Aisede

His realization came at a good time, too, as he'd realize he deviated greatly from the general populace. Hoof traffic was low here, and it looked like he had nearly placed himself right within the confines of a dark alley. Because that's just where he'd want to be right then. The shadows writhed around him, moving closer and occasionally brushing against his coat. He could feel Shai's agitation, or frustration, It was hard to tell, but she was definitetly unhappy about his decision. 'Aurora''s disappointed frown slowly changed into a smile as he approached, and it remained after he regained his senses. Everytime he checked on her thereafter, she'd be closer and closer. "You'll find me, right big brother?" As he entered the store, he'd hear another set of hooves follow close behind- but yet, nopony was there... "You did promise, after all ~" "Help me... save me..."

"Patience, detective, Mind games are all she can do. Retrieve the candles." This was all Shai seemed to have to say on the matter, uncannily calm considering what was transpiring around him. Perhaps that brief moment of contact was all in his head as well? As if sensing a shift in mood, the images all stopped for a good while... That is, until they changed tactics and started projecting images of his sister instead, always watching from a distance with a disapproving frown. These took time for Shai to locate and do away with.

Luckily, whatever malevolent force was stalking him had ceased its efforts once he left his home, and he was left in relative peace to pursue his own goals. Occasionally, he'd catch glimpses of a familiar little pony. Always watching him from corners or alleyways before being swallowed up by a dark cloud. One time she even walked right by him, brushing by his side before vanishing around a corner. It was an obvious attempt at baiting him- one he hopefully wouldn't fall for. "I apologize," Came Shai's somewhat penitent voice. It drifted to him calmly yet suddenly, but this time without any physical evidence of her rpesense. "I was unable to trap her. In your mind, she is." "However, not her 'self', Her body remains with the cult. Trapped by my wards."

Luckily, the amulet was right where it had been left the night before, alongside the golden sigil Shai had also bequeathed him. They looked so unextraordinary sitting there, hunks of gold carved into simple shapes. One would never beleive they were the catalyst to summoning great evils into the world. Stepping into his room, he'd be assaulted by another vision of leering red eyes. They bore into him, an oppressive force on his mind. A wicked smile carved its way into the walls, opening up into a realm of horrors: ponies dancing endlessly, blood pooling up to their fetlocks as they laughed and cried in equal parts- -and then it suddenly cut off, and the room was back to normal. The feeling lifted, and he knew he was alone again. "Remember your promise ~"

Sundown would perceive her warm attention as he enjoyed the meal she prepared... But something seemed to catch her attention, as her apparition manifested in front of the coffee table looking at the door, or something beyond it. "I must depart now. It does not rest anymore. Prepare in my absense." With that, she- and her presence- all but vanish into thin air. He'd hear the clattering of kitchen utensils, but luckily nothing breaks. For just a flicker of a moment, he thought he could see red eyes staring at him, but it was gone in the next. Seemed fun-time was coming to a close.

"Take from your memory an image fresh, With your reality, that image shall mesh. Rest assured your vigor you will retain, But the process will involve a lot of pain. Afterwards, I will help you refresh." Her words were soft, and handled with much care, as if she didn't want to scare him too much. As she talked, her voice temperature quieted as it moved from inside him to right in front of him, as if the speaker had moved without any visible trace. "Now eat, A dish with a suitable substitute for meat. I would have preferred a proper dish from my home, But the proper ingredients I have not found since I began to roam. Ful Medames it would be called. Now take a seat ~" On cue, the pan was lifted off the burner to allow to cook, sizzling all the while. A bowl was withdrawn, and a spoon clean enough to see his reflection on followed the soupy mix in. It steamed as it floated over to him- past him, to land on the coffee table. It appeared to be a mix of beans and some white, creamy soup. The occasional diced vegetable was added to the mix, what little she could find in his kitchen. It wasn't overly complex, but it would do the job.

"A tidy house, I find, Is healthier for the mind. Do you not agree?" Came Shai's rathermatter-of-fact reply from... Somewhere in the room. It wasn't from the kitchen, but it wasn't from the living room either. It sounded like she was speaking from within him. "I am working with a limited stock, Although the sparisty of ingredients is quite a shock. A note, before the streets you careen, The candles must be of the color green. Not unlike a limey rock."

Perhaps surprisingly, nothing foreboding and/or ominous waited to greet him. Nothing immidiately apparent, at least. His home was largely how he remembered it the night before, albeit more orderly and, most notably, clean. All the take-out boxes, all the litter, even the dishes were all cleaned up and either in the trash or their proper places. Something was cooking, too. The aroma was entrancing to his waking mind. It smelled like beans, oddly enough, and something else that would remind him of what they are previously. Arriving in the living area, if he cared to take a gander he'd see the familiar sight of shadowy claws manipulating a sauce pan and cooking utensils, a haunting tune wafting through the air.

The shadowy lady gazed intently at him for several uncomfortable seconds, as if appraising him. She looked him up and down, then hummed thoughtfully. "Then it would seem we know all that we require. Now, it is about time that we retire. A busy day lies ahead, I hope, at the end, that shallow grave has not become your bed. That would certainly leave my thoughts in a mire." It seemed that she really has grown quite fond of him, or fond enough to share occult secrets with and try to protect. One would have to wonder what her motives are, though, especially since she seemed unwilling to meet in person, if, in fact, he hadn't already. The tripartite ring was next on his nightstand, right next to the golden seal she had given him. She eye'd the two before turning tail- and that was a very long tail.

Shai seemed to pick up on his quizzical predicament, as she soon moved closer to him until she was standing right next to him, planting her forelegs on the bed itself. She still left no impression, no evidence of being physically present except for the shadowy figure she projected. Looking over the book, she used those same tendrils to delicately flip to a marked page. Or... Well, 'marked.' It was dogeared, but so were many other pages in the worn tome. On this page he may have seen a familiar image: it looked downright identical to the circle the three victims had made, if viewed from a topside perspective. The only difference was that an unfamiliar seal was detailed next to it, presumably the sigil for the demon currently out for his blood. "Certain materials you will need, Waxy candles of an oily breed. Virgin blood- unlikely your own, Faith that you feel to the marrow of your bone. Occultism is a rather simple creed."

"A task quite easy, Perform the ritual so. Strike a sturdy deal." This said, she summoned from the inky abyss this time a somewhat familiar, if foreboding, object: it was the book that started this whole mess, still sealed in its plastic bag. With little fanfare, she had a troop of shadowy claws carry it to the edge of the bed, where she deposited it. "Poor misguided souls, They held the key to their dreams, And squandered it." "In this book you will find a certain section, Take from your memory what was in that room, and make a connection. Simple shapes and solid lines, Mantras formed like verbal mines. Yet with it, always the risk of hellish insurrection."

It would seem Kara, coincadentally, omitted that small fact from memory, excitedly withdrawing the only three morsels of currency they possessed and slapping them down on the table. "I do! It's all or nothin', right 'Flection?" She grinned emphatically at her friend, bouncing in her seat. If they lost this round, they lost everything. But if they won, they get DOUBLE what they had before! Then she can get some food, and a drink that's not horribly bitter and unusually hit.

Rose has to admit she was not expecting such a sudden and dramatic entrance! She started, horn flickering to life for the briefest if moments before recognition set in- and when it did, all of her worries seemed to melt away into an easy smile. She graciously accepted the hug, giggling in amusement at her energy. If only she were so young again... even a new body could not erase time's effects. "I should not be surprised you would have been informed of my activities, even if through one of my simulacrums." That was what surprised her the most. Idly, she wondered how many faces this alicorn would recognize? She could create life in a myriad of shapes and sizes, be them artificial or even fully mechanical. Would she recognize her if she weren't even a biological being? "But yes, I fished these out of the waters west of Eggwater Bay." And then the big question came, and her smile grew. She swam over to the guarded morsel of life, yet to be born but so full of potential. "Any day now ~" she said in a warm tone of voice. "I'm expecting her within a week. Two at the longest. Oh, I do hope she grows to be a happy child..." Looking around, she knew there was no possible way Twilight could miss the exorbitant number of enchantments irradiating the water with magic. "It's not too much, is it? The wards?"

Shai responded promptly, as if anticipating just such a question. "Sixty-six legions he does hold sway, All of which unwaveringly obey. As a mortal under his service, you would commit, You would keep your soul at time's summit. Simply capture demons, and you will be okay." The last words of her explanation trailed off as she looked him over, the words themselves soft. It seemed she wanted to ease any worries he had, or at least reassure him that he had an ally here.

"A greater evil we must persue, One benign, yet with greater power to ensue." She explained rather matter-of-fact, red eyes boring into him. "A king of the realm of flame, Bäle is his name." She missed, not particularly enthused about the idea of summoning him. She didn't express the same hostility towards this 'Bäle' as she did the as-yet nameless demon harassing Sundown, though. "His blessings you must accrue." Jumping off his bed with all the grace of a cat, she say down next to it, facing away from him now as shadows coalesced before her. Something came out of it, which she held in her paw. Turning around, she displayed the small, semi-circular object. It was gold, and imprinted with a seal. It looked almost identical to the object found at the center of the late cultist's summoning circle, except for material. "The greater of two evils will be less of a threat, I am confident that it would be better to be in his debt. A soul he does not demand, Only more demons for him to command. Choose for yourself if this is something you would regret." Slowly, small tendrils took hold of the seal and carried it over to his bedside so that he may get a better look at it.

"a bargain has been made, And for that, the bargain must be paid." She made the whole ordeal sound quite grim, although this was his immortal soul they were talking about here. "The cost of avoidance is most severe, The loss of your soul, by comparison, a tap on the hoof will appear. New plans will have to be laid..." The shadows receded, and only Shai's apparition remained as she stood above him, thoughtful. Eventhough her paws touched the bed, he may note that he couldn't feel her added weight, if there was any. There were barely any wrinkles in the sheets where she stood. "A plan I can lay in motion, But it may come to you as an ill notion. Greater powers lie below, A gamble should be made, some dice that you must throw. Be forewarned, it is likely, should you be found, that you will face amotion."

"You foolish pony, A deal once struck cannot die, A bargain made ill." Shai sounded particularly perturbed, but she did back off once she realized he was awake. "A new strategy we will have to employ, A fact most concerning, it does annoy. Disappointing, but not wholely unexpected, At least a funeral stone for you will not been erected. Although for a pony's soul, there is no decoy..."

The pegasus hummed, face wrinkling in mirth and joy as she looked down on her little captive detective. "It fills me with untold joy to hear you say that, detective ~ " She laughed, and as she did so, the seraphic facade she'd built up inside of his fabricated reality began to become undone, the red light returning with a vengeance as it shone down on him like an oppressive interrogation lamp. The pegasus, while never losing her charm nor beuty, still managed to pull off a menacing leer. The voice, once distant, now became a booming, thunderous roar as a tide of black, writhing tendrils and smoke tore through the ground of the clearing at a slow but inevitable crawl, kept at bay by some invisible force. "SUNDOWN!" The pegasus laughed, and her winghold clutched him in a fashion that was decidedly not tender. "You will see your sister again, Sundown. Of that I can promise... And then-" the light overhead became more and more narrow as the sky above darkened. "-you will pay the offering of friendship due ~" It was at that moment that the floodgates opened and whatever resistance the demon was putting up ceased. Within moments darkness overcame them both- --- - And Sundown would awaken to find his room choked by a fog of shadows, the leering red eyes of Shai's apparition looming right above his face with more tendrils covering his face. "Sundown!"

Her smile grew as they locked eyes, and he found all of his fears and doubts melting away under a beam of sunshine that pierced the blackness and bathed the glade in promise and security. Flowers sprouted underhoof, and tomorrow was looking like a brighter day. "Yes, I can. Promise me you will be my friend, and you will see your sister again. You will see Aurora." She raised her other wing and, with the gentlest touch of her feathers, brushed away his tears. The red light and strange symbols were gone, obscured by the sunlight streaming down from an indeterminate source above them. However, something else was there with them. It was dark, and roiled like a living storm, pushing against the light that burned it as it approached. There was a voice there, too, but it was so quiet and faint as to have been a figment of his imagination. The strange pegasus didn't react at all.

With the coldest, most disgusted look he had ever seen, the filly turned around and limped away, trailing blood and broken dreams. In no time at all, she vanished into the black abyss that had swallowed up the area beyond the clearing, leaving him alone and broken in the wake of his failures. He didn't even get to say goodbye. He was left there, alone and broken, with nothing but silence and sharing red light to keep him company. and then, all of a sudden, it lifted. a pegasus- no, an angel- came down upon him to drape a wing over his shoulder, banishing the chilling of cold, hard fact, and spreading a warmth throughout his body that induced an odd calm on him. If he dared to look up, and furthermore, if he dared to look her in the eyes, he would see a pony he had clearly never met before smiling down at him with an almost motherly grace. "We'll find her again," she promised in a sweet, silk soft voice. "I can take you to her, if you wish."

His words had no effect on her, beyond upsetting her more. The light above, which previously washed the glade in a sterile white beam, now gradually curled red like the blood of a crimson moon mourning its lost lunar child. "You're sorry for leaving me? You're sorry for losing me? Are you sorry for killing me?" Like a gavel coming down, the word carried a force that rattled the trees and ground with the weight of her accusation, her coat beginning to pale and eyes growing cloudy.

Sat in the center of the open space was a small, grey pony, hunched over and wracked by sobs of undeniable grief. As he got closer, he'd begin making out more and more unsettling details, the most obvious of which being her injured wing. It bent at an odd angle, hanging by a thread of exposed muscle and tissue as if rent by the claws of some nefarious monster. ... And then the filly was quiet. The sudden calm took with it even the roar of the tempest, hushed rainfall barely audible past the now weather-neutral glade as she turned to look at him out the corner of one, bloodshot pinkish eye. "How could you... " The rest of her body soon followed suit, turning to face him head on with wide eyes filled with terror and betrayal. Her messy mane was in tatters now, stray bangs hiding nicks and scratches across her face from tree branches, but nothing could cover the huge, weeping scar that rose from one side of her barrel and up along her chest. "How could you lose me?"

The once-distant calls turned into crying, a smooth transition as if there had always been an undercurrent of sorrow. As he nearest the edge of the clearing, he'd realize that he'd heard this voice before, long ago. It was young, like a filly, and so very lost and full of pain. "How could you?" The word was so quiet, yet the trees themselves seemed to echo her querie, causing the three solitary words to become a legion of accusations. The light in the clearing began to shift into a different shade, and the glowing sigils intensified.

As he ran, he'd race past sigils carved into the wall. They radiated an ominous red aura as he passed them, and a familiar sensation of being watched fell over him. Only this time, it wasn't passive like with Shai, but something more oppressive. Malevolent even. Concrete and stone made way for twisting ivy and fusing bark. City blocks became dominated by nature, as if it made a violent reclamation of the area, the occasional root erupting from the ground to trip him up. Eventually, the buildings fell away entirely, crumbling up and sinking down into the fertile soil as the rain grew in intensity. Another flash, and the stone was gone entirely. The voice was closer now, clearer. It was coming from a clearing up ahead, the only source of light in this dismal place, granted even that was dim and feeble. The trees here we're littered in carvings of arcane signs, pulsing through the veins of the trees themselves as if tied to the heartbeat if a memory.

Unbeknownst to him, something else accompanied his trip to bed. He'd miss the glimpses in the mirror, of a smiling face and unnatural warm, red eyes. Once he was in bed, and he shut his eyes, sleep would come easy to him. A little too easy, perhaps. At first, nothing was there. He was adrift in a void, blacker than night and senseless. Flashes of strange symbols imprinted in a darkened sky, lurid, angry red. They were unfamiliar to him, yet he understood what they meant, even if he couldn't put words to them. Then he heard it, a voice. It was distant, but desperate. A feminine cry. Somepony was hurting! A flash of crimson lightning cracked the sky in two, and in the fading whiteness of the flash, a city block came into view. It was raining now, and the voice became muffled and quiet. He'd need to get closer to require their direction.