Darkly Dreaming
Chapter Two
An Unneeded Death
Dexter stepped outside from his apartment and shut the door with solid ‘thunk’. From the walkway on the second and last floor, of his Canterlot apartment building, he could see it was going to be a beautiful day in Equestria. As he strode down the walkway towards the stairs he looked down over the onyx guard rails and saw the well-manicured lawn between the two apartment buildings. In the middle of the lawn was his favorite thing about his home—an outdoor pool with a fence around it, and on that fence there was a ‘no kids allowed’ sign he had grown to love. He took Harrison in there of course, but no one seemed to care.
He had reached the stairs of the stone colored square building, and began his descent to the soft, warm grass. Dexter began walking on a stone path that led to the streets of Canterlot. When he reached the street, he looked at the white stone buildings with winding, purple roofs that lined it. The hustle and bustle of the cliff-hanging city was something Dexter had become accustomed to, but that didn’t mean he liked it. As he weaved his way through the winding, pony filled streets, Dexter tried to focus on the sunny, blue sky. There were only a few clouds, but their flowing shapes gave him a feeling of peace as ponies stared at and stole glances of his strange mark.
I come this way almost every day, you’d think they would get used it by now. I need a trench coat
He looked up at the princess’s imposing but beautiful castle.
I wonder if she has to deal with stares like I do
Dexter took a bite of Ditzy’s creation, shutting his eyes from the bliss of the flavor. He then bumped into something, it felt hard and bumpy, causing his muffin to go flying out of his grasp. He openned his eyes quickly, looking at the dirty muffin on the ground and then to what he bumped into. It was a very large and very muscular, white Pegasus. He was much larger than Dexter but his wings were laughably minuscule. Dexter would have laughed if he was stupid, but he wasn’t.
“Sorry, I didn’t see you there. You okay?” Dexter stammered apologetically.
The imposing stranger’s answer was,” Yeeeeaah!” while raising his hoof.
The deep voiced yell kind of hurt Dexter’s ears and it got many confused looks from the surrounding ponies.
“Ooookay, have a good one,” Dexter said sliding by the muscle head and quickly continuing on his way to the train station.
He then looked back and shed an imaginary tear over his lost muffin.
I hope Harrison and Ditzy don’t eat them all
He reached the building he knew to be the train station. It was a light, lavender building with a plum roof. There were many windows, two large ones with rounded tops giving them the appearance that they were doors, stood adjacent to one another. He looked at the clock above them.
‘8:20’ He was making good time.
There was a new addition to the station, a shiny, silver train. It ran on electricity or magic, he wasn’t really sure, instead of coal. It was faster than the old one and more comfortable to boot.
He showed his badge to the ticket taker and said, “Police business.” He did this so he wouldn’t have to pay.
He then boarded the outgoing train to Ponyville. Dexter took an unoccupied seat, scooted toward window, and put his bag down next to him so no one would sit with him. He looked out the window as the train began to move. He didn’t focus on any particular thing so the landscape around him just looked like a huge, green, flowing ocean meeting with the blue sky.
He heard a colt that couldn’t be more than a year old crying.
I’m so glad Harrison doesn’t cry like that anymore
As the crying continued Dexter couldn't help but feel a little sad. He missed the days when Harrison always needed him and wasn't independent in any way.
I miss rocking him to sleep
This thought was the truth and it made him frown slightly. He didn’t turn and look at the source of the crying, it would have been a painful reminder Harrison was growing up, instead, Dexter closed his eyes and tried to doze till the train ride was over.
Dexter felt the train beginning to slow and heard ponies getting up out of their seats. He opened his eyes to see a town of stone buildings, most having thatched roofs. He had arrived at Ponyville. He got out of his seat and put his bag back on.
When Dexter hopped off the train he saw someone was waiting for him. It was a blonde mare with a long, straight, brown mane and tail. She was wearing sunglasses and a jean jacket with a golden lieutenant badge pinned on the chest pocket. She looked mad.
“Dexter, why the fuck are you late?” She growled impatiently.
“The train can only go so fast Debra,” Dexter said calmly to his fowl mouthed sister.
“Also, I couldn’t leave Harrison till his sitter got there,” he claimed matter-of-factly, knowing it was a lie.
He saw the anger leave her eyes, but her annoyance was still there. She coolly ordered, “Follow me,” then they began their way.
They left the train station and started walking through the town of Ponyville. Ponies were going about their business and most had smiles on their faces. He heard somewhere somepony was singing about Celestia knows what.
This place is too damn cheery. I feel more out of place than that muscle head back in Canterlot.
Dexter tried to push the intoxicating happiness of the place out of his mind and focus on following Deb.
After trotting quickly for a few minutes, Dexter could see Apple trees.
As they neared the Apple orchard Dexter asked, “What do we have?” in his monotone way of speaking.
Deb answer, “Body, some sick fuck almost split this mares head in half with a wood axe.”
An ax? That’s too big for my taste, too slow and they make a mess.
They walked in silence the rest of the way. The smell of apples and leaves met Dexter’s nose and reminded him of his lost muffin as the pair walked through the gate of Sweet Apple Acres. They followed a trail through the trees that led to a small tool shed surrounded by Police and yellow crime scene tape. Dexter saw a large crimson Stallion with a light gamboge mane, wearing a yoke, was being question by a police mare. He looked shaken.
Debra noticed where her brother was looking and said, “He’s the one who found the body.”
“Who is he?” Dexter asked now looking his sister in the eye.
“One of the owners, Big McIntosh.”
“How did he find her?” he questioned while showing his badge to a police stallion so he could get to the crime scene.
“He said he was just goin’ for a morning walk inspecting how the apples were coming along. Then he smelled something strange and followed it here,” she answered while going under the police tape.
“You believe him?” he asked, he didn’t look like to a killer to him.
“Believe him? I feel bad for the guy. He looks like he’s about to shit himself,” She said laughing a bit.
Dexter looked over the gruesome scene. The victim was orange with a tan mane; her mark was a maple leaf. He saw why they knew what the murder weapon was. Sticky out of her forehead was the wood axe. Dried blood covered most of the blade and a stream went down the face of the blade’s receiver. She was lying on her side, back against the shed. Her eyes were still open. Dexter put his latex gloves on, knelt down, and shut her vacant eyes.
Dexter looked up at his sister and asked, “Do we have a name?”
“Yeah, her name’s Maple Hoof. Get this, she made maple syrup,” She laughed.
This job changes ponies; they find humor when at murder scenes. They all get used to the sight of death eventually. Dexter stopped being bothered by death a long time ago. Now it comforts him. It was unavoidable and inevitable. When he had a knife in his hoof with a victim on his table, he felt in control.
“No kidding,” Dexter said with slight amusement. “I just had pancakes for breakfast. Kinda’ weird don’t you think?”
Dexter looked around, “Where’s Masuka?”
Masuka was a short, tan, pony Dexter worked with; they shared the crime lab and crime scenes. He wore glasses on his bald head. He was also very perverted and found sex jokes almost anywhere.
“Oh, the little freak called in sick. He has to be sleeping off a hangover. He’s always taking so many pills he can’t actually be sick,” Debra replied with a hint of disgust, she didn’t like him all that much.
Dexter nodded his head. She was probably right, knowing his hypochondriac friend all too well. He probably got drunk and passed out as soon as he got in the door of his home, maybe even before.
Dexter turned back to the unfortunate mare.
“What does the blood tell you?” Deb asked him
Dexter took a deep breath and began to describe the tale the blood showed him.
“This is where the attack began; see how this blood is more decade than the rest?” Dexter said pointing to an almost brown splatter on the ground four or five feet from the body. “The attacker most likely chased her here. See how there are small bruises on her knees? She tripped and that’s what sealed her fate,” Dexter said now getting caught up in the tale of death.
“The attacker first hit her with the blunt end of the ax. This spray was caused by blunt force trauma, not a cut,” he stated. “She tried to get up but was struck again then began crawling toward the shed. She was able to get back to her hooves using the shed’s wall to stand. See the bloody print?” Dexter continued adamantly. “That’s when the fatal blow happened. The killer stood on his hind legs and swung it over his head into hers. She raised her arm in hopes of deflecting the ax but it just broke it instead.” Dexter picked up her arm showing the extra bend. “Death was instant. Her body then slid down the wall where it now lies. The killer must have used all their strength to get it that deep, must be a male,” Dexter said testing how well stuck the ax was
The movement was paired with the sickening sound of coagulated blood tearing free from where the head met the dirt. One of the police Stallion’s gagged and ran off to most likely puke.
“Must be a rookie,” Dexter chuckled
Debra confirmed his hypothesis with a nod, “Poor rookie, hope he doesn’t spit up his breakfast on anything important,” she gave a short chuckle, “Is that it nothing else you can see?” Debra asked, now snapping into lieutenant mode.
“Nope, that’s it. Crazy guy got the girl in the woods. I can’t really help any more here,” Dexter said while standing up and walking over to yellow tape where his sister stood. He then added sarcastically, “Try some magic.”
“Shut the hell up, Dex you know that doesn’t hold up in court unless it’s the princess’s, and she doesn’t have time to help anyway,” Debra said rolling her eye at her brother.
“I’ll get some blood samples and take them back to the lab for testing.” He left her and went to scrape up samples from all the individual blood puddles and splatters.
A stream of crimson crept into his vision. It wasn’t coming from the crime scene. His dark passenger was beginning to thirst for a kill once again.
After I get the blood work done my hunt will begin
He left the crime scene quickly and got back on the train.
His hunt would soon begin and a needed death would follow.