“Twi, I told you this weren’t wise.”
The orange mare limped behind her boss, her hoofsteps clicking against the cobblestone a beat behind the unicorn’s. Her saddlebag sat heavy on her haunches, various tools folded neatly inside swaying with the weight of each step.
“And why is that?” Twilight called back, unfolding a piece of parchment from her saddlebag. The written address’s twin was somewhere along this road.
“A case like this? It ain’t befittin’ to ponies of our title. The church-”
“Has no influence on our duty, Applejack. You and I both know that our leaders don’t like touching these sorts of things.”
“I sincerely doubt The Church of Magic would reject a case if it was worth their time, much less the time of two understudies!”
“Understudies?” Twilight parroted.
“I’ll have you know that I’m quite a few ranks above you, Applejack-!”
“Like you’d ever let me forget. Spare me the lecture, ‘o mighty Clairevoyant. I’m sure you sense my cares slippin’ away.”
As she caught up to her superior, Applejack grinned wryly as she put a hoof to the mare’s shoulder.
“Don’t make you any less of an understudy. I’m just comfortably lower than ya.”
“And lower you’ll stay with that attitude! Hand me the compass.”
Twilight murmured as she jerked open Applejack’s bag, digging out the compass.
“Miss Azure Skies’ residence should be just down this avenue.” She dipped her head low in concentration as shimmering purple magic enveloped the floating compass, flipping it open and igniting its functions. The compass, a magical artifact lent to all underlings in the Church of Magic, was a stunning blend of practical clockwork and ancient magic. With a simple ignition spell, along with a mental input of the address to their destination, the tool sprung to life and spun in midair.
“I hope you’re not just usin’ that for the light show. Single use an’ all.” The earth pony remarked.
“The alternative navigation spell gives me a nasty headache. This is much more convenient for the time being.”
As the compass oriented itself, it shot down the cobblestone road, leaving magnesium moonlight in its wake. The line of light followed the path and lingered for several seconds, making it quite easy for the ponies to see where they were supposed to be heading even in the dim night. The two mares trotted along the lit pathway with confidence. Well, Twilight seemed quite confident. Applejack assumed that despite her professionalism, Twilight probably was enjoying the light show.
In not a lot of time at all, the compass made its final stop in front of a cozy looking townhome. Having fulfilled its use, the little gizmo locked itself up tight and powered down, plopping itself into its resting place in the saddlebag to recharge itself over the night.
“This is it?” Applejack asked.
Azure Skies’ townhome looked quite inviting. The windows emitted a warm glow that illuminated the front garden as if this little home was where Celestia’s sun laid to rest during cold nights. You wouldn't expect such a welcoming environment to house evil within its walls.
Applejack was the first to tread up the steps to the door, straightening up and giving the door a dignified knock. For a few moments, the two ponies stood in wait, listening intently for any life inside. With a resounding click of a lock being undone, the two stood back as the wooden door creaked open. Inch by cautionary inch, a tired sapphire eye was revealed peaking through the door.
“Y-You two? T-The…The Church?” The earth pony inquired, her words bursting from her lips. Twilight and Applejack took note of her timid nature, and in turn softened their demeanor.
“Yes, Miss Skies.” Twilight nodded. “We’re here to help.”
The pony’s pupil darted side to side, then dilated ever so slightly in relaxation.
“Y-Yes. Alright. Please, c-c-c…” She swung the door open and heaved a nervous breath.
“...Come in.”
Coaxed into the entryway, the two ponies almost let their guard down and forgot about their mission. The house was truly something to be called a home, warm and inviting even during that cold night.
“P-Please, have a seat.” Azure gestured towards the cushioned twin seats with their backs to the wallpaper. The mares took their seats, Applejack groaning softly as she loosened her saddlebag and heaved it next to her to relieve her back of the strain.
“Now, Miss Skies,” Twilight began, igniting her horn to pull the same piece of parchment holding the address in front of her.
“You were quite vague in your letter.”
“I’m…I’m sorry. I was afraid that if I shared too much…If somepony other than the ones at the church happened to get a hold of it…They could…they could find my daughter…and they might… ” The mare stared down at the birch coffee table, eyes glazing over in a horrid dream.
“Hey, it’s alright.” Applejack interrupted.
“We’re here now, ain’t we?”
Azure Skies nodded, blinking away her doubt.
“I haven’t slept much since Nightlight stopped sleeping altogether.”
“Your daughter?” Twilight prodded.
“She hasn’t blinked, or, or spoken since this…issue came to be. Her teachers began to worry about her when she refused to answer their questions during lessons. She…She hasn’t slept, and you can tell by her eyes that the poor filly is exhausted, but she carries on… Her pace is unbroken, she barely wavers when she trots!”
She slouched in her seat, blue hooves entangling in her yellow mane as she recounted her filly’s affliction.
“It’s as if the life has been sucked from her, but she’s…being puppeted, somehow. In brief moments where she seems lucid, she has such a hateful expression…”
As the distraught mare’s eyes welled with tears, Twilight steadily unpacked her personal tome from her bag.
“Do you believe your daughter is undead, Miss Skies?”
“Twi.” Applejack warned.
Azure shook her head.
“No…Nightlight is still burning bright… I know she is..!”
The mare looked up from her sobs.
“Please… Don’t let her flame go out! If you can just help her sleep, or anything at all..!”
Twilight nodded slowly, licking her lips as she breezed through her tome.
“I believe I know what to do. Can you show us to Nightlight’s room?”
Azure shot up, then jumped off her seat to trot down the hallway. It was clear she wanted to fix this as soon as possible.
“Yes, yes! Right this way!”
Twilight and Applejack followed her, the hall seemed to darken with each step. It was as if they were venturing farther from the sunny home rather than deeper into it.
Nightlight was the darkest part of her bedroom. She was huddled in the deepest corner next to her bed, as if lain in soot.
“Lightning Bug?” Azure’s voice was light, masking her shivering vibrato in a whisper.
“I brought them.”
Twilight and Applejack cautiously peeked into the room that Ms. Skies had opened for them. Possessed or cursed ponies had a tendency to show aggression when faced with ponies of the church, even if they’ve been nothing but docile before. When the filly remained still as a statue, they shared a nervous glance before venturing inside.
“Nightlight?” Twilight inquired.
Nightlight did not respond.
“Hey, sweetie.” Applejack slowly walked closer.
“Your ma says you’re havin’ a hard time sleeping. Did somethin’ happen to you?”
Applejack kneeled down to the filly’s level, trying to see her unblinking eyes.
Her heart stopped when absolutely nothing stared back at her.
The form previously thought to be a filly laying on her side turned out to be a twisted mockery of such an assumption. The child looked to be mummified, her coat dry and encased in charred flesh. Her eyes were sunken into blackness, as if she had been rotting in that corner for centuries. Even her cutie mark seemed nonexistent.
“Twilight…” Applejack choked out. Twilight’s gaping mouth let out a shrill shiver as she illuminated the corpse-like statue before her with her horn.
The two church ponies slowly turned to gaze at Azure Skies, who looked equally mortified. Her breath seemed to stop in her throat, her pupils shrunken into pinpricks. All at once, the terror of a mourning mother washed over her face.
“Nih…Night…Luh…”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she worked up her volume in a wretched cry. She pushed past the girls and groveled at her filly.
“Nih…My… My baby, no..! I’m nothing when…no…no…”
Try as she may, she could not form a sentence amidst her wailing. Twilight put a hoof to her mouth, trying her best not to be sick.
Then, it stopped. The two ponies looked up as Azure suddenly stood straight with her back turned to them. She turned on her back legs and trotted at a medium pace back to the door.
“Silly me.” She spoke in a croak.
“I’ve done this song and dance before. How could I have forgotten?”
She stood out in the hall, then closed the door so she could only peek through the crack. She flashed a wicked smile that made the pair of mares realize what they walked into far too late.
“I could never have children!”
It was a trap.
With that, she slammed the door shut, then locked it in place. As the ponies realized the danger they were in, they heard a shuffling sound from the corner of the room.