The girls took Sunset Shimmer back up to her room and left her inside to change into her pajamas. Werdegast and Poelzig came up the stairs and met with the other six outside Sunset’s room.
“There is no need worry about your friend’s condition.” Werdegast told the girls noticing a few of them still looked a little concerned. “It is nothing serious. After a goodnight rest, she will perfectly fine in the morning.”
“Thanks again for all your help, doc.” Rainbow said to Werdegast.
“I would also like to apologize for my episode earlier… with the cat.” Werdegast apologized to the girls, especially Fluttershy who he knew loved animals and was greatly affected by his action.
“I just don’t get why some people would be afraid of cats, they can make such great pets.” Fluttershy said in a forgiving yet confused tone.
“Did any of you know that certain ancient books say that the Black Cat is the living enbodiment of Evil?” Werdegast told the girls who all had confused and surprised looks on their faces. “I read some of those books during my time in Kurgaal. And if that Evil enters into the nearest living thing, it is…”
“The Black Cat does not die.” Poelzig interupted. “Those same books, if I’m not mistaken, teach that the Black Cat is deathless. Deathless as Evil. It is the origin of the common superstition, the cat with nine lives.” The girls gave both men weird looks. “I will show you to your rooms.” Poelzig led his guests down the hallway and placed two girls in neighboring rooms; Twilight Sparkle and Spike with Fluttershy, Rarity and Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Each one of the girls’ rooms had two beds. Werdegast was given a room of his own. “Goodnight, Vitus. Sleep well.” Poelzig said to his old friend who glared at him before closing the door.
Twilight and Fluttershy were getting into their pajamas. Twilight noticed Flutterhsy still looked a little upset.
“You okay Fluttershy?” Twilight asked her friend.
“Yes, it’s just…” Fluttershy replied. “I’ve never heard of such a superstition. A black cat being a symbol of Evil.”
“I know, it would appear that this whole house is filled with superstitions.”
“I hope we leave this place soon.” Spike said. “Those guys are too creepy.”
“Don’t worry, Spike.” Twilight told her dog. “We’ll be out of here and on our way to Griffonstone tomorrow.”
“She’s right.” Fluttershy said finally putting on a smile. “Now let’s get some sleep.”
In the room next to them, Rarity and Rainbow were also getting ready to hit the hay.
“So do you really think Poelzig is the greatest architect in the world?” Rainbow asked Rarity.
“Well, his work certainly speaks for itself.” Rarity replied.
“I wonder what else he could build.”
“He’d probably be the ideal man for building an asylum. I mean, the way he talks about the superstitions of the Black Cat.”
“Yeah, gave me some chills.”
In the next room, Applejack and Pinkie were dressed and just about ready to call it a night.
“Ah’ve heard some might strange things in mah life, but that thing about the Black Cat has got ta be the strangest.” AJ said.
“There’s something I don’t like about this place.” Pinkie said suspisiously. “I don’t like it one bit.”
“Maybe you could throw one of yer famous parties tomorrow.”
“I don’t know, my Pinkie Senses are tingling all over. They’re telling me that we should get out of here soon.”
“Well, maybe we should get some sleep first. Sunset needs ta rest from her accident. Perhaps it’s all that stuff Werdegast and Poelzig said about the Black Cat that’s makin’ ya nervous. Who knows, maybe you’ll feel better in the morning.”
“Okie-dokey-lokey.” Pinkie agreed uneasily as she climbed into bed.
Meanwhile that night, Poelzig was walking down a secret hallway, probably his favorite hallway, carrying and stroking what seemed to be a second black cat. In the hallway were at least six glass cases and inside the cases were taxidermies of beautiful young women, ages ranging from late teens to late twenties. As he pasted by each one, he looked upon them with admiration as if looking at a beautiful trophy. Then he looked in one room, inside it were seven empty cases much like the others. He smiled at the thought what, or who, he would eventually put inside them before leaving.
Later that same night, a knocking came at Werdegast’s door. The doctor got out of bed, put on a robe, and answered the door to find Poelzig.
“We have something to settle, Vitus.” Poelzig said.
“Where is my wife?” Werdegast asked one last time.
“Very well, Vitus. I shall take you to her.” Poelzig finally agreed and led his old friend out of his room.
He led Werdegast down the curved stairs but stopped when he came to Thamal waiting at the bottom with his arms crossed. “You will come alone, Vitus.”
“Wait here.” Werdegast told his servant who stepped back and let the men pass.
Poelzig opened a secret door hidden in a wall and led Werdegast down a spiral staircase and down the secret hallway he had walked down earlier.
“You remember this was the entrance to the gun turrets, do you?” He asked his friend.
“I can still sense death in the air.” Werdegast replied.
“There is still death in the air. It is just as much undermined today as ever.”
Werdegast knew what that meant; this place was loaded with dynamite. One wrong move and the whole place could blow sky high. Then they came to the hallway of encased women. Werdegast’s mouth dropped open with shock and disgust at the sight. Poelzig led him through the hallway until they came to an iron door. He opened the door, turned on a light, and led his old friend inside.
“And this is the old chart room for the long-range guns. The guns are gone, but the charts are still here.” Poelzig said. Indeed the guns weren’t there any more, but the huge charts still hung on the walls. Then at the end of the room stood a glass case with the preserved body of a beautiful woman who almost looked like an adult version of Sunset Shimmer. Both men stared up at lifeless woman on display.
“Now you see, Vitus.” Poelzig said. “I have cared for her tenderly and well. You will find her almost as beautiful as the day you saw her.” Werdegast stared at her with heartbroken eyes while Poelzig stared with passionate eyes as if admiring a masterpiece of art. “She died two years after the war.”
“How?” Werdegast asked on the verge of tears.
“Pneumonia. She was never very strong, you know.”
“And the child? Our daughter, Kathrine?”
“Dead.”
A tear started rolling down Werdegast’s right cheek. “And why is she like this?”
“Is she not beautiful? I wanted to have her beauty always. I loved her too, Vitus.”
“Lies!” Werdegast said painfully angry. “All lies, Hjalmar! You killed her! You killed her and I’M ABOUT TO KILL YOU!” Werdegast drew a gun from his robe and aimed it at Poelzig. But before he could shoot, he heard a noise from the doorway.
MEOW! In walked a black cat. Its eyes met with Werdegast’s and the man let out a frightened scream, dropped his weapon, and buried his face in his hands, and the cat scurried off. Poelzig knew he was powerless against his greatest fear. But rather than take the gun Werdegast had dropped and use it on him, he had other plans.
“Come Vitus, are we men or are we children?” Poelzig said as he led Werdegast out of the room, back through the hallway and back up the spiral staircase. “Of what use are these melodramatic gestures? You say your soul was killed and that you have been dead all these years. And what of me? Did we not both die here fifteen years ago? Are we any less victims of the war than those whose bodies were torn asunder? Are we not both the living dead? And now you come to me, playing at being an avenging angel – childishly thirsting for my blood. We understand each other too well. We know too much of life. We shall play a little game, Vitus. A game of death, if you like. But under any circumstances, we shall have to wait until there people have gone, until we are alone.”
Poelzig led Werdegast back to his room. “Until tomorrow.” He said bidding him goodnight.
Meanwhile, Sunset Shimmer lay comfortably in her bed until a knocking from her door woke her.
“Come in.” She said sitting up in her bed and in came her host, Hjalmar Poelzig.
“I trust you are feeling well.” He said politely.
“Yes, very much.” Sunset replied.
“I came to see if what Vitus did earlier with the cat didn’t disturb you too much.” He said taking a seat at the end of her bed.
“Don’t worry, I’m okay. I’m just surprised that he has such a phobia of cats. I was actually nervous that he might put a damper on his friendship with you.”
“Nothing has strained our relationship, my dear. You must understand that he has been through a lot. Tortured in a prison for fifteen years. Now that he is final free, he needs some time to adjust to the world.”
“I think I can partially relate to that.” Sunset said sympathetically. She remembered the days when she was a controlling bully at CHS and needed time and help to adjust to the world after her redemption.
“How so?” Poelzig asked interested.
“Oh, it’s… complicated, and you’d probably not understand or believe anything I’d have to say.” Sunset said trying to get out of having to reveal her past and magical secret.
“Try me.” Poelzig insisted.
Feeling that she owed him something for his hospitality, Sunset told Poelzig about her school life, how she turned into a she-demon, and how her friends used magic to cure her. She didn’t expect Poelzig to believe her story but he looked very understanding and fascinated by it, especially the part about her being a she-demon.
“That is very fascinating, my dear.” Poelzig said.
“Really?” Sunset said surprised. “You’re not at all weirded out by any of the strange things I told you?”
“Of course not, I rather fancy the strange and peculiar things in the world. You must admit that the design of my home is a little strange to you, is it not?”
“I guess a little. If you love strange things you should get to know my friend, Pinkie Pie.” Sunset said jokingly. Both of them chuckled at that.
“Well, I’d better be going to bed.” Poelzig said getting up and heading for the door. “Vitus says you need to rest, don’t want to deprive you of anymore sleep.”
“Goodnight, thanks.” Sunset said waving goodbye as her host left her bedroom.
Meanwhile in Werdegast’s bedroom, the doctor sat on his bed with his head in his hands. He was still in shock from the terrible news he had received about his wife and daughter and the scare from another black cat. Thamal stood in the room watching his master and feeling sympathy for him. He drew a knife from his sleeve and started for the door.
“Not yet, Thamal.” Werdegast stopped his trusty servant. “Put that away.” Thamal returned the knife from where he got it. “We will bide our time, other lives are involved. And this place is so undermined with dynamite that the slightest mistake by one of us could cause the destruction of all. Until I tell you different, you are his servant, not mine.” Thamal nodded to show that he understood.
Poelzig returned to his bedroom, which was right next to Sunset’s, connected by another door that was locked. Poelzig took off his robe and hung on a rack. Then he grabbed a book and headed toward his bed.
“What is it, Hjalmar?” asked the young girl who was at the left end of the bed. She looked a little like Sunset Shimmer, only with golden hair.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Only an accident on the road below.” He answered as he got into bed with her. He gently ran his right hand across her left cheek admiring her beauty. “I want you to stay in this room all day tomorrow, Kathrine.” The girl gave an understanding nod and fell fast asleep. “You are the very core and meaning of my life. No one shall take you from me, not even Vitus. Not even you father.” He then took the book he grabbed, opened it, and started reading it. The page he was reading said:
~~Rites of Lucifer~~
In the night, in the dark of the moon, the High Priest assembles his disciples for the sacrifice. The chosen maiden is garbed in white.
Late that night, unbeknownst to the sleeping girls, a black cat with bright green eyes sat ominously outside Sunset Shimmer's bedroom door and stared at it for a long time.