had become a deafening roar and the small pinprick was developing into a fully formed funnel. The twisted mass slowly wormed its way down from the sky as if the very forces of nature were trying to hold it back where it belonged, but it could not be stopped. The tip of the mass finally reached the ground it sought so badly and with a cataclysmic crash sent debris flying out in all directions. The great blackening worm slowly chiseled through the ground beneath it as if it were little more than icing on a cake, carving a trench as it sped towards the barn ahead.
Applejack, who had been sealing up the barns to prepare for the incoming storm was suddenly caught by surprise when two familiar stallions and the local police commissioner came crashing out of the downpour, tripping in the mud and landing at her hooves.
“Ah thought I told you two too keep off mah farm- commissioner, what in tarnation are you doing here with these two?”
“I don't have time to explain Applejack, but there's a tornado coming and we need to get to safety!”
“A tornado!? Around these parts? That's impossible!”
But sure enough the very abomination in question was already pursuing them furiously. Bits of earth and splinters of wood were being torn from their homes and were gathering up into a maelstrom.
“You two said there was a tunnel under this shed? We need to get in now!”
“Are you sure we can trust Applejack?”Quick shouted back.
“If there's anypony in all of Equestria we can trust, it's Applejack. Now let's get down there and quick!”
Flash unbarred the door and flung it open, pointing towards the hay covered opening to the tunnels below.
“Everypony in now!”
Nopony was about to question his directions, and all four filed into the dark tunnels below. The roar overhead was becoming more and more intense by the second and drowned out all other noise.
In the tunnels, the air was thick and moist and all light had seemingly fled to some safer place while the rushing winds and unearthly rumble ahead passed by. There was a deep groan followed by the most awful rending and splintering sound imaginable as the shed above was torn from the ground by the tornado's fury. A pile of debris tumbled down from the sky and funneled into the tunnel entrance, blocking the way. Above the deafening sound of the earth and sky battling over the bits of one another that had been taken was slowly dying away and an equally deafening silence followed. Shortly after the soft pitter-patter of rain resumed and a distant rumble could be heard over the panicked breathing of four ponies trapped in the dark.
“Is everypony alright?” Steele asked at long last, her voice echoing down the corridors.
“Ah think so. Somepony is going to explain what just happened.” Applejack's voice came from some other point in the dark.
“I don't even know anymore. Let me get some light in here” came Flash's voice, followed by a dim flickering.
Flash's light spell whirred to life and a small illuminated circle appeared, casting shadows off in every direction.
“Thanks, Flash. I can finally see. I thought we were going to be trapped down here forever.”
“We're still trapped, Quick, the entrance way has been blocked off and who knows if the other side is still safe.”
“Well I'll be, there really are tunnels down here. How long d'y'all suppose they've been here?” Applejack called out with astonishment.
“Don't know, but now isn't the best time to be chit chatting, we need to find a way out of here.” Flash pointed his beam of light down the opposite end of the corridor, which seemed to stretch on forever.
“Look, Flash, seems like somepony got down here before us.” Quick pointed at a set of muddy hoof prints leading off into the distance.
“Yes, and they're fresh too by the looks of it. Great detective work, Quick, I'd welcome you to the force any day.” Steele began heading off in the direction of the hoof prints.
“Whoever made the prints likely knows where they're going, we'd better follow them.”
“To where? This passage only goes off in one direction.” Flash replied.
Sure enough, the prints led straight down the passageway quite some distance before suddenly stopping at a seemingly random space in the hall.
Quick stared at the hoofprints and squatted down for a better look.
“So the tracks just stop here? It doesn't seem like this pony stopped to wipe their hooves or anything, its as if the tracks just go off into the wall.”
Indeed the prints did lead into the wall, stopping half way through it as if left by some otherworldly specter.
“Y'all don't s'pose a ghost left these tracks?” Applejack asked.
“Ghosts don't leave hoofprints, Applejack. And I can say that from experience too.” Quick responded immediately.
“Well by the looks of this, I'd say there's something on the other side of this wall.” Steele noted, pointing at a small space between the floor and the wall. She pushed Quick aside and began pushing on various spaces on the wall. “Here we go!” She cried with excitement, having found a loose brick.
With a gentle tap, the brick slid into the wall. A deep rumbling came from inside and a space in the wall began to slide inwards and swing aside.
“A hidden door? I wonder how many other secret passages are down here.” Flash began pondering just how intricate these seemingly simple tunnels really were. “This tunnel system could connect all of Ponyville for all we know.”
“Well whoever came through here before us went this way, so I guess we'd better follow if we hope to catch up.” Quick wormed his way ahead and started down another dark passageway. “I think I see something up ahead; looks like a door.”
A simple wooden door was in fact blocking the end of the passageway. It was neither old-fashioned nor was it locked, and the muddy hoofprints continued on through.
“Flash, Steele, Applejack. I think whatever it is that we've been after all this time might be behind that door. If anypony isn't ready to face the truth we might find, I suggest you turn back now, otherwise, be prepared, because the truth has been trying to kill us all day now.”
His statement was met with silent nods from the other three and a simple glance towards Flash reminded him that he'd better get the camera rolling now.
“Film's in and we're ready to record. We're waiting on you, Reel Quick, open the door and let's get this over with.”
Quick took a deep breath and pushed aside the wooden door. He was met with a surprisingly bright light and stepped forward into the unknown.
When he and the others emerged, they found themselves in what appeared to be the model of a picture-perfect Ponyville living room.
“We're still underground, right, Quick?” Flash whispered to his companion.
“I think so-”
An off-brown stallion appeared from around a corner, his khaki mane loosely hanging aside, unkempt and dusty, seemingly golden in contrast with his mottled coat. A pair of rimmed glasses rested on his muzzle, and his eyes nervously darted between each of the four new faces in the room.
“Oh dear, Ah was wondering when y'all'd finally find your way here, Applejack.”
Applejack was apparently left speechless. Clearly she knew something the others didn't.
“Applejack, do you know this guy?” Steele asked gently.
“Ah do,” she paused for a moment trying to find the courage to speak up “that's my father.”