The Tome of Faust

by DungeonMiner

Chapter 21

Ghost had to go to a party.

The set up was beautiful. Oracle had been collecting contracts over the past month, and by a method that Ghost still could not divine, he had spun a rumor for all of them to hear. Rumor of a manor sitting proudly on its stoic perch filled with fabulous treasures.

The story went that it was some unicorn noble’s summer home, and having no heirs, and aware that his title may not mean much in the coming decades, offered the land, manor, and fortune to anyone who could solve his little treasure hunt.

It was just wild enough for an old eccentric noble that no one questioned it's validity for a moment.

The details of the treasure itself didn't matter. Old World gold, spells, artefacts, whatever it needed to be to inspire greed in the targets, all that did matter was that they net was cast, now they just had to pull in the catch.

Ghost’s job was simple, kill them all. It shouldn't be too hard, given how maybe two of them were experienced enough to be an actually challenge in a fight, and the rest were nobles who probably couldn't tell which end of the sword was the pointy end without a few moments of study.

Still, despite the ease of dealing with untrained civilians, Demon advised him against simply drawing his knives, and ending them. “While I have trained you for this, it is important to make sure your other talents are not left to waste away. Go, test your prowess of deception and discretion. It will do you good, I think.”

So, with a short visit from Ghoul to get a Cutie Mark, and a quick choice of wardrobe, he, under the guise of Penny Pincher, made his way to the Onyx estate, ready to spill the blood of seven different ponies.

Penny Pincher stepped out of his carriage and adjusted his vest. Once adjusted, he took a moment to look up at the estate. The tall, Unicornian building had three stories, with two, tall, circular towers built into its face. Capped with spire-like roofs with blue tiles that were slowly fading to black.

The entire building was made of dark stone, and built in the classic style that unicorns love so dearly loved, with one exception. The windows were tiny, no wider than a hoof and a half.

The whole house was, of course, a lie. Though it's apparent age, the house was actually no older than ten years old. The whole thing had been built by Oracle as a safehouse and a deathtrap, both.

And tonight, it would be Ghost's canvas, to work his art of death.

Penny Pincher tossed a copper bit at his coachmare. “Thank you, dear, you’ve done marvelous.”

The coachmare growled at him, before hissing in a voice that no spell could ever disguise as anyone other than Wraith’s. “Be careful, sir,” she said, glaring at him from beneath her hood. “That kind of talk may not be appreciated here.”

“Now, now, my dear,” Penny Pincher said. “It does not do to have a servant correct her master. If we were equals, then perhaps I would listen,” he said, before offering the mare a sympathetic look.

Wraith growled, and began pulling the coach away, leaving Penny Pincher, the manor, and the “butler” alone.

The pegasus smiled as he approached, “and finally, we have the last guest. The others are waiting for you, you know?”

The noble guest gave the butler, who was certainly not Phantom a nod. “Do forgive me, I was getting things ready elsewhere.”

“Well, you best not keep them waiting much longer,” he said with a smile. “They're about ready to tear each other apart.”

“Are they now? Might make my job easier.”

Phantom smiled, and handed Penny Pincher the key. “Have fun.”

Penny Pincher smiled, and stepped inside, and the door locked shut behind him. The moment he did, he was almost immediately beset by an older mare. “Oh, you’ve finally arrived! I was wondering when you’d get here. I was worried you know, I feared the others would have already began searching the house without you if I hadn’t stepped in.”

The unicorn mare’s overpowering perfume and heavily powdered face was nearly enough to repulse Penny to the back of the room. As it was, it took every ounce of control to keep his ground and resist retreating from her. “Um...thank you, dear...I can’t possibly express my relief to know that someone here is acting in a truly generous manner.”

“Oh,” the mare cried, giggling to herself as if she were twenty, while being at least twice as much and fourteen wrinkles too late. “It’s nothing, honestly, I’m just trying to be as civil as possible. We can’t act like those two ruffians that came in earlier.”

“Ruffians?” Penny asked.

“Oh, quite,” the mare said, eager to gossip in his ear. “Three of them. Two earth ponies, and a pegasus. The earth ponies are common farmers at best, peasant workhorses. Or at least one of them is, the other seems like a lousy drunk, by all accounts. Then there’s the pegasus, and he—”

“Now, now, now, my dear,” Penny Pincher said. “Let’s not stoop to their level, we must do things the proper way.”

“Oh, of course, how foolish of me, I do hope you can forgive a young woman of her flightful mind, I’m simply so flustered by the atmosphere of this place that I’ve gone and forgotten to introduce myself,” she said, before she collected herself and holding out her hoof. “My name is Lady Cobalt Pitch, and I’m here to, well, you know what I’m here for, same reason as you. What about you, what’s your name?”

“Pincher, Penny Pincher, representing the late Onyx’s long-lost nephew,” shaking her hoof, and introducing himself. “Of course, between you and me, I’m pretty sure there’s no relation.”

“Ooh, what a scandal,” Lady Cobalt said, smiling to herself. “It reminds me of somepony else here, I’ve heard that—”

Penny nodded, pretending to listen along before he spotted a well dressed pegasus working his way down the hall. That had to be the Major’s son, Notched Blade.

The pegasus, dressed in formal military uniform, glanced about bored, glazing over the walls and picking through the bookshelves. He checked the back of tapestries, pushed against the walls, and was obviously checking for a treasure that he didn’t really care to find.

Or, at least, he wanted everypony to believe he didn't care to find it.

“Miss Cobalt,” he said suddenly, interrupting her long string of gossip, “do forgive me, but I’m afraid the longer we spend speaking in one place, the longer everypony else has to find the treasure.”

She blinked for a second, before offering a nervous smile. “I suppose you're right. It would seem silly to stay here and talk as the winner wheels out the treasure from underneath us, wouldn't it?”

“Oh, indeed,” Penny agreed. “Besides which, we may be at a disadvantage already. Why, I’m sure some of these ponies would be willing to tear the whole house apart to find the treasure.”

“No? You think so?” She asked.

“Oh, you know the lower class,” Penny said in a conspiratorial whisper, “some of them are willing to do anything for money.”

Cobalt sighed. “You're sadly too right, Mr. Penny.”

“Please, call me Pinch,” he said.

“Of course, Mr. Pinch,” she said, before finally taking her leave.

As she walked away, Penny turned to Notched Blade and sighed. “Honestly, I almost thought she wouldn’t let me go.”

Notched looked up from his search and smirked. “Isn’t that the truth? She pounced on me when I first came in, too.”

Penny nodded. “It wouldn't be so bad if what she was doing wasn't so obvious.”

Notched furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, she’s only acting friendly in case she doesn't find the treasure. She's hoping that whoever finds it will share with her.”

Notched raised an eyebrow. “You really think so?”

“Sir, as a banker, I know so.”

“Huh…” the pegasus said, before descending to the floor. “You seem rather knowledgeable about the nature of ponies Mr….?” He asked holding out his hoof.

“Oh, Pincher. Penny Pincher, but please, call me Pinch.”

“Mr. Pinch,” Notched repeated. “I have to say, my father always told me that a stallion that knows how to read ponies is worth more than all of Hurricane’s Hundred.”

“That’s some very high praise,” Penny said.

“I agree, and I think you’ve earned it. Now, tell me, what brings you here?”

“Oh, well I’ve been hired to represent Lord Onyx’s ‘long-lost’ nephew. Of course, he doesn’t seem terribly interested, otherwise he’d be here. Nonetheless, he couldn’t let this opportunity pass him by without sending someone, so here I am.”

“Fascinating,” Notched said. “I do believe we are going to be good friends.”

“Well, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves,” Penny said. “We are still in competition, even if it is friendly.”

“And that’s better than most of these other ponies,” Notched said. “I’ll tell you what, you go talk to the other six ponies, and if you report back to me, I’ll tell you where I’ve already looked for the treasure.”

“Of course, I...wait...six other ponies? Are you counting Miss Cobalt?”

“No, beside her, you, and me, there’s another six ponies.”

Penny blinked. “Odd. I thought there was only supposed to be eight ponies here tonight, not nine. I must have been mistaken. Anyway, I will get right on it.”

Notched nodded, and returned to his search, while Penny stepped away, trying to hide the confused panic that was rising in the back of his head. Why is there another target? How did he get here? Why is he here?

Another part of him, the professional part, said it didn't matter. The pony had to die now, not that it mattered. Whoever he was, he deserved death as much ass the rest of them. He was going to die, and he himself, Ghost and the mask of Penny Pincher, would deliver the killing blow and final judgement.

So it was fated.

As he thought this, he soon stumbled upon a large earth pony stallion. His massive, amber-colored bulk sat at table and kicked back a tankard filled with a liquid that matched his fur. “Well, well, if it isn't the final guest! We were starting to wonder if you’d ever show up.”

“Well forgive me,” Penny Pincher said, “but I’m not terribly excited to find a treasure of which I will only get a fraction.”

“Hm? You have children to pay for too?” He asked before laughing and emptying his tankard.

Penny smirked, before sitting. “Not quite, but I may have to join you for the headache I’m getting.”

“Then sit down, and grab a mug!” the earth pony cried. “Let’s drink to a treasure that’s going to be stolen from us!”

Penny Pincher did, and he had a couple of drinks as he listened to the stallion ramble on, before planting the seeds he needed to sow.

For next few hours, Penny Pincher made friends with all seven of his targets, learning enough about their histories and their secrets to push them where he wanted them to go.

Tangy Hops, the earth pony he was drinking with, had once had a fling with a barmaid that he felt honor-bound to pay for, but his real family had died years ago during a pegasus raid on his village in Earthonia. He kept thinking about joining the barmaid and trying again, but the ghost of his daughter’s face was just too much for him.

Stoneheart was the other earth pony that Cobalt had mentioned, and he was almost larger than Hops. Having once been a soldier in the employ of one of the Earthonian landowners, he had since become a mercenary, and traveled the world to spill blood for money. Over the years he soon tired of the bloodshed, and he’s here now to earn enough to retire without picking up his axe again.

Sweet Pea was the last earth pony in attendance. She was the daughter of a new earth pony landowner in Fillydelphia, and her father was now very rich. Or, he would have been if he wasn’t on his deathbed. While the father had done his best to split the fortune evenly between her and her brother Snow Pea. Snow Pea was actively working to get excluded from the will by questioning her father’s mental health. This was her last chance to get the money to save her inheritance.

Topaz Glow was a respectable unicorn, though his ideas always seemed far-fetched to the average pony. He had an idea for a flying ship that would use several passengers to pedal like a bicycle for altitude. No one would buy into it, so he was here to try and fund his own work so that he could make travel between Pegasopolis and Equestria easier, as well as hint to them that an attack would lead to a counter-offensive invasion against the clouds, something never before done in all the history of Pegasopolis.

Cobalt, of course, was there because her family was going bankrupt. What was once a proud, Unicornian family fell on hard times when Equestria’s own market for magical items began to compete with theirs. Soon after they made the critical and dangerous decision to abandon Unicornia in favor of the new world, but they only fell on harder times. Unable to buy the land they needed, they were now slowly wasting away on what little fortune they still had.

Notched Blade was a slightly more interesting case. He did not have the military fortitude to take up sword and shield in the defense of his family and country that his father had, and the old general was looking at perhaps disowning his child unless he did something with his life. Notched knew he couldn't actually impress his father, so he was here to earn enough money in a single blow to keep him taken care of for a long time. Of course, after spending some time in the house, he would settle for walking out with Sweet Pea on his arm.

Spring Breeze was the last one of Ghost's original targets. A quiet, shy girl that Penny quickly wrapped around his hoof. Poor girl was bored more than anything, and came here to have something to do rather than sit in her room and read the same book for the hundredth time. She knew nothing of the struggle of her ancestors, much less that of the common pony that did his best not to freeze to death in the cold winter nights.

Penny managed to befriend and gain the trust all these ponies, and truly, his weeks of practice from Ghoul on how to talk and respond and read ponies was finally paying off. Each and every one of them had a shadow of a doubt in the back of their mind, each one subconsciously worried about the others. With a few words, Ghost had nearly gotten them to reach for each other's throats.

And then there was the last one.

The pegasus that shouldn’t be there, Windswept.

He was the only one that Penny Pincher hadn’t yet approached, and the only one he didn’t know.

Windswept presented a challenge. He quickly realized that the other ponies were almost easy to manipulate because he knew what their motives and desires were. He knew nothing about Windswept. He supposed this was a good lesson about how knowing your enemy was vital in his position, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure he was quite ready to deal with an unknown variable like this.

Still, he was in this house, so he had to die.

Walking up to the naked pegasus, Penny Pincher quickly spoke up. “Um, excuse me, you there.”

Windswept looked up at him. “Sir?”

“Yes, hello, my name is Penny Pincher, and you?”

“Oh, I’m Windswept sir,” the pegasus replied, dropping to the ground to speak with Penny Pincher face to face.

And indeed it was face to face. Penny was a small stallion, used to looking up at ponies, but Windswept met him at eye-level, with only a quarter of an inch difference between them.

“Windswept, it’s a pleasure,” Penny said. “I...I have to admit I’m curious about you. Something tells me you are different than the others.”

Windswept winced. “Well, I...uh...I admit that I imagine I stand out a bit by not wearing any fancy clothes, but it’s what I have, sir.”

“It’s what you have?”

“Yes, sir. I don’t have money like the rest of you do, sir. In fact, I spent my last coppers just trying to get here.”

A pit was starting to form in Ghost’s stomach.

“The last you had?”

“Yes, sir. I heard about what was going on here, and I had to come. I don’t have a job, y’see, and Celestia knows I’ve tried to get one all my life.”

“You don’t have a job?”

“No sir, I’m too old now for an apprenticeship. Hardly anyone would look at me, much less give me a job, sir.”

“What about the taverns, or the mines?”

“An accident from my youth left my left hoof is numb, sir, I feel nothing in it. I can’t hold a pick right, and I can’t hold drinks right. I don’t have many options beyond that, sir.”

Penny nodded along, feeling slightly ill.

“So I’m here to get enough to start a shop. The rest I’d give to the others, but I just need enough to get going.”

Penny nodded. “Sounds like you’re a fine stallion, Mr. Windswept.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Best of luck to you,” Penny Pincher said as he turned and walked away.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

Dinner was called. Spring Breeze had taken it upon herself to call the hour, and she personally invited everyone else down to enjoy the meal together.

The butler had had quite the spread prepared for the nine guests. Fresh, cut carrots and candied apples sat beside fruit salads and fresh bread. Salads mixed with raspberries and walnuts sat in individual bowls, while a spread of hay and grass with a creamy dipping sauce dominated the middle of the table. Heavy, baked potatoes, drizzled with olive oil and Sea salt sent up a delicious, if somewhat greasy scent, but they were mouth-watering nonetheless. Radishes and parsley offered a garnish, while cucumber sandwiches and cheeses were close to the edges, ready to be eaten.

It was enough to convince the others to take Spring Breeze up on her offer. As they sat down together, the Earth ponies asked for a blessing from Peme, the pegasi from Ventus, and the unicorns from Celestia.

Penny followed along, best he could.

Then, with grace finished, they began to eat. Sandwiches and cheeses were eaten first, before the salad and potatoes.

Plates were passed around, and then everyone noticed that there wasn't any wine to go with the meal.

“Does anypony see the wine?” Penny asked.

A mumble of the negative came back to him.

“I saw some of the nicer dinner wines back in the kitchen,” Hops said.

“I’ll get it,” Topaz said, standing up.

A few moments passed before the unicorn engineer returned. “I must say that our host certainly had good taste,” he said, reading the bottle he had picked as he returned. “This is an Earthonian wine, from the Ash Valley Vineyard.”

The earth ponies whistled.

“Is that so?” Penny said. “That is a fine wine indeed.”

Topaz smiled, before uncorking it, letting the smell of grapes fill the room.

“Marvelous,” Cobalt sighed.

“Windswept,” Penny said, getting the attention of the beggar and the table, “have you ever had a wine so rich before?”

“Um...no, sir,” he answered.

“Would you like to try it?” Penny asked.

“I...I wouldn't mind, sir.”

Penny smiled. “Pour the stallion a glass, Topaz. He’ll be our cupbearer tonight.”

The other ponies laughed, before Topaz poured Windswept a cup of the dark red wine. Windswept smiled, before he drank his wine, letting it flow over his tongue. He set his glass down with a smile, and Penny Pincher did the same. “Well, Windswept? Does it taste like poison?” he joked.

Windswept smiled, opened his mouth, and fell over.

At first, Hops thought it was a joke and laughed, while the others were too shocked to speak. Penny moved first, running around the table as fast as he could. “Windswept? Windswept!” he rushed to the beggar’s side, and rolled him on his back, revealing foam in his mouth, and his eyes glazed over. “Windswept!” Penny called. “Someone do something! Quickly!”

Finally the others moved, Topaz rushed up beside him, and began casting spells of the healing variety. Stoneheart rushed in, opening a bag that he kept at his side as he prepared a triage.

The beggar convulsed once, twice, and then he was done. He was dead.

The eight other guests stared at him for a moment, a single moment, before the entire room blew up. “You killed him!”

“He’s been poisoned!”

“Oh, my Celestia, save me!”

“You killed him!”

“Alright! Calm down! Everypony, calm down!” Stoneheart yelled. “Calm! Down!”

The ponies slowly went silent as the soldier took command. “Listen, we have a murderer among us.”

“And it’s that pony,” Cobalt swore, pointing directly at Penny Pincher, who seemed aghast as her true nature came to light. “He’s the one who suggested the beggar drink the wine.”

“Are you crazy?” Notched yelled, before pointing at Topaz. “He’s the one that brought the wine bottle.”

“The truth is,” Stoneheart nearly yelled, forcing himself to be heard. “The truth is we have no idea who poisoned the bottle. Anyone of us could have done it between here and now. We’re all suspects. That’s the truth of the matter. So, here’s what’s going to happen. We’re going to split up, everyone with a partner. Pick somebody now.”

Penny quickly slid up to Notched Blade, while the others did the same.

Once everyone, including Stoneheart, had a partner, he spoke again. “Alright, now, everyone take a room. I and my partner,” he said, motioning to Hops, “will begin rounds to check on everyone. If we do this right, we’ll find the murderer before anyone else has to die.”

They quickly spread out, each pair finding a room while Stoneheart and Hops stayed behind.

“Did you see how fast she tried to blame you?” Notched said.

“Cobalt? Yes. It surprised me honestly. I knew she was trying her best to pretend to be friends when we first arrived, but that was more viscous than I thought possible from her.”

“It’s the nature of ponies,” Notched said, “and quite possibly the nature of a murderer.”

“Her, a murderer?” he asked. “That seems...well...I can’t say unlikely, but—”

“Pinch, listen. She jumped on you. She laid blame down so fast that I didn't have time to think. She was after you, and if that’s not suspicious, then I don’t know what is.”

“You think she’s out to get me?”

“I think she’s out to get all of us,” Notched said. “If she’s willing to kill one of us, she’s willing to kill all of us.”

“So what do we do? Tell Stoneheart?”

“That won’t work,” Notched said. “Everypony will be telling Stoneheart that everypony is guilty. No, the only way to deal with Cobalt is to kill her first.”

“But what it isn’t her?” Penny asked. “What if she wants just nervous, or jumpy?”

“Can we afford to wait and be sure?” Notched asked.

“Can we afford to be wrong?” Penny asked back.

This caused the pegasus to hesitate for a second. “I...I don't…”

“Besides, didn't you blame Topaz at first?” Penny asked.

“It was my first thought,” Notched admitted, “but when Stoneheart mentioned the fact that it could take been anyone, I…”

“Gut feelings are hardly ever wrong,” Penny warned.

Notched bit his lip. “I…” he began.

“Look, how about this, how about, after Stoneheart passes by, we go and watch them. I’ll take Topaz, you watch Cobalt, and we report back on what we saw.”

“But how do we spy on them without appearing guilty ourselves?” Notched asked.

Penny opened his mouth, ready to answer, before hesitating. “That...that is difficult,” he admitted, before he began to pace around the room.

Notched watched him move, trying to suppress his own nervous energy.

Penny kept pacing around the small room that they were inhabiting for the duration, before a knock sounded on the door. Without waiting for an answer, the door opened, and revealed both Hops and Stoneheart. “Well, neither of you are dead yet,” Stoneheart said, carrying the axe he had set aside when he first came in. “Alright, up against the wall, both of you. The faster you comply, the less I have to shame either of you.”

Penny obeyed without a moment’s hesitation, and Notched soon followed after.

“Hops,” Stoneheart said, “check the pegasus’ hooves. Let me know if you see any blood, or any stains.”

“You’re checking for stains?” Penny asked Stoneheart as he approached the small unicorn. “You think the poison stained his hooves?”

“No,” Stoneheart whispered, “but it’s the best I have at the moment, so it’s what I’m going with.”

After a few moments of checking the pair’s hooves, Stoneheart nodded. “Do both of you feel safe with each other?” he asked.

They both nodded.

“Good,” he nodded. “We’ll be back around later.”

As they both left the room, Penny sighed. “I don’t know how we’re going to do it, Notched,” he said finally. “I have no idea how we’re going to spy on the others without getting into trouble.”

Notched sighed. “We may just have to trust Stoneheart to find the murderer.”

Penny sighed, and leaned against a wall.

And it, in turned opened.

Penny fell backwards into a dark tunnel, and Notched watched, wide-eyed as he suddenly “discovered” the secret passages that ran through the mansion.

Stoneheart was coming back from Cobalt and Sweet Pea, and frowned.

“So we still don't know who’s the killer,” Hops sighed.

“No, but at least he hasn't made another move.” Stoneheart muttered.

They walked back slowly, toward Spring Breeze and Topaz, with the soldier muttering to himself.

Neither of them were ready for what they saw when they opened the door.

Spring Breeze was lying dead, blood pooling out from her slit throat. Her glazed eyes stared up at the ceiling, and, perhaps most damning of all, Topaz was nowhere to be seen.

Stoneheart cursed, and ran back to Cobalt. “Check on the other two! Make sure they’re safe!” he yelled back to Hops, who stared at the body of the young mare for a moment longer.

Penny and Notched, escorted by Hops, were soon returned to the dining room, where Windswept still lay.

Stoneheart, Cobalt, and Sweet Pea were waiting for them, unsure as to how to proceed.

“We know who the murderer is,” Stoneheart said, getting everyone’s attention. “It's Topaz, but we don't know where he is.”

“What do you mean we don't know where he is?” Cobalt asked.

“Exactly that,” Stoneheart answered. “He killed Spring then disappeared.”

“How did he disappear?” The unicorn lady growled.

“We don't know,” Stoneheart muttered.

“Well aren’t you useful?” Cobalt yelled.

“There’s no need for that,” Penny Pincher said.

“No need for that?” She asked with a snort. “We are trapped here with a murderer, and not only has our great protector lost him, but he hasn't gotten us out yet.”

“I can't,” Stoneheart growled.

“What do you mean you can't?” Cobalt barked. “You have a massive axe, what's stopping you from smashing the door to pieces.”

“I can't! The door is steel covered in wood. I know, I tried. I can beat the door all day and only blunt my axe for the trouble.”

“Well, what about the windows?” She asked.

“If you can fit through that window, you are welcome to,” he told her, motioning to the little-more-than-hoof-wide windows.

She looked around, from the window to the door and cursed. “Who builds a house like this!” She roared, before walking away.

“Cobalt!” Stoneheart yelled out after her.

“I’ll get her,” Penny said, before chasing after the mare, disappearing around the corner.

And then there was a scream.

“Stay here!” Stoneheart said, before he rushed around the corner. As he careened around the corner, his eyes fell on the bodies of both Cobalt and Penny.

He gasped in horror, dropping his axe to pick up the still warm body of—

Wait, Penny wasn't dead.

And that was Stoneheart’s last thought before a knife dug into his throat.

And then there were three.

With Hops, Notched, and Sweet Pea all that was left after Penny and the other deaths, the general’s son took command. He led them back to the room where he and Penny were first sent to, with the entrance to the secret crawlspace hidden in the mansion.

“This has to be how he’s moving,” Notched said. “It's the only way he can get through and stay hidden.”

Hops, who was carrying Stoneheart’s axe nodded. “Makes sense.”

“Sweet Pea, stay here,” Notched said. “It's to dangerous to take you through the tunnels, and while it's also dangerous to leave you out here, your chances of seeing him come at you through the tunnels is better than ours, alright?”

She nodded, nervously.

“Alright, Hops, you’re with me, we’re going to end this.”

With that final, defiant proclamation, they dove into the tunnels, leaving Sweet Pea alone.

She was all but offered on a silver platter.

Notched lead the way, into the normally cramped tunnels, with a living wall behind him. Hops, the poor stallion, had to squeeze into the tunnel, to the point where he couldn't turn around.

Still, they pushed their way forward, deeper into the house to try and find Topaz, the murderer.

“You sure he’s in here?” Hops muttered.

“He has to be. There’s nowhere else for him to be.”

Notched led him in deeper, deeper, into the tunnels, searching for any signs of the treacherous murderer. The unicorn would answer for this, he would answer for the deaths of Stoneheart and Pinch, and the others. This crime could not go unpunished. Even if Topaz died this day, Notched swore that he would do everything he could to dishonor the unicorn's name for all eternity and—

And there lay Topaz, stuffed into the tunnels with the wound in his heart seeping blood.

He was already dead.

“What?” He managed to say, catching the attention of the earth pony behind him. “That's...this is impossible, there's no way—”

And that was as far as he got before an axe blade tore him in two.

As Notched hit the floor of the tunnel, the large figure of Hops behind him spoke up. “Sorry Notched, but either it was you, me, or the girl, and I don't have the guts to kill her. So here's to hoping it was you.”

“Not quite, Hops, ol’ buddy,” Penny said before driving his knife into his back.

As Ghost walked back into house proper, he would admit that he was slightly disappointed with himself. He wouldn't have been able to pull it off if it weren't for his previous knowledge of the house and it's secrets.

As he walked out of the kitchen, with an uncorked, unpoisoned, bottle of wine, he sat down in the dining room, and poured himself a glass.

Windswept’s dead eyes stared up at him.

“It's nothing personal, Windswept,” Ghost said as he drank deep of his glass. “In fact, your death in particular was a true tragedy of business.”

Windswept said nothing.

“I know. It still doesn't make it fair.”

Comments

[TheCommunistDog]

Hmm you know im beginning to hope that mouse will die…