Tales from the Rift

by Fonzie

We Ain't Got No Body

Normally on a calm, orderly night, you would go do things like throwing parties, have a night on the town, or bring home a pretty mare for a quick... study session.

But this wasn't the case for a particular griffon who was frantically packing his things into his suitcase, mainly some cash and his fancy electronics, he didn't care if anything was broken, or if he forgot a few things, he just had to get away before he gets here.

Once he was sure he has everything, the griffon rushed for the door, when it suddenly burst open, and there stood the figure he was dreading to see. Odd thing about the figure, his torso seemed to be fine, but his face and limbs seemed to have been rotting away.

"H-Henry!!" The griffon said, recognizing the figure as his brother, "It can't be! You're supposed to be dead." Desperately, he reached for a pistol that happened to be on a nearby table."

"go ahead Norton." Henry said, "Shoot me, it won't do you any good." He was suddenly interrupted by Norton firing his gun multiple times in his chest... but he was still standing, "Okay, that was both rude and stupid, you're helpless now."

"Henry please don't do this." Norton cried desperately, putting his claws together and in a pleading position, "It was their idea I swear, have mercy on me please!"

"And just why should I give you mercy. You, Charlie, Sid, and Jesse didn't show me mercy that night on the train." Henry said as both griffons thoughts went back to that fateful day...

---

"I remember it quite well Norton, the five of us were on our way to Canterlot by train to do some shopping, which is where you planned to do what you've done."

In one of the train cars, a griffon, a dragon, a cat, and a pony were chatting away about something that seemed important to them, with the cat having a curious look, "Are you sure Henry named you as his benefactor Norton?"

"I'm positive Jesse." Norton said, "there's enough money to divide between the four of us, now listen closely..."

A few minutes later, Henry walked into the car, only to bump into the gang, "Hey, what's going on guys?"

"Oh, we thought we'd go back to the club car and play a little game of Uno, you in?" Norton said, hiding their intentions.

"Sure let's go."

They had just made their way between the cars, when Henry was grabbed by the other four, with Jesse and Sid on one side of him, pinning his talons to his side and his wings to his back, and Norton and Charlie on the other.

"Hey what's going-" Before he knew it, he was thrown between the cars and onto the tracks, where he felt the sharp, fast moving wheels cutting him.

Meanwhile, Norton pulled the emergency cord, forcing the train to stop, and the conductor to make his way to the boys, "what's going on here?"

"It's my brother, he fell between the cars!" Norton said going into his act, just hoping they'd buy it.

And sure enough, they did, the conductor and two others searched the tracks for Henry, and they found what was left of him. "Do you think he's dead?" One of the helpers asked.

"He should be." The conductor said, "after all, no creature can survive getting their heads and limbs severed from them, now come on, we've got get to the station, the princess is expecting one of the passengers."

"And that was that, you collected the insurance and the money I left you as a beneficiary, of course a week later, that was when all your troubles began.

The royal guard stood outside of a shattered window of a Macy's department store, with police tape and bewildered looks on their faces.

"I don't understand it." One guard said, looking at the head, and limbs of a department store mannequin, "They could've just taken the money and run, but instead they took the body of a mannequin."

"Of course, it wasn't long before our friends were being murdered, with sid being the first."

Just like the department store robbery, there was yellow tape and guards, but instead of a store, there was a body of a pony... missing its head and limbs.

"I don't understand." One guard said, "who would do a thing like this?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling this'll be the start of something.," Shining armor said.

"That guard was right, I had to wait a few days because of the increase in patrols, and when they did die down, I went for Jesse next."

"Dismembered, just like the last one." Said Shining, staring down at Jesse's body, "There must be a maniac on the loose, tell all guards too keep an out for anything suspicious, and tell every creature to be on high alert."

"But that proved to be no help either, because a few days later, Charlie was the next victim, and judging by the suitcase he had, he was planning on hiding until all this blows over."

"Another one." Shining said, "who ever's doing this must be very strong, tough, and crazy to this to a dragon."

---

"So you see Norton, we stole that mannequin." Henry said to Norton, who was now backed up against the corner, "my head, front claws, and back paws stole it so we could get around without suspicion, and so we could do what we had to do."

Later, the warm, silent night was shattered by agonizing screams coming from the penthouse suite, and when the guards arrived, they found Norton obviously like the others... but this time, there was an open window, and the thought to be lost body of a mannequin.

Meanwhile, miles away from the scene, an odd group consisting of four limbs and a head, made their through the cemetery, with the head looking around, as if it was searching for something. Suddenly they stopped at the site they've been longing to see...

Here lies

Henry boddy
R.I.P

The claws were already digging away at the ground before the tombstone, until they reached the coffin. Then they smashed a hole in it and the claws and head went inside.

The front claws reconnected with the shoulders and crossed each other in the usual funeral fashion, while the back paws reconnected with the hip joint, and the head reconnected with the neck, finally closed its eyes, and a satisfied smile grew on its beak.