LOTM: Witnesses of Sleepy Hollow - Conspiracy

THE NIGHT IS DARK AND FULL OF TERRORS...

...BUT THERE IS DAWN AFTER DARKNESS.

AFTER A SAD AND BARREN WINTER...

...THERE WILL BE ANOTHER HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS SPRING.

CIS Productions presents

A storyline by Officer Candy Apple

Based on Sleepy Hollow, Once Upon A Time & Neverwinter Online

Based upon "Legends of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving

Based upon Neverwinter novels by R. A. Salvatore

From Officer Candy Apple

The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming in mid September.

Any readers who read this,

no matter who you are, what your nationality is,

or whether you celebrate this Moon Festival,

I sincerely wish you and your family could be happy.

Summary

Lady Van Tassel started her plan which took her seven years of preparations, just as the Revolutionary War entered its final phase. Ichabod met the Horseman of Death for the very first time while doing an investigation of a serial murders pinned on the Horseman himself.

Opening theme

Gods & Monsters - sings by Jessica Lange (from American Horror Story: Freak Show)

In the land of Gods and Monsters
I was an Angel
Living in the garden of evil
Screwed up, scared, doing anything that I needed
Shining like a fiery beacon

You got that medicine I need
Fame, Liquor, Love give it to me slowly
Put your hands on my waist, do it softly
Me and God, we don't get along so now I sing

No one's gonna take my soul away
I'm living like Jim Morrison
Headed towards a messed up holiday
Motel sprees sprees and I'm singing
Oh yeah give it to me this is heaven, what I truly want
It's innocence lost
Innocence lost

[...]

Act 1

Fredericks Manor

It was a nice and warm summer morning. Ichabod and Katrina had visited the Fredericks Manor and its host. At the height of the war, this place was a place of hope, a force of good. Ichabod and Katrina, hand in hand, walked down the carriage and headed towards the house. They waited in the hall not for long until the time when they finally meet their host, Lachlan Fredericks, with his matron. Lachlan was charming, warm, intelligent... everything Washington said he would be.

• Lachlan: Mister and Mrs. Crane, pleasure to meet you. I am your admirer. (bowed to Crane couple and they bowed back) Please allow me to introduce my matron. (The matron bowed to Cranes as well)
• Katrina: (to the matron) Mrs. Grace Dixon, your reputation for helping those in need precedes you.

In retrospect, the house of Lachlan and his households was also a refugee for poor, and Ichabod suspected that it was very possible that Fredericks Manor was a sanctuary to protect outdoor supernatural threats. That was because Ichabod noticed that Lachlan had secretly opened the curtain not far behind him.

From the window, Lachlan had observed the backyard of his house which was shrouded in shades and looked grim. A dead tree which looked humanoid was lying on the backyard. As Ichabod and Katrina did not notice them (as they thought), Lachlan and Grace started to discuss things about demons.

As the meeting went on, a strange black crow squawked with terror and it flew into the sky fast as an arrow. The crow flew itself to a somehow dark and cloudy hill, where its master was hiding and sitting there, waiting for the news.

After hearing the crow "spoke" to her, Lady Van Tassel was dismayed.

• Lady Van Tassel: No, how could this be? The host of Fredericks Manor is planning against us? No, it can't be! I have been ignoring him for too long! Now, if he is still there, I shall never raise my own plan. I should do something other than unleashing the Weeping Lady, since that was not the right time. (began wandering in the woods) Wait, I have a plan, though it could take long. I shall prepare it for years, but during this time I must not do nothing whatsoever.

All of a sudden, a wicked plan had come to Lady Van Tassel's mind and a evil smile had surfaced on her face. She wasted no time to summon the Horseman of Death for their next move.

Van Tassel Estate

After returning to Van Tassel Estate, Ichabod and Katrina had discovered people were preparing for coffins and gravestones with shock. He found Balthus and ultimately knew about the recent murders he was unwary for recent days. Three more victims were discovered, and they were all beheaded. After that, Ichabod started to put the pieces together of the recent murders by the information people presented to him. Knapp and Balthus' friend, Notary Hardenbrook, were there as well.

• Ichabod: So... three persons murdered after the break of war. First, Peter Van Garrett and his son, Dirk Van Garrett. Both of them strong, capable men, found together... decapitated. One week later, the widow Winship. Also decapitated. Now, I will need to ask you many questions. But first, let me ask: Is anyone suspected?
• Balthus: How much have your superiors explained to you, Ichabod?
• Ichabod: Only that the three were slain in open ground. Their heads found severed from their bodies.
• Knapp: Their heads were not found severed. Their heads were not found at all.
• Ichabod: The heads are... gone?
• Notary Hardenbrook: Taken. Taken by the Hessian Horseman. Taken back to hell.
• Ichabod: [confused] Pardon, I...I don't...
• Balthus: Perhaps you had best sit down? [Ichabod does so] The Horseman was a Hessian mercenary, sent to these shores by German princes to keep Americans under the yoke of England. But unlike his compatriots, who came for money, this Horseman came for love of carnage. When battle was joined, there you'd find him; he rode a giant white steed, and was infamous for riding his horse hard into battle, chopping off heads at full gallop. Now the Hessian is on the rampage, cutting off heads where he finds them.
• Ichabod: Are you saying...? Is that what you believe?
• Knapp: Seeing is believing.

At that time Ichabod fell silence and started to be alarmed. He began to realized that something is terribly wrong. He then had a dangerous decision and told it to everyone, to their shock.

• Ichabod: Let's go and capture him.
• All: What?

Spinward Rise

BGM: Twisted Nerve (from American Horror Story: Murder House)

The buildings in the Land Without Color were now covered by the wanted poster of Dr. Frankenstein, who was pinned on for the murders he had not committed by him, but by Eckidina KnightWalker. He was now staying in Spinward Rise and Aerisi ordered Thurl Merosska, the leader of Feathergale Knights, to take care of him.

• Dr. Frankenstein: Thank you for saving me.
• Thurl Merosska: Doctor, I dearly hope you shall stay with us. Scholars here were mostly trapped and imprisoned, but we think you deserved a different fate for you are a broken man. They were looking for you... for a murderer.
• Dr. Frankenstein: [irritated] You should know that I was totally framed.
• Thurl Merosska: Seriously, I do. I am sorry that you failed to bring a scientific miracle, really. This is just some sort of madness coming from hell. The tragic outcomes equal fate. I did not commit those murder, but I was responsible for it.
• Dr. Frankenstein: No, you don't. I now realized the truth. Even if Eckidina had not pact with me, with us... this experiment shall still cause misery, horror and pain.
• Thurl Merosska: Even so, I think you should stay here for a while and we will solve problems for you. Why aren't you staying with us? Afraid of being imprisoned like other earthly worms?
• Dr. Frankenstein: I was only worried about my wife. Her name is Elizabeth.
• Thurl Merosska: [surprised] Hmm, your wife? Where is she? She didn't come with you?
• Dr. Frankenstein: [mumbled] I repeat. I was only worried about my wife. Her name is Elizabeth...
• Thurl Merosska: Oh, dear me...
• Dr. Frankenstein: ......

Act 2

Spinward Rise

After Frankenstein had calmed himself shortly afterwards, Thurl Merosska began to ask him some questions.

• Thurl Merosska: Tell me more about your wife, please.
• Dr. Frankenstein: Well, she is the adoptive daughter of my father, and we brothers treated her as our own sister. I was going to marry her the night after I did that horrible thing... I just don't know if she is safe.
• Thurl Merosska: All I got is bad news and it is perhaps not good for your wife. We had just know that one of your... of Eckidina's experiments was at large at the land.
• Dr. Frankenstein: Did it?!
• Thurl Merosska: The code name is "Adam Frankenstein."
• Dr. Frankenstein: How did you know?
• Thurl Merosska: After returning to the tower and search for some information, we saw someone came out of your tower, with the codename carved on his right hand. but that is neither Eckidina nor Misogi... Perhaps, they had returned to their home somehow, and they left "Adam" there whether or not it is on purpose.
• Dr. Frankenstein: That is ridiculous! I will not call it Adam! I will call it the MONSTER! I am going after him!
• Thurl Merosska: Are you insane? Stop it! You have been on the most wanted poster for days and you risk your life and freedom only to find this? Trust me, they are going to hang you if they find you, but we are different. Let we help you to find me.
• Dr. Frankenstein: ...... Fine.

Meanwhile, high above the Stratos Tower...

• Aerisi: What do you mean? What do you mean to visit me? I think you are here to mock me! After all those failure I suffered, death I witnessed, and the shock that beaten me down as soon as I heard that arrogant Vanifer had proclaimed herself as a Dark Empress, now you came to irritate me, too? Marlos Urnyale!? Answer me in 10 seconds or I shall... Wait, what happened to you?
• Marlos: ...... (fainted due to the lack of fresh oxygen)
• Aerisi: Ah?  Don't you dare scaring me! I didn't.... whatever. You are such a weakling... Now, men, please take him to the grassland for some rest. I'll find him later on and have a serious talk.
• Air cultist: Yes, my lady.

Porcatino Grove

Ichabod, Notary and Katrina was managed to arrived at the place where the Horseman's first civilian victim after most of the Midnight Riders were found here.

• Notary: Here we are. This is Porcatino Grove. This is the grave of several Van Tassel ancestor, but it was... rumored... to be haunted by some force of evil, and the Horseman's first civilian victim after most of the Midnight Riders... died right here, under this tree that we called it the Tree of Dead for years.
• Ichabod: What force of evil?
• Katrina: An unspeakable one.
• Notary: We suspect that it was an ancient demon king and was one behind every evil that haunted the land... including the Horseman.
• Ichabod: So, we need to investigate this case and now you brought me here. Why?
• Katrina: Ichabod, Notary is a strange person, but you can trust him completely. Now, the first victim died under the tree... and...

Suddenly, Katrina had discovered a small pinkish handkerchief and picked it up. She was shocked when she noticed a name was on it; the name of the Horsemna's second civilian victim. Ichabod and Notary were surprised for this.

• Notary: What happened?
• Ichabod: What is that, Katrina?
• Katrina: This is strange. Look at the name on it. How come when the second victim's handkerchief appeared the place where the previous victim was found dead?
• Notary: Someone might put it on purpose...
• Ichabod: Someone is plotting this and I don't know who he or she is... but if there is really a plotter behind the Horseman, this person must be stopped. I even doubt if there are more than one mastermind...
• Katrina: How could you be so sure if there is someone behind this other that demonic beast?
• Notary: Wait a minute, Mr. and Mrs. Crane... Did you hear something?
• Ichabod: It sounds like... oh, no.

Not long afterwards, the wind started blowing and then came the Horseman of Death, riding his white horse and started to attack the trio. Notary was first beheaded by the Horseman and Ichabod, who attempted to shoot the Horseman and take Katrina away, was knock unconscious and lied on the ground.

• Katrina: Ichabod!

Just as the Horseman was about to finish the unconscious Ichabod off with his axe, Katrina summoned sunbeams just like the method she used to defeat Serilda, and the Horseman suddenly rode away in panic as soon as he saw the light and began to be scorched. The sun itself saved Ichabod and kept him away from certain demise. Katrina then rushed towards her husband.

• Katrina: Ichabod, wake up! Are you all right?
• Ichabod: Um, I'm just feeling... a bit of uncomfortable...
• Katrina: Don't worry, I shall help you back to the mansion.
• Ichabod: I saw him, Katrina... He is real... (fainted)

Katrina wasted no time and she cast a magic to teleport herself and Ichabod back to Van Tassel Mansion. Meanwhile, the crow of Lady Van Tassel observed this while sitting on the Tree of Dead and went back to its mistress. As soon as the bird left, four white trees started to comes out of the ground and a horrid voice came out and it sounded like they were from hell. It was the sound of Moloch.

• Moloch: (voice only) First comes the lightning, second comes the blood, third comes the sorrow and fourth comes the end...

​(The screen went black)

Act 3

• Moloch: (voice only) First comes the lightning, second comes the blood, third comes the sorrow and fourth comes the end...
• ???: AHHH!

A young woman tied on her bed was suddenly screamed and awoken from her nightmare. For now, we are in the modern era more than two century after Ichabod and Katrina. The woman have a name. Her name is Jennifer Mills. She is a patient of Tarrytown Psyche, and she was put into the jail and was held in Room 78. This is her twelfth year in padded cell.

A nurse entered and called Jenny for an interview.

• Nurse: Jennifer Mills, Dr. Pepper's calling. She needs you for an interview.
• Jenny: (irritated) What for?

Tarrytown Psyche, Sleepy Hollow, 2012

Patient Interview

by Dr. Lillian Pepper (female)

Patient: Jennifer "Jenny" Mills

• Doctor: Interview recording, No. 013-2012. I am Dr. Lillian Pepper, and I am interviewing Jennifer Mills. Good morning, Jenny.
• Jenny: Good morning, doctor.
• Doctor: Jenny, tell me what happened thirteen years ago.
• Jenny: Do I have to?
• Doctor: You better tell me the truth. We want only truth, not the story you made up.
• Jenny: I made up nothing. Me and my sister Abbie had saw four white trees and a grey demon in the woods, and then we passed out.
• Doctor: Jenny, we want the truth, I repeat. There are no demons.
• Jenny: There are demons, all around us. They are mean and deadly.
• Doctor: Jenny...
• Jenny: You should not trust her! She lied!
• Doctor: Not trust who? Your sister?
• Jenny: Yes, indeed it's her. By the way, doctor, shall I tell you something? 
• Doctor: Jenny, please tell.
• Jenny: Just as I was sleeping, I heard a strange It was echos from the past, from the 18th century or whatever... and I could hear it... in my dreams. That made me awoke all of a sudden.
• Doctor: What? Is there something hellish shall happening our town?
• Jenny: Whatever is gonna happen here will be nothing good.
• (beat)
• Doctor: Well, clearly you are still insane and deluded... and this is just like your mother who died here long ago.
• Jenny: My Mother? You dare to speak ill of my mom?! You dirty freak---

Snapped at the doctor, Jenny jumped forward and attempted to attack the doctor in rage, but she could not for she was tightly tied on her chair. The staff dragged Jenny and put her back to her cell. The doctor remained calm.

• Doctor: Send her back.
• Jenny: NO! LISTEN TO ME! YOU NEED TO LISTEN! THIS CONCERNS MY LIFE! THIS CONCERNS MY LIFE YOU PACK OF IDIOTIC LOSERS! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOO! (took her away)

The doctor turned back as soon as the office was almost empty and she is the only person who is in it. She sadly took off her false face and revealed herself to be none other than Poison Ivy.

Poison Ivy, as she watched the heavy downpour inside her greenhouse.

Later, the night falls and a heavy rain began to pour down. Ivy went back to her greenhouse near the hotel she resided under a disguise. She took of her white uniform and revealed her beautiful green dress under it. She looked out of the window and saw the trees were shaking in wind and rain.

• Poison Ivy: I am sorry, Jenny. I believe every of your words... and your mother's... but I need to keep you safe. You are safe inside here, and you are dangerous outside there. You don't know how cruel and dark the outside world is. I do. I do... as I know when my babies... my poor, dear plants... were... Oh, life in Gotham is so harsh, and that made both it and Sleepy Hollow as well. If the world is a better place with no war, chaos and destruction and everything flourished, that would be nice.

Ivy held back her tears and started wandering in her greenhouse. She later sat down and opened the radio. She started to listen David Bowie's famous song, "Life on Mars?", one of her most favorite songs, but the signal were not that good.

Suddenly, an idea had popped up to her mind. Then, she turned off the radio phoned someone's personal cell phone, confidently believed this would solve the problem of Jenny forever.

• Poison Ivy: Good evening, Mrs. Corbin. This is Pamela Isley. Is your husband at home? No? He went to a restaurant with Abbie? OK, I see. Please tell him that Pamela Isley called him for some urgency when he came back. Don't worry, madam. It was not what you think. Thank you.

Act 4 (final)

Narrator's introduction

Grace Abigail "Abbie" Mills was Jenny's own older sister and was haunted by the demonic things since the year 2000. The sister's life were harsh. Since their abusive and drunken father, Erza Mills, left their house for unknown reasons, they were raised by their mother, Lori Roberts, along. Being a descendant of the aforementioned Grace Dixon and deeply religious, Lori was paranoid and always feared that her children would be haunted by demons. Lori protected her children until the time when she was framed for murder and drove into Tarrytown Psych, the place where she died. Then, the sister were raised by a foster house where they were harshly treated.

Poison Ivy learned this from August Corbin after she secretly left Gotham and went to Sleepy Hollow for a holiday. She bought a greenhouse and lived as a gardener, but not long after, she found a demon who is devouring some her white roses. Reverend Alfred Knapp, who was centuries old in 2012 yet alive and well, was still resided at Sleepy Hollow and coincidentally lived at the chapel near Ivy's greenhouse. He helped her to save her plants. After that, Ivy went curious about the secret war Knapp told her and wanted to join it. That was why Knapp introduced her to August Corbin. After knowing the sisters' story, Ivy called Tarrytown "Arkham of Sleepy Hollow".

Under the false identity, Ivy spied into Tarrytown and look after Jenny. Since there was no way to make her outside unscathed, Ivy could only made Jenny stayed inside since it would protect her, just like Ivy's own life in Arkham somehow protected her and her plants... until now.

Back on Abbie, after her sister was imprisoned, she became an outcast and thief. She stole food to live and then she was arrested by Corbin. However, instead of putting Abbie in bars, Corbin invited Abbie to a restaurant and told her a lesson using his favorite apple pie-Ala-mode. Abbie then realized that after a sad and barren winter, a prosperous and glorious spring would still come. Then, she became Corbin's apprentice. After years of training, she was promoted to a police lieutenant. However, as Abbie's life became brighter, Jenny's life grew darker.

However, there is now a new hope for Jenny... or so does Ivy thought.

Back to our story

Two hours later, Ivy received a call from Corbin.

• Corbin: Good evening, Ivy. This is August Corbin. May I help you?
• Poison Ivy: Where is your wife and Abbie? Are they went asleep?
• Corbin: Yes, they are.
• Poison Ivy: Thank goodness. This must be keep highly secret or there will be disasters to them all. Listen carefully, please; I came up an idea to release Jenny out of the psych and received a more proper protection, but I really need your help.
• Corbin: What can I do for you?
• Poison Ivy: You will be a mentor of Jenny and do just as you what you are doing to Abbie, but you must not let them know about each other's apprenticeship under you, not for now.
• Corbin: You mean it will avoid their conflict?
• Poison Ivy: I had found out that Jenny was still in grudge of her big sister and it would be not good to make them see each other for now.
• Corbin: But if you release Jenny, where shall I put her in to avoid her sister.
• Poison Ivy: Why not your fishing cabin where you and your son once fishing when he was a child and dreamed to be like Superman? Corbin, please listen, I know this is hard for you, but you know that Abbie is the Second Witness and Jenny is a key helper. Even though I was a criminal, I don't want to see this beautiful world turned upside down.
• Corbin: I understand, Ivy. It is a worthy trying.
• Poison Ivy: Thank you, Sheriff. See you later.

After his phone talk with Ivy, Corbin started to work again on his radio files.

Spinward Rise

After Marlos recovered, Aerisi had a very unpleasant talk with him at the side of Spinward Rise, and she went angry several time as Marlos was keep mocking her. In the end, she ordered him to leave.

• Aerisi: Fine, you left me no choice! Marlos, get out of my place!
• Marlos: (mocking and jumping at the gate) Ha-ha, I'm in and I'm out. I'm out and I'm in. I'm...
• Aerisi: DON'T MAKE ME PUSH YOU!
• Marlos: OK, OK, I'll go... (walked back but slipped and fell from the cliff) AHHHHHH!
• Aerisi: AND DON'T FORGET TO OPEN YOUR PARACHUTE!
• Marlos: (down below) THANK YOOOOOOOOOOOOU!
• (Later...)
• Aerisi: Marlos, did you open your parachute?
• Marlos: (down below) Yes, I did!
• Aerisi: Are you out of danger now?!
• Marlos: (down below) I DON'T KNOW! I HAVEN'T LANDED YET!
• Aerisi: (beat) Oh... (facepalm)

Boston, 1778

Years had past since Ichabod met the Horseman of Death for the first time, and the war went into its final phase after the famous victory at Saratoga, led by General Benedict Arnold and others. They defeated William Howe's army and made a history. The French monarch, eager to compete England, had came to support the colonies. Benjamin Franklin even receive a meeting of honor with Louis XVI, the King of France, in Paris.

At this time, as a captain in Colonial army, Ichabod went on a mission under Benedict Arnold's army and ambushed a British coin factory, where they suspected to make false coins in order to make the economy of the colony went bankrupt. They captured every workers and succeeded in taking the factory over.

• Colonial soldiers: DON'T MOVE! SURRENDER!
• Ichabod: Kept them observed. General, it's all clear.

After this successful ambush, came the famous Benedict Arnold, and he went straight to the coins and started to check them. Ichabod silently stood behind him and watched.

As Arnold grabbed one the coins to check, however, Ichabod noticed a dark shadow appeared on Arnold's face and worried that something wen wrong. Arnold put the coin inside his pocked and a grim smile appeared on his face. Unbeknownst to them all, the coin was accursed...

• Ichabod: General Arnold? Are you all right?
• Arnold: Oh, I... well, I am fine...

​In fact, this was totally not fine, not at all.

Witnesses of Sleepy Hollow

Episode 8 - Conspiracy

To be continued...

Afterwords

From Officer Candy Apple

At this time, I need to apologize. I once intended to made this episode seven acts, but turns out it took too long time to build, so I removed the latter three acts and will present it at the next episode, including Benedict Arnold's betrayal.

I am sorry for this, but this is really what it has to be and I am helpless. Plan is always overpowered with changes. Two weeks later, I will need to leave this wiki for a while and I will go to collage this September, but not before having a camping & training in army for nearly a month. It shall be really busy days for me. Therefore, I need to get faster busying on Season 1, and I don't know if I could finish it by September.

However, I will definitely be back and help you guys with the crossover! During my absence, I will miss everyone of CIS Productions while looking at the moon. You are all the most awesome people I have ever met. Best wishes to everyone. Best wishes to Sword of Kings and other storylines.

Full moon can make a loner far away from home to feel sad, but this is a natural thing to be full or empty, be separated and reunion. Happy Holiday. Hope the world will enjoy the bright full moon at Mid-Autumn Festival.

P.S. From this day on, I will finish the season 1 episodes one by one as much as I can, as quick as I can, for the crossover.