Wziela

He needed to find a graveyard... Great. And just where was he going to find one? He didn't have a map, and he certainly didn't have the time to scour the entirety of Manehattan looking for a graveyard. Perhaps he ought to ask for directions from a local? Time to put those interpersonal skills to work, Sundown. He stopped and looked around, checking to see if there are any passersby or pedestrians he could ask for help.

As soon as his reason came back to him, the detective began to take stock of what happened and where he was. He was back on the street, having escaped the store handily, and now he was left only with himself and his possessions. He turned down a couple more streets, double-backing and making his route unpredictable to any pursuers, real or imagined. He had all three things he needed for the ritual now: his blood, green candles, and the sigil that Shai had given him. Now... He just had to find a place to perform it. His apartment was a no-go, he still remembered what the demon showed him through his bedroom walls, and he had no intention of seeing that again. Other than that... He didn't know. He was only in-town for the investigation, he wasn't a local. He didn't have any places he knew of where he could hide out. He certainly couldn't do the ritual in public, that'd get shut down by the guard quicker than they would shut down an illegal mage ring. Having found himself stumped, the bat decided to ask the one pony who could and would actually help him. "Shai," he said sotto voce, careful to not let any passersby hear, "Where should I go?"

Sundown's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he realized what just happened. He had just screamed at the poor shopcolt when he was just trying to help him. The bat felt numb. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe what he had just done. "I... - I'm sorry." he mumbled, barely audible above the colt's sobs. He had to get out of here. He reached into his saddlebags and pulled out his coin purse, dropping it right next to the prostrate colt. He then took the box of green candles off the floor and scurried out of the store as fast as he can. Knocking over one store display in the process. As soon as he got out into the street, he ran, not caring which direction he was going.

As soon as her hoof touched his, the bat's eyes shot over to the filly. Her words made him feel like she had just punched him in the gut. His features fell, and his posture slumped. Was he making the right choice? Was he abandoning her? Was he selling her out? For what? For some home-cooked meals? That didn't seem fair. He had been searching his whole life for her. So why wasn't he jumping at the chance to finally find her? To finally find Aurora? Because it wasn't her, a voice reminded him from the back of his head. That isn't her. The detective's realization was visible to the filly, as she could see his expression harden and his eyebrows lower into a dispassionate stare. He smacked her hoof away roughly. "You're not her." His voice was quiet, barely audible above a whisper. But it soon gained substance as he continued to speak. "You're not her. You're not my sister! You've never been her! You're a fake! And you're trying to trick me! LEAVE! ME! ALONE!" He was practically yelling as the last words shot out of his mouth. He was glaring angrily down at the filly, finally having enough of her puppet master's games.

Sundown couldn't trust that colt to get what he needed. He didn't understand. He had made fun of him. He had made fun of his loss. And those eyes. Eugh... They made the detective shudder whenever he thought about them. They were familiar, too familiar. He had to get out of here; who knows what could show up? He resolved to take as little time as possible to get what he needed. The bat took the task of finding the candles on by himself. Having found himself alone in the store, he searched, looking for the correct aisle. Every now and then, he looked over his shoulder, making sure the false image of his sister wasn't hunting him. It didn't take long. After all, candles are a ubiquitous household good. But, green candles seemed to be scarce. And he had to search down and up the aisle before finally finding a display with a basket full of lime-green candles. Bingo. He trotted over to the basket and reached his hoof over, trying to grab a couple of the waxy sticks...

That was an insult. That colt was implying that the detective didn't spent enough time looking for his sister. That he let Aurora stay lost. Well, Sundown didn't have to take that. He didn't know what the bat went through. He didn't know how much time the bat spent combing the woods outside his house, trying to find any trace of her. He didn't know how it felt to have his hopes built up and then completely dashed whenever a false lead would develop. He didn't know what it was like to lose what was closest to him. He didn't know. Sundown's tone became decidedly less friendly as his grip tightened on the colt's uniform. He looked him dead in the eye. "I need candles. Green ones. It's an emergency. Keep whatever snide comments you have to yourself!"

The areion flinched back from the pony, almost jumping out of his skin when he saw his red eyes. He brought his hooves in front of him and over his eyes in a vain attempt to block whatever blow or attack that was surely coming soon. Yet no attack came. The bat looked out from behind his hooves and saw a normal pony standing in front of him. A colt in a staff uniform. The colt stared at the him like the detective was a madpony who had just vowed his loyalty to Nightmare Moon. He asked the detective is he was feeling ok. "Oh..! No, I'm completely fine! Nothing wrong here. Heh-heh." Nice addition of the nervous laugh, real smooth Sundown. The detective went to turn away but a realization hit him. He almost forgot something. Just as the staff member was about to sigh and write this off as another crazy out-of-towner, the detective whipped around and grabbed his front with both hooves; holding onto the blue material of his jacket for dear life. Sundown looked into the poor colt's eyes with the gaze of a pony possessed. "Candles! I need candles! Green ones! As fast as possible!"

He ducked into one of the aisles, trying to break line of sight with his pursuer. It was entirely instinctual, being drilled into him from his time at the academy. But, this maneuver was not likely to be effective. After all, his enemy was in his head, almost literally. However, Sundown didn't consider this at that moment. He took a few steadying breaths from behind a stocked shelf full of miscellaneous household good. His heart rate had increased rapidly in the past few moments, and to him it felt like it was about to pound out of his chest. His mane was frazzled and his eyes darted from side to side. He was a mess. I have to calm down. The demon wants me off-balance. She wants me vulnerable. I need to calm down. I need to calm down. He thought, repeating that final mantra to himself multiple more times. All while trying to control his breathing. It took him a couple seconds, but he was somewhat able to regain control of himself. At least his thoughts weren't flying through his head at a mile a minute. After his recuperation, he worked up the courage to stick his head out of the aisle, trying to spot his filly pursuer.

Sundown certainly wasn't as calm as Shai was. But her words reminded the detective about the task he had to do. He took a deep breath and focused. He couldn't let this demon mess with his head. After regaining some composure, he looked to the nearest street sign to see where he was. 85th and Hoofington... Okay... I think there's a store around here that has candles... He though to himself. To be honest, he didn't really know enough about Manehattan's layout to know just where the nearest store was. But, that didn't stop him using his intuition to pick a direction to walk in. After choosing a path, almost completely arbitrarily, he began to trot in that direction; trying his best to hold himself together and not to freak out. After all, there was nothing to freak out about, right? Shai was there to protect him, right? There was nothing this demon could do to him, right? Right? Just before his worrying got to the point where it would cause him to have a breakdown, he saw his sister. She was looking down on him, watching him. Her countenance was distinctly inhospitable, but Sundown didn't care. He ran towards her, ready to embrace her after to many years. But as he approached, he noticed something was off. No matter how much he moved towards her, she seemed to stay just as far away as she was when he spotted her. And wouldn't she be older? And why was nopony else noticing the injured filly on the sidewalk? Unless... It wasn't really her. The detective came to a screeching halt as the realization dawned on him. His subconscious was screaming at him to walk up to Aurora and hug her, to take her home. But Sundown couldn't. It isn't her. He had to tell himself over and over. It isn't her. Regaining control of himself, he double checked where he was and continued walking until he found a store. Trying his best to ignore the disapproving glares from the projections of his sister.

He jumped a little when he heard a disembodied voice speaking into his ear, but he relaxed when he realized who its owner was. He had been on edge for the past few minutes, and catching glimpses of his tormentor throughout the streets of the city had done him no favors. He was still a bit agitated, but hearing Shai's put him more at ease. At least he wouldn't be dealing with the demon alone. Although, what she had to say didn't thrill the detective. The demon was in his head, through some ill-means, and now was apparently trying to cause as much woe and misery as she could to Sundown. "Shai, what do I do? How do I get her out?" He asked quietly, and out of the side of his mouth, as if that would hide his speech from the demon. He spoke quickly and his tone was a bit panicked.

Fear washed over the detective, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. His pulse pounded in his ears as his vision was filled with the grotesque images of a domain of terrors. He stood, almost paralyzed by fear, as he watched the ponies' passionate and painful dance; a dance they were doomed to perform for eternity. And then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone. Everything was back the way it was. He wanted to get out of there. Riding the adrenaline now flowing through his veins, he grabbed his saddlebags and stuffed the two golden devices which Shai had given him into it, then he ran as swiftly as he could out of the bedroom and out his front door. He only stopped once he was in the outside corridor and slammed the door behind him. He was certain he wasn't safe there, but at least he was no longer in that room. After a few fumbling attempts, his hooves shaking from adrenaline, he locked the door and then trotted outside of his apartment complex. He had slowed down enough that he wasn't moving in a full-on gallop anymore, but he still was at a pretty fast canter. As he weaved his way through the streets of Manehattan, he began to relax as his adrenaline kick started to peter out. He was still unnerved and freaked out, but now at least he wasn't completely terrified. And right now, all he wanted to just get some distance between him and his apartment.

He blinked and shook his head. Did he just see what he thought he saw? He looked again but there was nothing. Must've been his imagination... He got up and grabbed his bowl. He headed into his kitchen. It was a bit of a mess now, various cooking tools sat littered around the room, having been dropped suddenly by his shadowy benefactor. He took a moment to gather them up and place them in his sink, along with his now empty bowl and spoon. Well, now that Shai was gone. It might be a good time to head out to grab the candles. He started for the door, but he stopped himself before he could reach it. He almost forgot about the amulet she had given him. He turned back around and walked back into his bedroom.

Ouch. That is probably going to hurt. He cringed a little internally as he thought about exactly how much of his blood he's going to have to use. But, he did trust Shai not to make him spill too much. And, the fact that she was going to make sure he was okay afterwards and help him regain his strength did ease his worries. He'll just have to soldier through the pain when the time comes. He nodded to show her that he understood. He trotted over to the coffee table and sat in front of the bowl she laid out for him. He looked down at its contents. He had never heard of a "Ful Medames" before but the smell was almost intoxicating. He salivated a little as he thought about how good it might be. He grabbed the spoon out of the bowl and held it in the crook of his wing. He dipped it into the bowl and got a spoonful of the soupy mixture. He brought the utensil to his lips and tasted the contents. Enjoyable flavors danced across his taste buds. He could detect hints of garlic and lemon, as well as a few other spices he couldn't identify. A smile grew on his face and his expression brightened. The dish was quite delicious, and the detective soon found himself almost devouring the meal in front of him.

Sundown did a double take as he heard Shai's voice. He was expecting to hear her voice coming from within him. It unnerved him for a second, but he quickly realized it must have been some kind of her magic. As he watched her tendrils working in the kitchen, he wondered just what exactly his mysterious benefactor was. She had given him an answer when he asked, but he barely comprehended it. He nodded, both to indicate that he agreed with her previous statement and that he understood her instruction. "Green candles, got it." He had little idea where exactly to look when talking to her, so he settled on one of her dark claws that was remaining relatively stationary. He paused for a moment, before speaking again. "Uh, how much of my blood are we going to need?" He asked, a little hesitant. He wasn't exactly squeamish, but a part of him balked at the idea of having to draw a lot of blood for the ritual.

He was pleasantly surprised to see that his apartment was noticeably cleaner than the night before. It was nice to see his abode in a state other than complete chaos worthy of Discord's praise. His nose perked up a little as he noticed the agreeable smell wafting (presumably) from his kitchen. Something must be cooking. He followed the aroma and the sound of humming into his kitchen. Dark tendrils floated about his kitchen, preparing something on the stovetop and manipulating various utensils and items around the room. Sundown certainly hadn't expected to find Shai making a meal in his kitchen, but he did welcome it. The detective figured that she must've been the one to have tidied up his place, and — from the look of it — cleaned and put away the dishes. A glance into the living room told him that she also straightened up in there too. That was nice of her. "Hey, uh," He said, scratching the back of his mane; "Thanks for cleaning up. I really appreciate it."

He watched her leave through the door to the hallway. Presumably going to explore another part of his apartment or disappearing into thin air again. Once she was gone, the detective got out of his bed. With a yawn and a quick stretch, he resolved to go through his morning routine. He'll get ready for the day, then head out to grab what he needed for the ritual. He was covered in the blood department, although he was a bit hesitant because he didn't know how much of his blood he'd need to use. Hopefully, it wouldn't be enough to make him woozy or cause him to pass out. His last blood donation ended up that way, and he didn't really want to repeat that. After a quick and rough attempt at making his bed, he walked over into his bathroom to brush his teeth, use the toilet, take a shower, etc. Normal morning routine stuff. As he took care of his business, he tried to make a game plan for the day ahead of him. He had to go out to get candles. He had none in his apartment. There had to be chandler nearby, or at least somewhere in the city. He wondered if his apartment was big enough to draw the summoning circle needed for the ritual, he might have to move some furniture out of the way... These thoughts bounced through the detective's head as he went through his morning tasks, he fell into the habit of his routine pretty easily and didn't pay much attention to his surroundings...

As Shai moved next to stand right next to him, Sundown noticed something. Or rather, the lack of something. Despite her dark form being distinctly visible to him, there was nothing else that seemed to indicate she was there. He didn't feel any heat, or cold, radiating off of her body. Her hooffalls made no sound when she walked over to him. She appeared to have no weight, since there were no impressions left on his bed by her. And he wasn't able to feel her magic. Although, given that he was an Areion, he wasn't the most sensitive to magic, if he really focused (and if the pony was right next to him) he was usually able to feel a pony's innate magic field. But from Shai, who was only about a foot away from him, he felt nothing. It was like she wasn't even there. He put that out of his head and read over the page she had opened the book to. It took him a moment, but he recognized the circular symbol from the chamber, although the sigil was unfamiliar to him. He paid attention when she described the list of items they'd need. When she finished, he spoke up, although his voice was a little quieter than before. He averted his eyes and his cheeks reddened a little. "Well... Uh... About the blood—we can use mine." He didn't elaborate any further, but the detective hoped the implication was clear enough to his shadowy benefactor.

He watched the bag settle onto his bed, floated over by Shai's shadowy tendrils. It looked untouched. Shai said that he had to perform a ritual contained in the tome, probably the same one that the three victims had done, except with the intent to summon a different demon. He reached over and grabbed the clear plastic container. He paused for a moment as he saw the tamper seal. Opening this evidence bag right now would technically be destroying any admissibility it has in court, but considering the circumstances, that was the least of Sundown's worries. He undid the top of the bag, ripping the seal in progress, and pulled out the book. He looked it over. A plain cover stared back at him. The title of volume was written in a simple gold-color and no author was credited at the bottom. Nothing about its appearance hinted at its contents. He opened the book and flipped to random page. The few sentences that he read on that page were written in a circuitous and turgid manner, with much of it being completely indecipherable to the detective. His luck didn't improve as he flipped through the tome, none of what he read was familiar. Intricate symbols and unknown references dotted every page. The detective felt lost...

Sundown paused as he mulled it over. This sounded promising. It was definitely a better deal than having to hand his soul over to a wrathful demon. He wondered how he'd have to 'capture demons' for this Bäle. And how many he would have to capture before his debt is paid? Shai's soft tone did much to assuage his fears, it seemed like she believed this was the best course of action for the detective to take. And if anything, she'd have his back if something went wrong. This made Sundown fell a bit more confident in his choice. At least he wasn't stumbling around in the metaphorical dark all alone. "Ok, I think I understand... How do we make this deal with him?"

He sat up in his bed and examined the object being held just to his side. He stared at the amulet, barely recognizing the pattern imprinted on it. He thought about what Shai just told him. Sundown wondered. Who was this 'Bäle'? A demon king? How would his blessing help? As these questions flew through his head, Sundown frowned a little. This was a fine mess he got himself into. At least it seemed like he somepony genuinely looking out for him - Shai. He looked over to her apparition, she had her back to him. The edges of his lips began to curl upwards a little. In the short time he knew Shai, she did seem to want what was best for him, or at least what was least bad. Sundown believed he could trust her in this. And if he didn't go through with what she was suggesting, he will probably end up in a pretty bad place. The detective just wanted to figure out some stuff before he committed fully. He thought for a moment before speaking. "... What do you mean by 'more demons for him to command'?"

Sundown looked up at the shadowy figure standing over him, paying close attention to her explanation. It seemed he complicated things, and now he had to somehow avoid the debt he owed to the demon. He had no idea what to do, his experience with demons and malign entities had, before yesterday, only been through imaginative fiction novels and stories. He certainly wasn't prepared to deal with the real deal. Shai said she had a plan, a way which he could get out of his new obligation. Apparently it would be a gamble, and he could lose his job if he was found out. Maybe even be prosecuted. But, considering what would happen if he didn't do anything, he was willing to listen to her proposition. "What is your plan? What do I have to do?"

"A new strategy?" It took him moments to process what had happened. He remembered his dream. He remembered seeing his sister, she was hurt bad. She was crying. She had blamed him for what happened to her. But was that actually her? No, that was a dream. He must've imagined her. It was like those nightmares that would sometimes plague him. He had broken down in his dream, crying and sobbing. And then a pegasus appeared, she was warm, comforting. She offered him a deal, that she'd bring him to his sister, if only he accepted her 'friendship'. Was that the demon from before? That pegasus spoke of 'friendship' the same way the demon did back in the chamber. And he agreed to be her friend. What was the price of her friendship? "What do we do now?"

Sundown's eyes shot open and he awoke with a start. He was surprised to see Shai's gaze boring right through him and her shadowy tendrils over his face and body. His surroundings were darkened by a thick dark fog filling his entire room. It took him a couple seconds to process what was going on. She had been yelling his name, probably trying to wake him up. His mouth was dry and his fur was partly matted, he had been sweating in his sleep. His head ached slightly, just about to the point where it was noticeable. He brought a hoof to his forehead and rubbed it. Trying to alleviate the soreness. "Ugh... W-what happened?"

He stared into her eyes, and a familiar feeling of captivation came over him. He felt at home in her embrace. She would protect him. She was going to make everything right. Everything would be okay. He sniffled and wiped his nose, and a slight smile began to form on his face. The tears had stopped flowing, although his eyes were still wet. Maybe everything would turn out alright. He heard a faint and wispy voice come from outside of the clearing, his ears perked up. What was that? He tried to listen closer, but he couldn't make out anything distinct. Did she hear it too? She didn't seem to react. Was he imagining it? He spoke, voice still unsteady. "O-ok... I'll be your friend."

He didn't know how long he had sat there. He didn't know how long he had cried. He didn't know how long his sister had been gone. All he knew was that it felt as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest. All he knew was that she was gone. He sobbed. It took a while before he noticed the wing that was wrapped around his shoulder. A pleasant warmth radiated from it, bringing a small measure of comfort to the heartbroken stallion. The wing was soft and welcoming. It made Sundown want to cuddle into the wing-hug even further and hide from all his troubles and issues. Then came the promise. The promise that they'll find his sister again. The promise that she wouldn't remain lost. And then... the offer. The offer to bring him to Aurora. He was sorely tempted to accept that offer. After choking back a sob, he looked up at his consoler with tear-filled and bloodshot eyes. She was angelic, her presence calming and matronly. The detective felt almost like a foal in her motherly embrace. He looked into her eyes. "Y-You can?" He asked, his voice trembling and on the verge of cracking.