The old wooden door creaked open, letting in a ghastly chill from the decaying world outside. The dark green robed figure closed the door with haste and turned to be greeted with a pitiful sight. Scattered tables held a few equine souls, each clutching a bottle of the only decent delicacy left for most: a potent brew that warded off the terrors of a world driving many mad.
The skinny light brown mare behind the bar brushed a few strands of her charcoal mane and gave a weak smile to this new visitor. "Welcome stranger, have a seat anywhere you like. Would you like anything?" It was obvious that hidden within her light gentle voice was something screaming, begging for it to be released. A prayer for help that will not be answered, for no sane creature will dare challenge the terrors that await in this land. And... the Thing that commands them.
The figure raised a hoof to her hood and pulled it down revealing a young elegant and beautiful light tan doe with amber eyes. "Soup please." Her regal voice caused the few ponies at the tables to turn their heads for a brief moment to gaze at her majestic features.
"Oh!" The mare's emerald green eyes widened and gave a light bow of respect. "I didn't realize we had the pleasure of meeting a deer folk here. May I ask your name miss? And how fares your kind in these dark times?"
The doe smiled and approached the bar, even the grace of her steps weren't enough to suppress the aching creaks of the wooden floor. Before having a seat at one of the stools, she offered a hoof to the mare. One which she gratefully accepted.
"Neeyrah, and I pray that they are well. I haven't been to the Everfree forest in years. I vow that I will return but after what's happened to this land, I fear it may prove difficult."
The mare's smile slowly faded as she nodded in understanding. "I truly hope that they are safe, please my dear have a seat by the warm fire and I will fetch your soup. My name is Hazel Oak, if you need anything I'll be more than happy to help."
Neeyrah expressed her gratitude and quickly settled onto a cushioned seat. She let out a deep sigh of relief as the soft crackling of the flames and the warmth from the fire surrounded her, soothing her frayed nerves. She noticed the other two stallions choosing to sit away from the fire, assuming their drinks had provided an alternative source of warmth.
The doe's brief moment of respite was abruptly disturbed by a deep, hoarse voice coming from one of the stallions situated at the back corner. "That cursed thing in the sky... What it is tonight, madam?" he inquired.
He knew, they all knew. But Neeyrah gave him her answer nonetheless.
"Green, Sir."
The earth pony was silent for a moment before taking a long swig of his bottle. The unicorn at the next table did the same, a dark blue hue surrounded his bottle as it levitated towards his lips. He let out an irritated grunt and turned it upside down. Empty, as was his patience it seemed. He flung it towards the wall beside him, causing a loud crash that echoed throughout the room as the scattered remains fell to the floor.
"What ish t-the point? Ish all the damn shame. Shwim, shwim, that's aaallllll we'll ever do, swiiiimmm..."
Neeyrah watched as the sad old creature's eyes went drowsy as he fell from his chair and plummeted to the cold floor. Hazel appeared from the bar gazing at his unconscious form with sorrowful eyes. She made her way towards the doe with a steaming bowl in one hoof.
"I'm sorry about Ash dear, his wife hung herself on the apple tree next to his cottage after finding their son's corpse by the river." She shook her head and gave the bowl to the shocked doe. "Poor thing, all I can do now is offer him shelter here. He's a good friend to my family. But let's not relive such depressing events, please give it a try." She motioned a hoof towards the bowl.
Neeyrah gazed at the soup and her mouth watered at the sight of the bright crimson liquid. The aroma of the tomato soup was divine, and Hazel's grin indicated that she was proud of her culinary skills. Neeyrah's amber eyes emitted a faint glow as she levitated the wooden spoon with a bright yellow hue, surprising Hazel. She closed her eyes and savored the warm liquid, forgetting all her troubles for a brief moment. As she leaned back against the chair, she looked at Hazel who had pulled up a seat next to her.
"Truly delectable Hazel, thank you very much."
The mare gave a grateful smile. "Thank you dear, we grow the tomatoes ourselves me and my husband." She gestured toward the lone pony in the corner who only gave an intense stare towards his bottle.
As she continued to savor the delicacy in her hooves, she noticed Hazel gazing at the flames with concern etched on her face. After a few moments, Hazel turned to Neeyrah and spoke, "If you don't mind me asking, I sensed something in you the moment I laid eyes on you...determination. Only a foolish creature would venture out at night. And judging by your magic, I believe you can take care of yourself just fine." Hazel paused for a moment, as if contemplating her next words.
"Could you... Possibly help us?"
She noticed the sheer desperation in her eyes, as if what Neeyrah will say next will determine the fate of this poor family. She placed her empty bowl next to a small table beside her and gave Hazel a serious look.
"What's wrong?" Her face lit up and her posture was more relaxed.
"Our daughter, she's been given a terrible curse. I begged the Order to lift it but they said only the sacrifice of tainted blood will cleanse my child. The blood of a traitor." The mare's eyes watered as she looked over her shoulder at the slumped body on the floor.
"It was only a day ago when he barged in through the door muttering like a madpony." She sighed and turned back towards the cackling flame. "He wanted to have his wife and child back, one which they offered in return for accepting the Pact." The pony visibly shuddered at the word.
Neeyrah knew all too well what the Pact entails, a ritual unknown to most nor would dare speak of aloud lest you incur the wrath of the Lord of the Astral Sea himself. Promises of power, wealth, life, death and much more. These were the many offers that have enticed most of the creatures of Equestria and beyond. But once you accept that damnable mark, the chains of eternal servitude forever grip your soul, never to break again.
The afterlife is no exception.
Hazel continued. "Of course there was always a price for the gift of life, and that price was a mare who betrayed the Order and her foal, two strangers he's never met before." She formed a proud smile. "He refused, for he was always a good soul. But time was no longer important to them. They can be very patient, and no matter how much I tried, Ash would never speak of the horrors he has witnessed in the very little time he spent in the Order."
There was a brief silence between the wary creatures before Neeyrah spoke up. "They knew you would grant him sanctuary here, and your daughter was unfortunate to receive this curse as punishment."
The pony next to her couldn't hold it in anymore as tears flowed down her cheeks. "I don't know what to do! Ash looked out for the Oak family for generations, he even helped deliver my child, watched over her for years! He's family to us, and I will NEVER sacrifice family!"
Neeyrah was left speechless by the mare's tears. To her, the desolation of their land made parenthood seem like more of a curse than a blessing. Nevertheless, she reached out with a gentle hoof to comfort the sobbing mare. As she did, a soft creak echoed through the room, and she turned to see Hazel's husband Stalwart on his knees beside them.
"P-please, good madam," he pleaded, his voice thick with emotion. "Save our daughter."
Neeyrah paused for a moment, her thoughts racing. This wife and mother of the Oak family has shown a complete stranger nothing but kindness. She feared that such hospitality was rare these days. There was no question to it, she was going to repay their kindness. She could only pray that her lifelong studies of her kinds gift of light magic would be enough. Finally, she spoke with a soft but determined voice. "Take me to her."
Even before the doe approached the room in the back of the inn she could sense the rot seeping through the cracks in the walls, making her feel uneasy. She wondered how such a wicked curse could have been inflicted on an innocent filly. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced her mind as her eyes located the door. She couldn't help but groan in pain, holding a hoof to her head for support.
The concerned looks on Hazel's and Stalwart's faces did not go unnoticed by Neeyrah. Stalwart placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder and asked, "Are you feeling alright, Neeyrah?"
The pain subsided but nothing could help the growing dread she felt. "It knows the light is here, I can't turn back now." She pushed onwards towards the gate of the void, the parents following close behind. She paused just as her hoof was inches away from the rotting wood. Fear leeched into her veins turning her blood to ice. But the thought of the poor suffering child gave her the courage to push the door open.
The odor of decay was overwhelming, filling the room with an abysmal stench. It felt as though death had wrapped its chilling embrace around the space, enveloping it like a tomb. Grotesque limbs of different creatures were scattered throughout the room, their grasping claws and hooves lurching hungrily in every direction. A pungent black ooze covered everything, coating the room in a thick, dark abyss that had an almost suffocating quality. Madness.
Neeyrah felt the chilling gaze from the farthest corner of the bedroom, where a pair of glowing dark green orbs pierced the darkness, peering into her very soul. The creature’s mouth hung agape, its head positioned at an unimaginably grotesque angle. It boasted a small, malformed figure that sparked revulsion in the pit of her stomach; limbs jutted out from multiple locations, and bones protruded from its mottled, decayed flesh. It was a sight too abhorrent for her to comprehend - this was her, the progeny of the Oak family.
She heard the screams of a horrified parent from behind her. "NO, NO, NO!!! It can't be! I put her to bed just minutes ago! This cant be possible!" The sense of shock and despair in the parent's voice was palpable, causing Neeyrah's heart to race with fear. A thud was also heard as consciousnes betrayed Stalwart. The doe would've suffered the same fate if not for the ancient power in her blood begging to be released. She refused to let it end like this. Suddenly her amber eyes blazed with a fiery intensity reminiscent of the radiant sun.
Neeyrah raised her hoof towards the thing in the corner, several age old markings glowed around her foreleg. She directed a blinding radiant beam towards the creature. The corruption inside the room gave an unnatural screech at the sight. The light of purity soon lifted up and engulfed the eldritch being, scorching it's malformed body. A cacophony of screams reverberated throughout the inn, but a noticably high pitched wail of a child overpowered all of them.
Her head was throbbing and her vision blurred almost to the brink of unconsciousness. But an incredible overwhelming force drove her to press on, hope has found it's way back home. A beautiful, thin, golden object suddenly materialized in front of Neeyrah, giving off a warm incandescent glow. The shape of a long blade protruded from the tip, resembling that of a holy spear.
As if driven by pure instinct, the doe sprinted towards the child, the glint of the blade aimed directly at the heart of the darkness. The writhing mass of limbs lunged forward, clawing and tearing through cloth and flesh with effortless abandon. Suddenly, a blinding burst of energy erupted from the blade and filled the room, causing the thick flesh to boil and churn as the horde of flailing limbs screech in agony. As the light faded away, the void that had consumed the room was lifted, replaced by an eerie stillness.
The cozy interior of a child's room replaced the nightmare that plagued this room mere moments ago. The rotten smell was changed to a pleasant earthly aroma of the wood. Neeyrah finally opened her eyes and let out a huge breath that she didn't realize she was holding. She looked down to find a small frail figure in her forelegs, clutched closely to the warm fur of her chest. A filly, with the unmistakable toned coat of an oak tree, and a silky mane with an orange colored hue of the scattered leaves in the fall. The little filly gave soft breaths letting Neeyrah know that she was alive and safe. Her eyes watered as she came to the realization that she herself broke this malevolent curse, saving this pure innocent child.
Soft steps approached as she looked up to see a speechless Hazel with eyes widened in disbelief. Neeyrah carefully gave the sleeping child to her mother, she held her close as she gave weeps of utter joy. A grunt came from the doorway as Stalwart lifted his head and gasped at the sight before him. He looked to Neeyrah with hopeful eyes. "Could it be true?"
She smiled and gave a nod. The father lifted himself up with haste and rushed towards his family, hugging them both.
But in this new world, peace was never meant to last. A loud crash came from the entrance of the inn. All heads turned towards the direction of the disturbance, save the filly who was spared from having awoken once more to this realm of horror. Neeyrah's eyes never left the doorway. "Stay here." She ordered softly, she didn't wait for a reply as she headed back towards the open area of the inn.
A dark murky mist flooded the building and snuffed out the candles and extinguished the warm flame to dying embers.
Three mysterious figures stood ominously in the center of the room, cloaked in exquisitely crafted black robes. Intricate symbols were etched onto each robe, stretching from the hems to the edges. The left robes symbols were brilliantly dyed in a deep shade of crimson, while the right one was a light blush pink. Yet, it was the middle one that drew Neeyrah's attention - its etchings radiated a sinister, glowing green that seem to almost pulsate with ominous energy. Neeyrah's golden eyes scanned each figure, each face of the abyss staring back at her with an eerie, almost haunting quality. However, it was the only visible pair of eyes on the middle figure that struck her the most - they looked terribly familiar, as though they had been burned into her memory only moments ago.
She wished she never looked to the left of them. Levitating just beside them was the figure of the Oak family's longtime friend. Widened eyes, choking and gurgling. Ash's neck was slit wide open, but somehow his blood poured out upwards towards the ceiling. Almost as if some force was calling his life essence to return to the stars, or perhaps The star. Neeyrah forced herself not to puke, but try as she might she just couldn't look away.
The central figure extended a shadowy hoof towards the tremulous deer. "Lightbearer, your transgression will be pardoned as the debt has been settled. But know this cervid, defy His will once more, and the Order of Dissonance will consign you to the deepest abyss of the Astral Sea."
Hundreds, thousands, millions of screams echoed through her mind, a deafening chorus of agony that threatened to overwhelm her. She squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears, desperate to mute their relentless cries. But it was no use—the screams only grew louder, more unbearable with each passing second.
"Please," she whimpered, tears streaming down her face. "Make it stop."
She opened her eyes to plead to her tormentors but just as the screams finally subsided the robed figures have vanished, along with poor Ash. Was he to be added to the ever growing collection of screams? She dare not think about it, nor was it possible to think at the moment. She held a hoof to her chest as her heartbeat grew rapid and her breathes short. Her whole body was shaking uncontrollably.
Neeyrah had never before confronted the infamous members of the Order directly; their chilling reputation was constructed from whispers and horrifying tales, each of which she now accepted as truth. Her slender figure collapsed onto the oaken floorboards and weeped for the souls confined within their relentless ocean of agony. She found herself yearning to give each glowing fragment of her fractured heart to them. Hoping, praying that it would be just enough to give them a sense of relief, that some creature out there is doing whatever they could to save them.
She winced in excruciating pain as her wounds from the dreadful room became painfully visible. Crimson blood oozed through her tan fur, landing in a soft patter as they formed a small puddle beneath her trembling form. A debilitating wave of fatigue swept over her, an after-effect of her intense exertion of her magical energy. With a final, weary exhale, she let the encroaching shadows envelope her. Though slumber offered a temporary respite, the enduring nightmare awaited patiently, ever ready to welcome her back into its eerie embrace.