The Abduction of Luna

by 97xxfastbike

Scratching the Surface

Tiara had never seen her home from above; she imagined that the view would have been spectacular if it were day, but the moon's scant illumination only allowed her to pick out large and obvious landmarks as the chariots circled and descended. However, the noctala pilots apparently didn't suffer from her visual limitations as they swooped between treetops and descended gracefully to land softly in the clearing in front of her house.

The unease Tiara associated with coming home was absent, though she was not resigned and numb as she had expected. Instead, there existed a strong sense of relief. Odd as it was, she mainly felt relieved that this was all over. Even if she hadn't been discovered and had made her escape with the ransom, she realized that she still would have been living from then to the end of her days with the fear of eventually being found out. This was possibly the best resolution for a peaceful, contented life. No more deception, no more sneaking around to maintain the body, and no more fretting about being caught. She was Tiara Dreams again, a pony with a past, true, but without the constant fear of discovery and secrets to hide.

"Don't speak a word unless you're spoken to," Captain Carry On said, interrupting Tiara's musings, "my cadets won't have the benefit of a compliant suspect when they are field officers, so keep quiet unless you are directly addressed by me. Understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Tiara answered, her eyes finding something on the ground to stare at. Shame erupted anew and brushed aside her sense of relief. It seemed fitting to her as she was a killer, and killers should feel shame.

The blunter end of a spear prodded her to dismount the chariot. Then more prodding directed her to move near to where Carry On had assembled her cadets. It might have smacked of cruelty, but the prodding wasn't painful; it was a gentle as a poke from a pointed object could be and left no doubt about the directions being given. All of the noctala had gone silent at nightfall. Occasionally she could hear the high-pitched squeaks and clicks of the noctala language if she had both of her ears focused at the source. Their voices were never shrill, but instead - oddly soft. The few times she had been close to them when they had spoke in their tongue astonished her; the audible volume she heard never rose to the level of the speaker's effort. It was like they spoke mostly with sounds that she couldn't hear. Their movements too, were subtle, and though there were at least ten noctala here, she could not locate any but the ones closest to her. The rest had unhitched from their chariots and sought shadowy areas to disappear. The more she watched them the more it seemed that they made a universal effort toward stealth. Perhaps a millennium spent in hiding made being invisible and inaudible second nature.

"Alright, cadets, this is what you know," Carry On's briefing broke through the silence of the night, "somewhere on this property there is a body hidden. You know that the killer had to have access to it twice a year to maintain a good state of preservation. You know the killer spent most of their time away from this site, and finally, you know the last time the body was maintained was four months ago. As I stated back in class, this is potentially anypony's investigation. It starts with you discovering the body. Now, where are you going to look?"

"The bathroom," a female cadet answered quickly, "bathtubs are often used by killers to contain body fluids. I'll look for loose floorboards and wall panels in the bathroom."

"Good thinking." Carry On pronounced with a nod. "Any other ideas?"

"I'll check the deck," another cadet said, "it would be easier to hide the body under the boards of the deck."

"I agree," a third cadet spoke on the heels of the second, "the killer would like to keep the body near the house to make it easier to maintain. I expect to find it there. I'll concentrate in and around the house."

"No," a thoughtful looking cadet dissented, "the house is a liability. The killer probably had somepony checking on it, a broken water pipe or a small fire could ruin everything." She chewed her lip a moment. "Do we know anything about the killer's psychology?" He asked.

"Did I mention anything about the killer's psychology?" Carry On retorted.

"I'll check the property for a garden or a mulch pile," the cadet said after Carry On's rhetorical question, "I think the killer would use something obvious to hide the body. I think it will be buried wherever there is a reason to turn soil and be seen digging." Two other cadets murmured in agreement.

"Are there any other theories?" Carry On addressed the class, looking each cadet in the eye. The white noctala cadet avoided her gaze. "Cadet Bloodsight, You have that look again. Do you have a different location in mind?"

Bloodsight stiffened to attention, "I do, Ma'am, but I have an unfair advantage; I was able to observe the property when we circled before landing."

"I don't care about what advantage you think you have, cadet; I care about whether or not you can catch killers!" Carry On said sternly, "Where do you think the killer hid the body?"

"The large woodpile out in the back field." At his response, the whole class craned their heads that direction and peered into the darkness. Tiara's head snapped up and she stared at him. That motion wasn't lost on Carry On, whose eyes had also widened in surprise.

"Woodpile?" Carry On glanced from Bloodsight to the moonlit backyard and it's dark, amorphous shapes. "Tell me the reasons you have for that location."

Bloodsight swallowed. "There is a fair-sized woodpile against the south side of the house, and the killer didn't spend most of her time here, so there is no apparent need for another rather large woodpile in the center of the backyard. Furthermore, the location of that woodpile in itself is strange. I could see there were no stumps, so the wood is not from recently cleared trees, and it had a tarp covering it, so it had value to the owner and spent some time there, but why not place it closer to the house, or under a shade tree for natural cover? I think it's because the wood pile is masking and protecting a shack that the killer hastily built to hide the spot she buried the body. It's in the back because it's out of sight from the road and any passers-by. It's in the center of the field because that was the only place with soft, root-free soil that the suspect could easily dig; trees and their roots cover most of the rest of the property, and finally, it looks like an innocent woodpile that would draw no suspicion if she was seen walking to and from."

Carry On slowly, thoughtfully, nodded her head. "Excellent reasoning, Cadet." She turned to Tiara. "Is he correct?"

Tiara shied at the sudden shift of attention. Her guards closed up on her, boxing her in. It was time to complete her confession. She took a breath and nodded a few jerky nods. "Yes. I buried her there."

"He's right again!" A female cadet exclaimed. She nudged Bloodsight with an elbow. "Good job!" The rest of the class also voiced their congratulations. A small, shy, smile grew on the white noctala's face.

"Alright, at ease," Carry On quieted the class, "I must say that I believe nopony made any bad or illogical suggestions. All of your possible locations had merit, but I want you to remember this when you are out on a case; after you've checked the usual suspects and exhausted your most likely hiding places; what looks innocent and obvious may be hiding your evidence. And don't forget sophisticated methods of hiding evidence such as: Shortened rooms with false walls: high fences that keep you from seeing what's on the other side: concrete that's too new: recent paint; one brick and mortar wall in a cut-stone basement: and more than one of the same appliance. Remember the case of the 'House with two water heaters!' Take note of what you see, and think about how you would hide evidence. And never forget that sometimes the best hiding place is in plain sight."

Several heads nodded among the cadets.

"Cadet Bloodsight, you have earned the lead investigator position. The Lunar Guard are your security, all of your classmates are your team. Begin your investigation."

The cadets all gathered around Bloodsight and he began assigning jobs. Luna walked up to Tiara. "I wish to know everything that you know. Where will we have this conversation?"

Tiara inhaled, a chill descended her spine. "My house is at your disposal, Princess."

"Lead on."

Carry On, Luna, and the spotted pegasus that rode with Luna followed her to her door. After unlocking it, Carry On pushed her way inside and searched the cottage, making a thorough check of the main room and the attached tiny kitchen. It didn't take long as Tiara's furnishings were minimal and decorations spartan. "I beg your pardon," Carry On said after she had finished, "my occupation demands these precautions." She stepped aside to allow them in.

Luna followed Tiara inside and appraised the room with a short nod. Carry On closed the door behind the spotted pegasus. They were all inside. Tiara knew her cottage wasn't large, but it never felt as awkwardly compact as it did that moment. Two ponies and an alacorn, in her modest dwelling and all of them looking at her. Tiara could swear the temperature of the room rose ten degrees in an instant. She felt the chill pricks of sweat on her brow.

"Ahem. My, you have a lovely home," The spotted white pegasus cleared his throat and the awkward silence, "Forgive my discourtesy. My name is Marble. I'm a psychiatrist." Marble gave a polite bow of his head. "And if I may be so bold, I see a coffee maker, could I impose upon you for a cup?"

"Oh," Tiara shook her head and chuckled, motioning to the table, "Sure... Uh. Welcome to my home, please have a seat, and who else would like a coffee?"

---

Carry On slurped loud and long at her cup. She closed her eyes and swished the coffee in her mouth before finally swallowing. "Ahhh!" She exhaled her rapturous appreciation for the gift of the life imparted by the dark liquid. "Thank you," she raised her mug up slightly, casually toasting Tiara before slurping from it again. "I really needed this."

Tiara returned the salute with a genuine smile that faded rapidly. This wasn't a casual, midnight coffee with friends meeting. And she wasn't the host, even if they were all in her house, seated at her table.

"How did you meet Silver Chalice?" Luna asked.

Tiara drew back. There was an unnerving edge in Luna's voice. She took a few sips of her coffee to settle herself. "She stopped here one evening. She had a severe high sprain on her right leg and was looking for help. My hut just happened to be the one on this lonely road that she stopped at."

"A severe high sprain," Carry On cocked an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"She said she accidentally wandered off the road. First her right front leg, which unbalanced her and she threw her right hind out which rolled off a rock and further down into the embankment. Loaded as she was with saddlebags, she believed she would have fallen anyway, but she said the pain hit her then and she went down into the ditch. She limped here without her bags after she realized that she could barley walk. She complained of severe pain on her dorsal and lateral right hind in line with the suspensory ligament and the superficial flexor tendon. Inflammation was also present in those areas. I had her soak the affected limb in an ice bath and treated her pain. Then I went down the road to fetch her bags."

"Who was the doctor that diagnosed her injury?" Carry On asked.

"I didn't call a doctor, she was against it. She said she had medical connections at her new palace job. She felt that my ministrations were adequate until she got to Canterlot."

"Who diagnosed her injury?" Carry On pointedly repeated her question.

"I did."

"You have medical training?"

"Yes, I-"

"Marble, are you recording this?" Tiara cut off her response.

"Yes." Marble answered in his table flat tone.

Tiara looked to her left and was shocked to see that the pegasus had two notepads on the table and was keeping records on both; one one with a pencil in his mouth and on the other with a pen clasped to his primary feathers. His display of dexterity amazed her as much as his subtlety, deftly setting up without her noticing. Despite all his recording, his eyes focused on her. All eyes at the table focused on her.

"Where did Silver Chalice fall off the trail?" Carry On pressed.

Tiara blinked a few times. "Uh... down the road, about three furlongs.

"Quite a ways to hike uphill on an injured leg."

"Yes," Tiara agreed, "but she said that she saw the smoke from my stove while I was cooking dinner."

"She saw smoke at night?"

"No, it was late afternoon. The sun was still up, but I was cooking-

"Did she say why she didn't go downhill to another house?"

"Yes, because she saw smoke and smelled food from my house." Tiara answered, annoyed.

"What were you cooking?"

Tiara felt her face grow warm. "Why does that matter?"

"Do you not remember?" Carry On persisted.

"I remember. But what does it matter?"

"It's a simple question. What were you cooking on the night Silver Chalice stopped at your house?"

Tiara looked around the table, her mouth suddenly dry. She dropped her head and swallowed, "Soup. I was cooking dandelion soup."

"Marble, do you have anything to add?" Carry On asked the scrupulous note-taker, who answered 'no' in a disinterested sounding monotone that contrasted sharply with his constant scratching away at his notepads.

"I'd like to know about her medical training." Luna spoke.

Carry On looked askance at Luna. "Well, Tiara, why don't you tell us about your medical training."

"I went to Midvale Nursing Acada-

"Did you graduate?"

Tiara, felt heat begin to rise from her neck, "If you'd stop interrupting me, I'd tell you!"

"Just answer the question," Marble deadpanned right on the heels of Tiara's sharp response.

Tiara looked her new tormentor over. "Yes." She answered and stopped. There was no response from him, nor anypony at the table. Marble's pencils scritched a few moments longer then stopped. His expression stone, as unreadable as his name suggested.

"Graduated, but not with honors, despite maintaining perfect marks." Carry on pulled out a folder from her satchel and opened it. Luna's ears pricked and she peered over to view the file. "Would you care to tell us why?"

"Again, what does this matter?"

"You said you rendered aid to Silver Chalice." Luna responded.

"Ignore that!" Carry On interjected and gave Luna another irritated sidelong glare. Luna's eyes flashed in return and her lip curled, but she said nothing. Carry On returned her attention to Tiara. "I believe it matters. Answer my question."

"I believe I was sabotaged by the pony who took the top honors," Tiara sighed, "I have no proof, only gut feelings in response to the actions and attitudes from those who did take honors, and the prime job offers that followed immediately after graduation."

Carry On leaned forward and steepled her hooves. "What job were you hoping to get after graduation?"

"Canterlot General," Tiara answered easily, "it's a relatively large hospital within walking distance from my house. They had some head nurses that were near retirement, I figured it would take me about five years of hard work then maybe I could get an early promotion to head nurse..." Her voice, at first excited, trailed off to a near whisper and she lowered her head.

"Is that why you went into nursing?" Carry On prodded. "Good pay, opportunities for advancement, a bit of prestige?"

Tiara nodded. "I didn't start out that way. I wanted to be Head Nurse Pristine, she was the head of the ward that treated my mom. She was my inspiration. She stood up to doctors, commanded her nurses, and was just so supremely competent! She knew everything! Her oversight probably extended my mom's life a few months." Tiara sniffed, "She was always busy, but she took time to be there for me."

A short silence followed, then Marble spoke. "There are other hospitals in Canterlot. And I'm sure you could have found another large hospital with advancement opportunities elsewhere. Why didn't you pursue a job at another hospital?"

Tiara shrugged. "I guess that once my plan was sabotaged, I lost my motivation."

"Didn't you still want to be a nurse? Didn't your memories of Nurse Pristine still stir your heart?" Marble asked.

"No." Tiara answered, staring at the floor.

"Do you think you can tell me why being sabotaged out of that one job made you lose your motivation?" Marble pressed gently.

Tiara shook her head. Silence followed. She looked up to see that Marble was now the only one at the table, and he was waiting patiently, his pencils lay still on their notepads.

"I believe you can. I believe you know. I'm not here to judge you, " Marble said softly. "I'm here for the truth, and I hope to help you voice that truth for yourself."

There was a long pause while floodwaters rose within Tiara's soul, pushing aside bulwarks she had set years ago. "I discovered during clinicals that didn't want to be a nurse. I hated dealing with all the needy ponies; I hated all the impossible patients whom I could never satisfy; and I hated all the patient's stupidity!" Tiara's eyes blurred and tears drained out. "The only reason I stayed in the program because it seemed to be my best choice to be somepony! I didn't care about healing, or comforting, or about their pain. I just wanted to be in charge; I wanted to give orders and have my directions followed, I wanted power!"

Tiara buried her head in her hooves and wept while Dr. Marble whispered soothing encouragements to his newest and most improbable client.

"Looks like a good time for a break," Carry On said from the door.

Marble nodded. "We need a break."

"We have a development," Carry On continued, "I think you'll want to see this before we start on the interrogation."

Comments

[LoudThunder]

The mystery slowly unravels. What new information will come to light and what is this new development? All I know is I hate/like cliffhangers.
Tbh. I forgot this Story was ongoing, I remembered the first party about the abduction but I forgot the murder mystery in the later chapters.

[97xxfastbike]

10817986
Yes, it's shameful how long this has been. I've been sitting on this chapter for a year and finally decided to just publish and move on.
The cliffhangers aren't supposed to be that bad. If this were a book, the resolution is on the next page. However, as infrequent as I'm writing, it's a pain, and I side with you, the readers.

Anyway, I'm crawling to the finish. Lets see if I can get the next chapter out in a timely manner. Anyone still following this has saintly patience.

[LoudThunder]

10818224
I have made myself a bookshelf for stories that have been inactive for a longer time, but I hope will get updates. It is always nice when one of these stories gets an update.
Sometimes it takes a while longer to get an update out and thats fine.I prefer slow updates to no updates. I always am kinda sad when a story is left unfinished and cancelled, all the possibilities are lost in a work left to be forever unfinished.
On the other hand I can understand if an author just does not know where to continue the story and does not want to write for the sake of just more words.

From the last Chapter I guess you propbaly know where to go with the story, just go at your own pace and it will be fine.

[97xxfastbike]

10818780
I've known where I want to go in this story for a while, it's the details in the middle I've forgotten. I completely sympathize with anyone who has had to re-read the story before the new chapter. I've had to do it myself. Never did an outline, but that would have been helpful.

Originally, I wanted a much shorter story, but it grew, and grew, and grew... I don't regret that, but it is a fact; writing short is harder than writing long. Started on the next chapter, trying to keep the momentum. It's the best way to show gratitude for all the Fav's and Upvotes.

Maybe if I finish this, I can do those other stories I have in my head.