Fact Finder: The Show Must Go On
-Chapter 5: Unforseen complications-
"Oh, are you confused?" Zombi giggled icily. "No wonder... It really is quite impossible!" The terrifying stallion took a step closer. "But then so am I..." Fact Finder sank to her knees, staring at Zombi in a combination disbelief and horror. How could this be? Zombi had been with her when they had heard the piercing scream. Yet here he was; blood dripping from his grinning lips, as the ponies looked on in awe and terror.
"Fact..." Pursuit breathed shakily, not taking his eyes off the grotesque pegasus for even a second. "W-what is that...?" Zombi surged forward suddenly, until he and the officer were face to face; their noses almost touching.
"Ohhh..." Zombi stuck out his lower lip in mock sadness. "Did Miss Finder not tell you about me? I'm hurt!" His bone white cheeks stretched into an enormous blood-drenched smile and he gripped the golden-maned unicorn's chin between his cold, grey hooves, staring deep into his fearful eyes. "I am Zombi." His grin broadened further, exposing more dagger-like teeth. "And I killed those ponies." He turned and strutted away, throwing a foreleg to his forehead and sobbing dramatically. "Oh, you have caught me! I am clearly guilty!" But his theatrical sobs soon became hysterical, screeching laughter. "Yet this is far from over, detective!" The murderous pony whirled and jabbed a hoof at the Fact, causing her to fall back in surprise. "You may know who I am... But only because I have allowed it to be so!" Pursuit struggled to process this information.
"Y-you mean all this... was deliberate!?" Zombi snorted at the officer, clearly amused by his shock.
"Oh, puh-lease!" He scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "You really think I would be clumsy enough... foolish enough... to return to the scene of the crime, at the risk of being spotted? No..." He rubbed his hooves together gleefully, the icy wind flicking his dark sodden mane around as he grinned maniacally. "I wanted to give you a sporting chance! Albeit at the cost of your most formidable player..." He gestured towards Fact, whose jaw dropped as if it were about to separate itself from her skull.
"'player'?" She growled breathlessly; her rage rapidly building. "Is this some sort of game to you!?" Zombi tapped his chin thoughtfully as rainwater rushed down his unnatural face.
"Hmm... Well, perhaps actor is a more appropriate term. I see this as more of a... play." He clapped his dull grey hooves and tilted his head, smiling brightly with blood-soaked lips, his deep red eyes wide and wild. "And what a play it is! Mystery, tradgedy, comedy.... Simply marvellous!" The unicorn detective could take no more of this. She leapt up suddenly and threw herself at the sick-minded pony, preparing to tear him, limb from limb. However, she did not get the chance; for she immediately collided, head first, with a solid wall of blue magical energy. Zombi watched her slide down the translucent barrier with an amused smirk, the rain beating down on his leathery wings loudly. Fact Finder scowled up at her partner, infuriated and confused.
"Why the buck did you stop me!?" She screamed at him, her light-grey cheeks glowing a hot red. Pursuit fixed her with a stern look, which silenced her instantly. She had never seen him so grim. All of his usual cockiness and confidence had deserted him; leaving only cold, hard anger and sorrow... The loss of one's friends can do that to a pony...
"Listen to me, Fact." He said forcefully, brushing his mane out of his sapphire eyes. "You've seen what he can do... Do you want to end up like them!?" The caramel stallion gestured around them, at the mauled, disfigured remains of their former colleagues. "Just think for one second!" Fact observed her tragic surroundings, tears welling in her desperate eyes. Pursuit was right of course; she had not thought. And it could have cost her her life. While the detective sat in the icy wind, despairing, Zombi was finding it rather difficult to refrain from bursting into tears himself... of mad laughter, that is.
"Oh, Miss Finder!" He giggled maniacally, his wings fluttering slightly. "I would love to stay and gloat, but unfortunately I have a list of things I need to get through..." He began trotting away cheerfully, glancing over his shoulder with a wide grin plastered onto his gruesome face. "You live, Fact Finder... But only because you entertain me so..." He leapt onto the slippery ledge and spun to face the mare as lightning tore through the night sky like a wild beast, ripping hungrily through its prey. Fact watched helplessly as the stallion she had failed to stop bowed theatrically, his bat-like wings spreading suddenly. "...And you know what they say!" He sneered, beginning to tip backwards, falling from the ledge. "The show must go on!"
Then he was gone.
Fact Finder sat in silence, glaring at the spot in which her enemy had stood with burning hatred, as if she could somehow bring him back and impale him on the end of her horn. Pursuit leaned down and layed a gentle hoof on her shoulder. "Come on." He muttered solemly. "We have to clean up this mess..."
-Two hours later-
Fact Finder and Hot Pursuit had decided to stay and overlook the corpses being removed from the scene; mostly due to Pursuit's insistence. He had known every single one of his team personally... they had been through so much together. Even the armoured stallions were close friends oh his. And now they were all gone. Murdered at the hands of Zombi; a psychotic stallion who Fact had already captured. But still managed to kill a pony... while she was looking at him. There was much the detective did not understand about this case. So much about it seemed... impossible. After the bodies were removed from the scene, the pair should have reported straight to the station for questioning... But... How could anypony be expected to believe their extraordinary story? No. Instead, they travelled back to Fact's appartment.
Fact opened the door weakly, and was surprised to find Ace in his bed, staring at them. The canine could apparently sense his master's sadness, and had decided that this was definitely not the time to be over-friendly. She stepped back to allow her partner into the living room, completely silent. He did not thank her... And after what he had been through, who could begrudge him for being a little bad-mannered? Fact fetched him a towel from the bathroom and handed it to him, not daring to meet his eyes. But she could feel him staring at her. She could feel his contained fury. The damp stallion accepted the towel and begn to dry his golden-mane, while Fact sauntered to her untidy bedroom, dropping her plot onto the unmade, yet highly comfortable bed. Water dripped from her pale grey body, soaking the sheets. But she did not care. She had him in hoofcuffs. How the buck could he murder another pony in cold blood... from so far away? it made no sense... She rested her head in her hooves, wishing it would all just stop. That Zombi would be apprehended and everypony could sleep peacefully. But it was clear to her that outcome would not be likely. The weary mare gasped when she felt a hoof touch her shoulder, but when she raised her head quickly, her horn channeling magic, she was relieved to see it was Pursuit. She breathed an enormous sigh of relief, shaking her head. Who else could it have been?
"Oh..." She chuckled nervously, her cheeks reddening due to her rather embarrassing reaction. "P-Pursuit, I... I..." But she could not go on; For the stallion had pressed his hoof to her lips, silencing her. He gazed deep into her anxious, emerald eyes, not a word leaving his mouth. Fact was not oblivious to the situation. She had read and seen enough romance novels, plays and films to know exactly what was occurring at this moment in time. But that did not mean she believed it. Hot Pursuit lowered himself onto the damp bed slowly, not once taking his eyes away from her. After several moments of chilling silence,despite the warm orange glow of the bedside lamp, the caramel colt removed his hoof from Fact's lips. The young mare was incredibly confused; she had always considered Pusuit as a brother... What he was doing at this very moment seemed...wrong... maybe even frightening. "Pursuit... I... I don't-" She was interuppted yet again, as Pursuit had replaced the hoof with his own lips and was currently kissing her passionately. The unicorn had no idea what to do; She had never been caught up in a scenario such as this. As the stallion's mouth moved against her own, a chill ran up Fact Finder's spine like an icy current of electricity, causing her body to quake violently. How long has he felt this way? She wondered anxiously as her "friend" began to wrap his forelegs around her soaking, shivering waist gently. Questions buzzed through the detetctive's mind like a hive of disturbed bees, but she could not process anything properly... not while she was in the warm embrace of the one who she had always seen as an older brother. Fact's fear continued to rise in her stomach, as Hot Pursuit began to deepen the kiss, laying her back onto the soft, though slightly soggy, bed. Fact quickly decided she had had enough. This was far too... strange... for her... She raised her hooves to the golden-maned stallion's chest and pushed forcefully, breaking the kiss. Fact Finder shot up into a sitting position and struggled to find her breath. "Pursuit.. I don't... How.." She stared at him; her fearful, yet fiery eyes demanding an explanation. Pursuit stared back, in a state of shock. It was evident he had not anticipated such a reaction from the mare.
"F-fact..." He stuttered, panicking. "I thought you... felt the same way... I.. I..." But Fact cut him off, leaping off the bed suddenly and yelling at him, causing Ace to tense in his bed.
"And what the buck gave you that idea!?" She screamed. "You were like my brother! You stuck up for me like a big brother would! I never thought you... You... This is... This is just wrong!" She stood shaking for a few agonizing minutes; neither of the pair daring to say another word lest it result in further, undesired conflict. The only sound to be heard, was the tireless rythm of the rain pounding the window pane. Eventually, the scarlet-maned mare simmered down, hanging her head, sorrowfully. "I... I'm sorry, Pursuit..." She whimpered. "I'm just... I never thought you... Felt that way 'bout me..." She lifted her gaze; meeting the stallion's brilliant blue eyes. "How long...?" The anxious officer looked down toward his hooves and sighed, obviously disheartened.
"From the moment I met you, Fact..." He murmured, trying to keep the quiver from his voice. He regarded her with saddened, yet understanding eyes; his anguish shining through. He had suffered so much this night. "I'll be honest; I've dated a few mares... But I found you kinda... different." Pursuit shrugged, shaking his head glumly. "Maybe it was 'cause you never seemed the least bit interested in me. I ain't one to toot my own horn but... Well..." Fact knew exactly what the stallion was reffering to. Hot Pursuit had always been... popular... with the females; possibly due to his exceptional good looks and charming personality. It seemed as if Fact remained to be the only mare in the entire city of Canterlot, to ignore the stunning stallion's appearance and allure; her mind completely focused on her hectic job, with no time for such follies. In truth, Fact Finder had never expressed an interest in males at all, and was often reluctant to involve herself in the love lives of others. The detective noticed, early on in her life... that most relationships, no matter how strong they seem, always end in heartbreak and tradgedy. Years of watching her Mother and Father's love for each other degenerate had taught her as much. Fact had vowed to save herself the trouble... and the pain. "I've loved you for so long..." Pursuit continued, his cheeks glowing a heated red. "I just.. thought you felt the same way, and... you were just pretending..." To the mare's total shock, he began to sob. He clutched his head as tears began to stream across his blushing cheeks. "I- I needed to be sure though! I was going to w-wait! P-put it off until I was sure you felt the way I feel about you!" He hid his face, not bothering to restrain his agonized sobs. "I- I only tried tonight because... because..." He raised his head. Staring at the silent unicorn with red-rimmed eyes; and an expression that could evoke nothing but the deepest pity. "They're all dead, Fact... That bastard killed them... my friends..." The despairing stallion wrung his hooves helplessly. "All gone... You are all I have left... And I don't wanna lose you too..." He rose from the bed and moved closer, his expression desperate. "So I took a chance... and it failed.." Fact was positively dumbfounded. She had no idea her long-time friend's feelings for her were so powerful. Something stirred within the exhausted unicorn... Something new; that she had never felt before. Could it be possible, that deep down in her heart... She did have feelings for Pursuit? She bit her lip, blushing heavily. This unexpected news had transformed the way in which she viewed her ally entirely... Now she began to see him; not as a brother... But as a potential lover. While Fact was not absolutely certain of her feelings for the stallion... she was sure of one thing... He loved her. This caused the detective's heart to thump strongly, making her feel... strange... A little... warm... A timid smile spread across her lips, as she realised what she must do. She just couldn't stop herself... It was instinct now... "No..." She whispered, utilising her magic to undo her red tie and dropped it gently on the ground. "I think it worked..." She edged forward, sidling up to Pursuit on the bed and resting against him softly, before closing her eyes, cold water dripping from her form. Pursuit's eyes widened a little and his jaw dropped open.
"Oh... uhh... O-Ok." He breathed, completely taken by surprise. Fact Finder smiled warmly. This... "companionship"... would be a completely new experience for her... but one she was certain she would enjoy...
End of Chapter