Chapter 7: Words
Back in the olden days, thousands of years ago, the easiest way for a stallion or mare to procure a mate was to show them their genitals. This proved that they were virile and able to provide a child.
During this time, ponies were also imprisoned or executed on circumstantial evidence when it came to the crime of murder. All it took was enough ponies to say you killed somepony and it was off to the gallows.
In today’s enlightened and post flashing era, ponies play a game called ‘dating’ to find a mate. And there’s such a thing called due process to ensure that even the most psychopathic murderers get a fair trial.
Sometimes, I wonder how I would have fared all those years ago.
Sure, I wouldn’t have to worry about dating and could simply refuse to show my genitals and be left alone to my own processes...
However, I would most likely have been beheaded once somepony noticed that ponies tend to disappear around me and claimed that it was my fault.
Especially if Twilight was the one accusing me, even today, her word carries so much weight.
I couldn’t help but muse on this as I combed my mane for the third time. Somehow, I was not satisfied with the way it looked and convinced that if it didn’t look just right, I would offend the mare who asked me on a date.
And you agreed to it.
With an irritated mumble, I set my brush down on the bathroom sink and looked into the mirror. “It’s just two... acquaintances talking over breakfast,” I mumbled under my breath. “She can think it’s a date if that makes her happy. And as long as it gets her off my back, I’ll be happy.”
It’s hard to look at a date as nothing more than a social obligation when you don’t know how to feel love for another pony.
I did love my mother, but that was a different kind of love. That love came naturally to me.
Too bad it left unnaturally.
Shaking the errant thought from my head, I walked from the bathroom and sat myself down in the living room, waiting and watching the clock. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to today, but I wasn’t going to just lie in bed all day.
“It’s 7:20...” I mused aloud as I looked at the clock. “Scootaloo?”
From upstairs, I heard the door open and looked behind me to see the little orange filly poke her head out. “I’ll be down in a moment! I really don’t see why you have to walk me to school...”
“It’s because it’s your first day back. I’d like to talk with your teacher, make sure she knows what’s going on and where I’ll be if she needs me.”
This wasn’t so much worry as forward-thinking. The last thing I wanted was for Scootaloo to have an episode while I wasn't around, making me the one at fault.
“Well, alright...” she said as she walked down the stairs, wearing her saddlebag. “I used to just take my scooter to school, but that’s been lost for a while...”
Lost under a tangled grove of lawn and weeds... I might get it for her before she’s done with school. She’d be able to get herself to class rather quickly and wouldn’t need me.
“I’ll see if I can’t get a hold of one for you, but for now, I think it’d be for the best if I walked you there... Now, do you have everything? Not forgetting any books or—”
“No, I’m good.”
I looked at her for a moment before rolling my shoulders. Either she forgets something, or she’s actually prepared...
Walking over to the front door, I opened it up for her and put on a fake smile. “Alright. Excited to get back to school? See all your friends?”
She smiled back and nodded. “Uh-huh. I’ve been out for a couple of days though, so everypony’s going to be ahead of me...” Scootaloo’s smile went as quickly as it came. “Jeez, I’m probably gonna have like, a mountain of homework.”
Walking out of my home and into the quiet streets of Ponyville, I locked the door and shrugged. “Well... I wasn’t exactly a genius in school, but I’d be more than happy to help you if you need it. All you need to do is ask.”
Scootaloo looked up to me with those big purple eyes again and her smile came back. “Thanks, Daymos. I knew you’d help. You’re such a kind and helpful pony.”
Oh, would you listen to that... Kind. Helpful.
I froze in my tracks. No. It’s only been a few days.
What a joke. Think she’d still be singing that tune if she saw your basement?
“What are you doing back here?” I whispered under my breath.
“What was that?”
Scootaloo looked up to me with a worried expression and I just smiled. “Nothing... Come on. Let’s get you to school before you’re late.” I picked up the pace slightly and trotted ahead with the little filly hot on my heels.
“Coming!”
Just get this day done and over with... I told myself as we walked through the streets. Just get this day done and over with.
* * *
“So you’re the one who’s been watching over Scootaloo...” the mare at the desk said, her authoritative voice digging into me. “I’ve been hoping to talk to you.”
Cheerilee. Out of all the ponies I’ve ever met, she’s the only one I’ve ever been able to call my ‘polar opposite.’
She sees the potential for good in everypony. I just see the potential for evil.
She thinks we can make a better place for everypony if we just work towards it. I make the world a better place for everypony by getting rid of those that work against it.
She thinks that ponies should be forgiven if they do something wrong. I think ponies fit well into garbage bags when sectioned correctly.
“Yes,” I said with a small nod. “I knew her mother and the police asked if she could stay in my custody.”
With a heavy sigh and a small nod, Cheerilee looked to me with an obviously forced smile. “I heard from the police when I talked with them... Now, I’m not going to deny that I’m not okay with somepony I don’t know watching over my student, especially after what she went through.”
Oh great... I get to have this conversation again...
“But, I’m willing to give you some rope.”
Think she’d try to hang you with it if she knew the real you?
“Alright Daymos? Just... Please, take care of Scootaloo.” Cheerilee’s tone changed and she gave me a patient look. “She needs help and somepony to let her know she’s loved. I can’t even begin to understand what she’s going through... Are you sure she wants to be in class today?”
“She woke up when I did this morning,” I said flatly, gritting my teeth slightly. “And said she wanted to go to school today. Who am I to say no?”
“You’re her guardian,” Cheerilee snapped at me, her voice hitting a pitch that made my ears tingle. And from what I heard outside, I wasn’t the only one. Every kid outside who was talking was now very quiet.
She has to teach me how to do that...
“You sometimes need to take charge and let her know that it might be good for her to take some time off.”
“Yes, I understand that Miss Cheerilee... But she also talked about how she wanted to see all her classmates again. So again, who am I to say no? I wasn’t about to sit her down and tell her that I don’t think it’s a good idea to see her friends.”
Her expression slowly softened until she gave me a little grin and sighed aloud.
“Well... Alright. At least your heart’s in the right place. I’ll give you that. Now, is there anything else that I should know about you? Like what you do for a living?”
I leaned forward in my seat and put on my most believable smile. “Oh, nothing much... I just clean things.” And kill ponies in your spare time and bury them under your house. Nothing too serious. “You know, like antiques or clothes with tough stains or anything, really. It’s what I’m good at. I do it all from home, too.”
Cheerilee leaned back in her seat and quietly mimicked my smile. Except she wasn't biting her tongue. “Well, it’s nice to know you have such a... respectable line of work. And who knows?” she said with a shrug. “You might just rub off on her in a good way if she has a figure like you in her life.”
Ooooh, now that’s an idea... Get her into your line of work. How good do you think Scootaloo is with a hacksaw?
Before I could bite through my tongue, she glanced over at the wall and stifled a gasp before getting to her hooves. “Oh, darn... As much as this little impromptu parent-teacher conference has been informative, I've got to start class.”
“I’m glad. Now, Miss Cheerilee, if you’ll excuse me, somepony is waiting for me at Sugarcube Corner. Take care.”
Glad that’s over with...
“Have a nice day, Daymos... Alright class, I’ll be taking roll call soon!”
As if like they were all waiting for those few words, the swarm of fillies and colts who were waiting outside forced their way through, leaving me to wade through them just to get out.
From inside, I could hear Scootaloo call out to me as I closed the door behind me. “I’ll see you later, Daymos!”
“I’ll see you later!” I parroted as I took a moment to gather myself, finally out of the schoolhouse. My skin was practically crawling as several old memories came back.
The smell of chalk, the way everypony sitting behind me would kick my seat, the staring, the constant anxiety about being caught after killing Yardstick.
From the back of my mind, I could hear a low laugh and it set me on edge.
Putting one hoof in front of the other, I made my way down the street, repeating under my breath again and again. “Just get this over with.”
I wasn’t looking forward to whatever Pinkie Pie had planned.
She has this habit of making a big deal over the littlest thing and here I am, going to what I could only expect to be an awkward party for the both of us, thinly disguised as breakfast.
It didn’t take as nearly long as I’d hope it would to get to Sugarcube Corner and as I stood at the door, I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be polite just to turn around and go back home.
But before I could get that far, Pinkie Pie’s voice rang out and nearly made me jump out of my skin.
“DAYMOS! UP HERE!”
I looked around quickly and soon found myself staring up at the bubbly pink mare who was leaning out of the second-story window, holding a spatula, and wearing a chef’s hat. “Come on up! I’m cooking pancakes!”
I couldn’t get a word out before she ducked back inside, making me wonder just what was planned for me.
“Well, at least there isn’t any confetti...” I muttered aloud as I opened the door and made my way for the stairs. I stopped mid-step and did a quick look around the ceiling. “Yet, at least.”
I was dreading to see what Pinkie had planned, but the minute I started up the stairs, the smell hit my nose and my eyes went wide. The inner child in dear old Daymos began to stir, jumping around excitedly as memories from the past began welling up.
“Frying pancake batter... Blueberries... Strawberries... And maple syrup. Sweet stars above, how long has it been?”
Breakfast at Serenity’s.
It’s a rather well-known book that was turned into a play.
And a cafe, created by a fan of both.
My mother would love to go out of town to do her shopping for the day and I’d go with her. And we’d always go for breakfast there. She’d stare dreamily at the posters of Serenity hung around the place while I ate.
Then we’d talk about everything that was going on in our lives, laugh, and just enjoy ourselves.
I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve had a short stack of pancakes with orange juice and a slice of melon.
“No way...” I stopped in my tracks when I realized something unbelievable; I was smiling. I just couldn’t believe it. I was actually happy and there didn’t have to be somepony bleeding out on a table to make it happen.
As I opened the door, my smile slowly disappeared as I got an eye full of the disaster area that Pinkie was cooking in.
“Oh hi!” she called out excitedly as she flipped a pancake into the air before catching it in the pan. “I had this great idea of cooking us breakfast and just eating it out on the patio! Pretty neat, huh?”
“U-Uhh, yeah...” I said shaken, wondering just how Pinkie managed to get pancake batter on the ceiling and walls. “Bit of trouble with the mixing bowl, I take it?”
Pinkie gave me a weak smile and shrugged. “I was trying my new automatic mixer, but the crazy thing went all loopy on me! I’ve meant to get all cleaned up, but I wanted everything to be ready for when you got here.”
Well, at least she wasn’t flinging it around on purpose...
I watched Pinkie stand in front of the portable range she most likely dragged up to her room, flipping that pancake into the air again and again, catching it with a flourish and giggling the entire time.
I had to say, I was impressed and just a little bit jealous. It took a long time for me to get the kind of manual dexterity that comes in handy when cleaning jewelry — or wielding a knife — and here’s a mare that had the sort of hoof-eye coordination I’d kill for.
“Alrighty!” she exclaimed happily before tossing the latest pancake in the air and onto a stack of at least a dozen others, landing without so much of a hitch. “Breakfast is ready.”
“Uhh... Pinkie? Aren’t you going to get washed up first?”
The bubbly mare stopped in her tracks and gave me a saddened look. “But... But the pancakes will get cold. Can’t we just eat first and then—”
“I’ve got a thing about cleanliness,” I blurted out. “I don’t think I can enjoy myself when your coat’s all matted with drying pancake batter.”
“Ohhhhh... Fine.” Hanging her head and letting out a dejected moan, Pinkie set the pancakes down on the back burner and started to trot towards what looked like her own personal bathroom.
“Just don’t eat any without me, okay?” she says as she lingers in the doorway.
“I won’t. I’ll even put the burner down on low and set them next to it so they stay warm.”
That little sentiment was enough to make Pinkie smile from ear to ear before closing the door behind her. The sound of running water soon followed, leaving me standing inside her room.
“Well, this could have been a lot worse...” I mused under my breath as I looked out at the deck and the set up she prepared. Fresh squeezed orange juice, a fruit salad, and pancakes with all sorts of fillings from blueberries to chocolate chips. “And she did go to a lot of trouble.”
But that’s Pinkie Pie for you. She’s the epitome of ‘if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing’.
All this effort reminded me of when I first met her. She had just moved to Ponyville and I had just gotten comfortable in the fact that no one was going to find Yardstick’s body. I was in the clear.
Now, I had always liked visiting Sugarcube Corner when I had a few extra bits lying around to get myself a donut or some other treat, but I started avoiding the place when Pinkie moved into the upstairs loft.
She was always in my face, trying to get me to play some sort of game or talking so fast I’d wish I had a tape recorder so that I could slow it down and make some sense out of what she was saying.
But one day, Pinkie started getting tired of waiting for me and started dragging me inside so I could be her own little taste taster, trying out all sorts of confectioneries until my teeth and stomach ached equally.
Now, this could have gone much differently if I hadn’t found my moral compass. I hated getting forced into spending time with her and more than once that thought crossed my mind, but something odd happened.
She forced me and cornered me into so many situations with her, I actually found myself starting to enjoy myself from time to time when I was in her company. Then she didn’t need to seek me out. I was stopping by regularly.
So I guess my liking of her is one part of her good mood rubbing off on me and one part Stockhorse Syndrome.
My daydreaming was cut short when I heard the shower get cut abruptly. It didn’t take less than a minute for Pinkie to come prancing out with a cloud of steam following her and sporting a dull pink towel.
And dripping water onto the floor.
“I really hope you don’t mind if I went that extra mile,” Pinkie said idly as she towel-dried herself. “I just got so excited when you said yes to breakfast.”
I pretended not to pay particular attention and let out a hollow laugh. “No, that’s perfectly fine. Don’t worry yourself.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I couldn’t help but notice the way she was looking at me. Like she was waiting for me to look her over.
Oh dear... She better not try and show me her—
“Daymos? Something wrong?”
I shook the errant thought out of my head and laughed weakly. “N-no, not at all... Just a little out of it is all. I’ve usually eaten by now. Shall we?”
“Oh! Sure, sure!” Pinkie said as she bolted for the range. “Here, let’s take this outside!”
I felt my stomach rumble and followed right behind her. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t just a little eager to get something in my stomach. Sitting down at the little table across from her, I grabbed hold of the fork in front of me and took the first two pancakes on the stack.
Pinkie giggled aloud as she watched me get myself squared away and inched a bit closer. “Tell me how I did.”
I put the syrup down and cocked an eyebrow at her before giving her another dry laugh. “You gotta let me taste it before asking that...”
Seriously... Like this isn’t uncomfortable enough... I thought as I brought the fork down, cutting a piece of pancake off, all the while feeling a pair of eyes burn into the side of my face. Seriously, STOP STARING.
Rip her eyes out with that fork. That’ll make her stop.
I closed my eyes, ignoring the advice from it and I took my first bite. Suddenly, the irritation from Pinkie’s incessant staring melted away and I was back in Serenity’s with my mother. Back when everything was so much simpler.
“Well?”
My eyes shifted over to Pinkie and my smile faded a bit. “It’s good,” I said plainly. “Very good. Excellent job.”
Pinkie’s eyes lit up and she clapped her hooves together excitedly. “Great!”
I tried to focus on my breakfast, but it wasn’t easy when I was still getting the third degree.
“So, what’chya been up to as of lately, Daymos?” she asked as she pulled a couple of pancakes onto her plate. “Cause from what I’ve heard, you got another mouth to feed at your place. Got a friend over or something?”
News travels fast...
“Yeah, I do. Scootaloo, to be precise. Know her, I take it?”
“Wait, Scoots? What are you doing watching her for?” she asked, cocking her head slightly. “What’s going on?”
I set aside my fork and took a deep breath. I wasn’t in the mood to give the full story again, but from the way that Pinkie was looking at me, I wouldn’t be able to leave without telling her.
“Remember Honeysuckle?” I asked calmly. “She and I knew each other. I wouldn’t go as far as to say we were good friends...”
Or knew each other at all, whatsoever... I thought as I reached for the pitcher of orange juice.
“But we were acquaintances. So when she passed I—”
“You needed to go see how Scootaloo was doing,” Pinkie finished for me before her eyes drifted down to her plate. “And now you’re her guardian or something. Makes sense now... How’s she doing?”
“I, uh... Yeah. I did see how she was doing. How’d you know?”
Pinkie waved a hoof and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter... Now come on, tell me how Scootaloo is doing. She must be so sad right about now and I wanna know if there’s anything I can do.”
She’s hiding something. If you leap across the table, you can put that knife to her throat and she’ll sing like a well-trained canary.
I leaned forward a bit, pushing my plate to the side. “Tell me how you knew first. I never said anything about it to anypony other than the police.”
I could hear Pinkie Pie swallow the lump in her throat quite clearly before she let out a nervous laugh. “I, uh... Well, don’t be mad or anything,” she started, blushing slightly. “But I followed you a bit after you ran off. I got waaaaay too curious, and well... I lost you after a bit, but then I saw you running by with Scootaloo, and well, I kinda put two and two together.”
A chill went down my spine as soon as the words ‘followed you’ hit my ear.
In my line of work, I’m the one who’s stalking. Not the other way around. The fact that she was able to follow me at all without my knowledge was frightening.
“I gotta say though; it was pretty amazing to see you running down the street with Scootaloo on your back. It was like something out of an action movie or something.”
The fact that she was so innocent almost got rid of any of my fears, though. Almost.
“Y-Yeah. I, uh... I guess it was,” I said weakly. “Still, I was just doing what I needed to.”
Action movie, huh? More like the start of a B rated horror movie.
“Now come on, tell me how Scootaloo’s doing. I heard she was in the hospital.”
I nodded slowly as I picked up my fork and turned my attention back to my breakfast. “Yes, she was hypoglycemic. I can’t go into much of the details, since I don’t think the police would like that, but she’s doing much better. Her emotions have been all over the place, though. At first, she’s happy, then she gets sad, and then—”
“Uh, hello? Umm, is anypony there? Pinkie? Mrs. Cake? Mr. Cake?”
Pinkie and I both looked to each other before looking down at the street below and saw a nervous little white filly pacing around nervously. “Expecting more company?” I asked aloud.
“Huh... Sweetie Belle?” Pinkie answered, leaning over the balcony. “What’chya doing here? Shouldn’t you be at school? You’re not playing hooky, are ya?”
The little unicorn’s eyes shot up and she started dancing around frantically. “No! No, not that. Umm, is there a stallion there? I think his name was Dayglow... Daytime...”
I let out a long sigh and propped my head up with a hoof. “Is it Daymos?”
“Yeah! That’s it! Daymos!” Sweetie Belle yelled out, nodding quickly. “Cheerilee said he was gonna be here! I’m supposed to bring him back to the schoolhouse! You know him, mister?”
“I’ll be right down.”
I had a bad feeling right down in the pit of my stomach. Something happened with Scootaloo and Cheerilee was going to hang me with that rope she gave me just this morning.
“Does this mean breakfast is over already?” Pinkie asked. She wasn’t making any attempt to hide her disappointment and was waiting for me to say something to make her feel better.
“I, uh... Yeah. I guess it is. Sorry.”
Her lip quivered and she looked down at the table.
That’s not exactly what she wants to hear. Try again or you’ll have a headache on your hooves. Just don’t mess it up.
“But there’s always tomorrow,” I blurted out, already wishing I kept my mouth shut. “Do you wanna try again? Tomorrow?”
Pinkie’s eyes lit up and she was wearing a smile I could only describe as ‘manic.’ “Yes! Certainly! I’ll have something oh so great for tomorrow morning! The same time sounds good, right?”
“Yeah. Sounds good. I’ll see you then, Pinkie...”
“See ya then!” she called out happily through a mouthful of pancake.
I wasn’t even halfway through the door when the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I heard it again.
Oh great... You weren’t supposed to mess it up. But look, now you’re in for another pointless date... Why do you even pretend to be normal? You could kill her, you know. One quick thrust of the knife and—
“Shut. Up.” I hissed, not wanting to picture what it was about to describe.
Why fight it? You’d enjoy it. You’d enjoy every second of it.
I took another deep breath and made my way down the stairs, pushing the thoughts to the back of my mind — all the while it was gnawing its way through. Composing myself, I walked out of Sugarcube Corner and looked down at the little filly.
“Now tell me. What’s wrong?”
The little filly froze and looked up at me with a face I knew all too well. “I-I-I... It’s umm... S-Scootaloo. She, um... S-she got into a fight and well...”
I ran a hoof down my face and groaned aloud. “Alright... Alright. Let’s go.”
Sweetie Belle nodded quickly and started trotting ahead of me, glancing behind her back every so often to make sure I was still following her.
See that look in her eye? She knows. She might not know it on a conscious level, but her instincts tell her she’s looking at a predator.
I’d never hurt a child. They’re innocent. They’ve done nothing wrong. Now BE QUIET.
I looked up at the sun and let out a long, heavy sigh. It was only just creeping up on noon.
“Well, umm... Here we are, Mister D-Daymos,” Sweetie Belle said nervously. “I’m gonna go now.”
I tried to open my mouth and stop her, but she was already bounding off to the playground before I could even get a word in. Looking up at the schoolhouse for the second time that day, I steeled myself and walked up to the door and into the classroom, only to be greeted by four sets of eyes just staring at me.
Cheerilee, who obviously wasn’t happy.
Scootaloo, who quickly looked to the ground to try and hide the visible bruise on her cheek.
A young, grey colt with a black eye who was doing his best not to cry.
And finally, a mare dressed in business attire who I could only guess was his mother.
“Today is just not my day...”
* * *
I didn’t like anything about what was happening. I tried not to look back at the fiasco that had just happened, but it was impossible.
First, Cheerilee yelled at me for not thinking about talking to Scootaloo about her feelings and how she should deal with them over the loss of her mother.
Like you’re a shining example of coping.
Next, I’m told that Scootaloo punched a colt by the name of Rumble square in the face during an argument they had. Her reason?
“He made a joke about my mom,” Scootaloo had said defiantly during the second teacher conference of the day. “What was I supposed to do?”
Maybe you can teach her how to use a knife? You know, channel all that anger and frustration into something constructive.
And when we finally got home, I knew if I didn’t do something, it would just happen again and again. Her words still echoed in my ears.
“What’dya mean I’m grounded?!?” she wailed. “You’re the worst!”
Hey, at least she’s starting to pick up on the obvious.
And finally... The Whisper was back sooner than expected.
I reclined back in bed and stared up at the ceiling. The sun and long since set and I had been doing whatever I could to keep the Whisper quiet, but it wasn’t helping. It was still there.
That kid’s mom said so much about you when she was talking with Cheerilee. She thought you couldn’t hear her. She said you were a disgrace. A sad excuse for a parent. She even wants to press charges. Your tools are nice and clean, ready for her.
The Whisper has been with me for so long.
It all started a couple of months after the episode with Yardstick. It started first as nightmares. Vivid dreams of beating in Yardstick’s head with the shovel again and again. Every night for a week. I almost ran to the police and confessed, just to make it stop.
But then it changed. It went from Yardstick to another pony. A bully at school. Only this time, I wasn’t using a shovel. I was stabbing him again and again, laughing as he begged for mercy.
Then it changed again, only this time it was the stallion next door who beat his wife. And this time, I wasn’t stabbing him. I was dragging the knife along his throat, watching him gasp and gurgle before hitting the ground into a puddle of his own blood.
A month straight of nightmares. And then they stopped.
Only for a voice to come out one day and tell me that the mare next door, who was always being beaten, was in the hospital. And that the stallion was home alone.
I told myself the entire time I was doing the right thing, just like with Yardstick. I was getting rid of somepony who was hurting others. But it was different that time. I had something sitting on my shoulder, giddily guiding darling Daymos to his next kill.
And I won’t deny that I enjoyed it. I enjoyed every second of making Mr. Potter pay for the pain he had inflicted. I enjoyed the way he looked at me as he bled out, not sure that it was real; that his next-door neighbor held the knife that just sealed his fate.
But as much as I enjoyed it, the Whisper enjoyed it tenfold. And it wanted more. It’s always wanted more.
Come on. Let’s go. The little harlot is going to get you arrested if you don’t do anything.
I knew that wasn’t true, but I got to my hooves anyway. Cheerilee talked with Rumble’s mother and explained the situation and she apologized to me. Still, the Whisper knew how to push my buttons.
I walked out of my room and stood in front of Scootaloo’s door before knocking.
“Scootaloo?”
There was nothing but silence for a moment. “Yeah? What’dya want?”
Her voice was so indignant. She was mad. It didn’t help that I wasn’t in the best of moods today and every part of me was like a rubber band; stretched and waiting to snap.
“Listen, I know you’re mad...”
That’s an understatement and you know it. She trusted you. But hey, it just goes to show what happens when a pony trusts you... A knife in the back.
I leaned against the door and tried my best to ignore the Whisper. “But I’m new at this. I’ve never taken care of a kid before. Can you please just look at it through my eyes first? Before you condemn me as ‘the worst’?”
There was nothing, except the thick blanket of silence that seemed to start to smother me, with only the Whisper to make it worse.
Why are you even trying? She’s just—
“I... I don’t think you’re the worst. You just... You just don’t understand.”
Well, at least she’s talking to me again... But...
“Alright then. Why don’t you make me understand?”
The silence returned like a stalker in the night and my curiosity got the better of me. I opened the door just a crack and looked in, only to see her curled up in a ball, looking to the wall next to her bed. She took a deep breath and let out a sob.
“My mom, she’s... She’s gone. And I don’t think she’d like it if she was being made fun of when she can’t even stand up for herself. So what was I supposed to do?”
Now I could fully wrap my head around Scootaloo’s action. Cheerilee thought it was anger that drove her to punch out Rumble. She didn’t stop and think for a moment that maybe, she was trying to protect somepony who couldn’t defend themselves anymore.
You and her have a lot more in common than you thought. Better keep an eye on her, or you might just have some competition.
I kept trying to push the Whisper back down and opened the door all the way and locked eyes with Scootaloo. “I think your mother would be quite happy knowing she raised such a... noble child. But Cheerilee doesn’t think that kind of behavior is appropriate, despite your argument.” She nodded slowly, wiping away her tears. I stepped in, walking over to the crying little filly and sat down at the foot of her bed. “Now, I think we do have to have a conversation about the ‘appropriate’ response and the ‘accepted’ response when it comes to things like this. But I think you know that now, don’t you?”
Scootaloo nodded quickly and even managed a little smile before shifting around on the spot. “Yeah... So, umm... Does this mean I’m still grounded or...?”
I shook my head and actually laughed for a change. “No. I don’t see the point in making you stay in your room for something like this.”
Good. She’s fine. Now maybe I can leave here knowing she’s not going to do something stupid. I need to clear my head.
I got to my hooves and lingered in the doorway. “There’s that pizza still in the fridge. You do know how to use the toaster oven, right?”
“Y-yeah. Why?” she asked, perking up slightly. “What’s going on? What’s wrong?”
“I was going out for a little bit, for a walk, don’t worry. I was going to be gone for about an hour or so and I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be hungry.”
“Oh. Well, alright then...” She said as I started walking away, only to stop me mid-stride. “Why are you going for a walk, anyway?”
“Well, the sun was setting and I do enjoy a good moonlight stroll,” I said with a shrug. “Don’t worry, okay? Just try and relax for a bit. The radio is in the living room if you want to listen to that. Just not too loud, okay?”
A genuine smile graced her lips for a change. “Okay. See ya in a bit, Daymos.”
Aww, would you look at that? One big happy family... Wonder how long it will last.
I let out a heavy breath and made my way down the stairs and out the front door, Luna’s moon just starting to peek over the horizon and blanket the sky.
The Whisper was practically chewing on the back of my neck and all I could hope for was a good, long walk would help keep it quiet for a bit. Still, I knew what I was going to have to do sooner rather than later.
I have to kill somepony...
Now you’re talking.
**************************************************************
I went for a lot of walks when I was a kid, hoping that it would clear my head and make the Whisper go away. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.
And this night was starting to look it was going to fall under the latter.
For every pony I passed, for every face I looked into, a thousand different ways I could end their lives flashed before my eyes until I was on the outskirts of town and looking out onto the lake. To the passerby, I was admiring the lake as it shimmered in the moonlight, but in reality, I was having a silent conversation.
I’m probably going to have to go out of town for my next kill. I thought I’d be set for the next couple of months, but obviously, I was wrong. And there’s no way I’m risking another kill here.
Oh and why not? It’s not like anypony ever notices anything in this town. And even if they did...
A known felon is a bag of liquid in my basement, there’s been a suicide here, and it’s gotten the police all riled up. I’m not risking it. I’m just going to check my black book.
Oh come on... The book is BORING! No spontaneity, nothing special. Not like that banker you almost choked to death. Admit it. You had more fun with him then you’ve had in a long time.
...Yes, I’ll admit it. I had fun with it. I brought him down a notch or two. But it was also risky. He could have gone to the police at any time and he still could.
I let out a groan and dragged my front hooves down my face.
“Everything’s so complicated now, why are you back? Why... Why is that pony dragging a garbage bag down to the lake?”
The Whisper went quiet, just as curious as I was, even more so. It had a right to be. This pony was so out of place. They were wearing way too many layers of clothing, with one of them being what looked like a skin-tight black suit underneath their grey hooded sweatshirt. Whoever they were, they didn’t want to be seen.
Let’s go say hi.
I found myself getting to my hooves and walking towards them. Step by step, I kept feeling like it was a bad idea and that I should just sit by and watch. Still, it wouldn’t hurt just to go over and meet them. It would quickly get rid of the niggling feeling the Whisper was pushing on me.
“Well, good evening!” I called out to them, hoping to get their attention. “How are you toni—”
I barely got halfway through the sentence before they turned on a dime and bolted off, faster than any pony I’d ever seen, leaving their garbage bag behind. Not once did I get a look at their face. I didn’t even know if they were a stallion or mare.
As I watched them gallop towards town, I felt the Whisper almost hiss in my ear.
Look in the bag.
I turned to the garbage bag, the Whisper pushing me forwards and almost driving my actions. But it was just a silent witness, nothing more. I was looking in more for my own curiosity than anything.
I undid the knot and opened it up only for my eyes to go wide and a strangled laugh to pass my lips.
A body. A stallion’s body.
With a white mane, grey coat, and lifeless blue eyes looking into mine. And each part sectioned carefully, piece by piece. And without a drop of blood to be seen.
I knew exactly what it all meant.
It’s like Hearth’s Warming Eve early.
There was another killer in Ponyville. And this one was a professional.
If you leave the body, somepony will stick their nose where it doesn’t belong and get the police on this one’s trail. Unless you want to share, get rid of the body.
I looked around quickly, making sure I wasn’t being watched and started to tie the bag up again, only to stop. A hair out of place. One that didn’t belong to the victim. One that was a dull, faded red in the moonlight.
I wasn’t sure and I didn’t have all night to look. Nor did I want to touch it.
Not without protection, at least. I didn't know where this pony had been.
In a few tense moments, I had the bag near the water’s edge and fished up a few stones before unceremoniously dumping them into the bag, weighing it down enough to sink.
I learned the hard way early on why you have to put weights in a bag with a body. Not a mistake I was eager to repeat.
With everything ready, I tied the bag back up and gave it one good, hard toss. Enough to keep it hidden for quite a while, giving me all the time I needed.
All sorts of thoughts crossed my mind as I made my way back home. The supplies I’d need. The fact my blades needed sharpening. But there was something else. Something that excited me.
Something new... Something spontaneous. Something fun.
And from the corners of my mind, the Whisper laughed excitedly, knowing that this was going to be precisely what it wanted.
And I smiled.
Because I wanted it, too.
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I am So happy that you were able to continue
I know the trouble of exams and trouble when you want to write and such.
Now...
I have no bad Critique actually, so I would like to just say, you´re doing the right thing at the moment
I have no idea why but I keep expecting a comment on some pony's business card. Oh well. Really enjoying the story thus far and hope to enjoy it just as much in the future. Although it is kind of blatantly obvious who the other killer is Pinkie Pie unless of course it's just a ruse and secretly Cheerilee or maybe it's an even cleverer ruse of a ruse in that it's actually Pinkie Pie and Cheerilee
. No idea why I used the spoiler thingies but just in case I guess. Anyhow good luck on the story, not that you need it since you seem to be doing pretty well without it.
Awesome chapter!
THE KILLER IS PRINCESS CELESTIA. OBVIOUSLY.
Yay! This story is one of my favorites, and it finally updated! You do have a few errors, though, like this one:
Did you mean to put the as before worry? Also:
Maybe you should change this to something that flows a little better, like:
Just a couple suggestions. Otherwise, the story is pretty clean!
........what is with all the serial killer pony fics?
how can a creature become a serial killer when the most effort they need to subdue theri prey items is chewing them?................ unless the carrot is possessed and trying to throttle them, but that is a different circumstance.
This update is something I waited long for, keep up the nice work mate! This whole chapter was maaaaaaaaaadly awesome!
i
this story.
I HAS EVERYTHING I LIKE about murder
cant wait for more~
3631269
Mmhm. Inspired by Dexter. I've always been a fan more of the books than the show, but Micheal C Hall puts on a spectacular performance as my favorite serial killer.
3631453
I don't get your argument. A serial killer and a predator are two different things. Daymos, like many of the other unsightly killers behind the scenes have a psychological need to kill a la the Cherry Twins. But, everypony has their reason to kill. For money, for fame, for sexual thrills, for fun. You'll see as the story progresses :3
holy shit i forgot how great this story is
If Daymos keeps slipping up like this, someone's gonna catch him.
3632154 on the contrary, serial killing is preadtorial. perhaps not literally hunting for survival, but the nature of a serial killer is to satisfy themselves in some manner by ending the life of another. it is hard to imagine that there is no link between a killer's desire to end the life of others and the old impulses and isntincts we as omnivores, with admitable preference to meat, have. in the end a serial killer is far to like a predator, but worse. predators are trying to live, they are trying to detroy.
I feel like I'd have enjoyed this much more if it had similar characters but wasn't a pony fic. There's just too much reference to conveniences and forces of the actual world (law enforcement, police cars, lawsuit) for me to get immersed. It's by no means a bad story, though. It's pretty good, it flows well and you've been building it up extremely well too, so that things seem to get more exciting with each passing chapter. Keep up the good work!
sooo.... Pinkie and Daymos fall in love and murder ponies together?
Sigh* I've missed killer fics. good ones are to few and far between. looking forward to whatever comes next.
3635677 If you're looking for a good read, read "The Secret Life of Rarity" by BronyWriter. It also has a sequel, "The Public Life of Sweetie Belle", which in turn has its own sequel "Broken Blossom". Broken Blossom has a spin-off fic called "The Word is Fear".
Red hair?
...
And so Daymos hunts for Pinkie while she flirts with him. I want more.
3638167 Hey thanks for the suggestions!
I think I've seen these before but didn't give them much attention for whatever reason. You sir/madam deserve a ribbon for absolutely crushing my chance at a productive week.
3639818 Be warned: these stories are longer than the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Red hair......? Could it be ......
...? Oops spoilers....
I am so happy this has updated.
ADD MORE PLEASE!
This is a really good story!
Sweet! It's been awhile since I read a good Serial Killer Pony story!
More, I demand it
Yes, this pleases me.
Continue.
I may be really slow to to this but this story remind me so much of the HBO series of Dexter.
4183477 I think its based off that.
That shit broke my heart.
8506439
you are supposed to slap that SOB so frickn hard their balls fall off.