//------------------------------// // 1st Candle // Story: Kaidan // by Lupine Infernis //------------------------------// “Excuse me. Excuse me, mister?” Onyx, an average farmpony taking his routine route into town to sell produce, stopped in his tracks. The wagon he was pulling jostled, years and weather loosening the rivets in the wheels; he meant to get them replaced a dog’s age ago, but things kept coming up. Adjusting his equally weathered hat, Onyx turned his head to the cast-iron gates standing double his height. Peering through the thick, cold bars, her face practically squeezing through, was a pretty, young filly dolled up in a dress so gaudy that his eyes took personal offense. The filly’s big blue eyes were wide and frightened. “Mister, could you please help me?” Onyx blinked and looked at the brick walls on either side of the portal. To be more precise, he looked at the golden plaque above the mail slot. Gold Tooth Residence It took him some time to make out the words; they were etched in some fancy scripture. He was slightly ashamed that he did not already know this since he walked past this gate many, many times before. Then again, the manor behind this gate was owned by the type of ponies that wouldn’t give his type the time of day. Hell, they probably had a servant go into town to purchase their food, so he wouldn’t have seen their faces at the marketplace. Onyx suddenly realized that he was being addressed, and however great the gap in societal status between him and this filly was, manners should always be respected – that’s what his pappy taught him. “Hey there, little lady,” Onyx tipped his hat and gave a reassuring smile while discreetly searching the courtyard behind the gate for the filly’s parents. “Somethin’ I can do for ye?” The filly sighed in relief. “Oh, thank you ever so much. Y-yes, I could really use your help. Oh!” Her small white hoof stuck through the bars. “My name is Jade Gold Tooth. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Onyx grimaced as he looked down at her hoof. It was only right to return a shake, but… “Ah, ye see, little miss, my hooves are awful dirty comin’ here from my farm. Don’t have cobblestone there, ye see. I wouldn’t wanna-” “It’s fine. I don’t mind.” Onyx shrugged and reached over to shake Jade’s hoof. “Pleasure’s all mine.” She was so small. Jade pulled her foreleg back, ignoring the dirt on her white fur. She was focused solely on him. “Mister, I’m sorry to disturb you, but I don’t know what else to do. My parents won’t do anything, and my brother…” Her face fell. “My brother’s always busy.” Onyx nodded. Family troubles? “I’ll hear ye out, little miss. And I’ll do whatever I can, but don’t go expectin’ miracles now.” “Yes, well, you see…” Jade turned her head and whimpered. “There’s a dog next door.” Onyx looked down the path he was taking. There was another manor further down. Another gate. Another brick wall sealing the outside world from a rich stallion’s property. Onyx didn’t know who lived there, either. “A dog?” He turned back to the filly, unable to hide his amusement. “Ye scared of dogs, little miss?” “No, I love dogs,” Jade protested. “But… not this one. He… barks at me all the time.” “Dogs get mighty protective of their home,” Onyx replied in a gentler tone, noticing the filly’s fear. “Is he loose?” Jade nodded firmly. “Yes, he is.” “Hm,” Onyx clicked his tongue. “Owner should know to keep their hound secure.” “Well…” Jade averted her gaze for an instant. “He’s never allowed outside the gates, but I think there’s a hole in the wall or something because he gets out when I’m here by myself and stands outside-” “By yourself?!” It wasn’t good manners to interrupt, but Onyx was startled. “No one stays home with you?” Jade looked down despondently. “Mom and dad are always busy. My brother spends all his time down at his friend’s office, too. I think he wants to become an accountant because he always talks about money,” She turned her head, referring to the neighbouring manor. “The lady who lives there leaves in the morning and comes back at night.” Onyx frowned. “Ye got no sitters? Nopony to look after ye?” She shook her head. “My tutor comes on the weekends, but that’s it.” “How old are ye?” “Ten.” A dark flame burned in Onyx’s breast. He adjusted his hat to keep his hooves occupied. “Hm. Ain’t old enough for that. Yer a tough filly, ye know?” Jade beamed shyly. “Thank you, mister. You’re very kind.” Onyx took another few seconds to cool off before gesturing down the path. “So, about this dog – ye say he only barks at ye when yer by your lonesome?” Jade nodded, shooting a sour glare in its direction. “Always. He never barks when my parents or my brother are home. He doesn’t bark when that lady comes home, too. And-and…!” She turned back to him, grimacing. “He stands outside the gates when he does it. Right where you’re standing.” Onyx looked down at his hooves. “Huh.” “And whenever he hears somepony coming down the road, he runs back home.” “Ain’t that something,” Onyx tipped his hat up and scratched a spot near his temple. “Sounds like a smart ‘un. Ye know when he started doing this?” Jade was quiet for a bit. “Almost two weeks ago. I told my parents, and they talked to the lady next door, but that dog doesn’t do anything when the adults are around, so…” She gave a helpless shrug. “I’m too scared to go over there, so I tried getting adults that walk by to help.” “Ye shouldn’t talk to ponies ye don’t know, little miss.” Her eyebrows rose. “But you didn’t know me.” “Well, yeah, but… Aw, shucks – ye got me there. Anyhow, what is it ye want done, exactly? Barking or no, I ain’t gonna hurt the beast…” “No, no, no!” Jade shook her head wildly. “He scares me, but I don’t want him dead! Or hurt. I just want him to stop barking. I thought… Well, my mom said that when my brother used to act up, dad would give him a spanking and a lecture.” Onyx’s tail twitched in sympathy. “My pappy was the same.” “I don’t think you should spank the dog…” Jade trailed off a little, seemingly envisioning the sight. “But can’t you give him a stern talk? Maybe he does that because his owner never disciplines him.” It was a far-fetched idea, Onyx thought. He didn’t have much confidence something like that would work, but Jade seemed desperate and he did say he would help. She wasn’t asking for a miracle. Ah, what the hell? Dogs were pretty dang smart, so it was worth a shot. Onyx opened his mouth to agree- “Somepony else said they’d do it, too,” Jade said suddenly. “But when he went over, they stood still for a while, then just ran off.” Onyx blinked. “Ran off? Why?” “I don’t know. The dog wasn’t barking and he’s not that big.” Onyx mulled that over for a bit before casting it aside as unimportant. “Well, little miss, I’ll do what I can.” Jade squealed and bounced. “Thank you so much, mister! Don’t be sad if it doesn’t work. I’m just happy that you’re trying!” Onyx grinned as he unhooked himself from the wagon. What a sweet little filly. Wiping his brow, Onyx trotted down the road until he was past the Golden Tooth manor and onto… He squinted at the plaque as he went by. “Copper Ear, eh? Hm. My grand-pappy was Copper, if I remember right.” Another cast iron gate stood before him. Onyx peered through the bars. He spotted the dog easily enough. It was curled up at the manor’s front door – small and white with brown spots. The beast was barely larger than Jade. Some full-grown stallion ran from this? Hell, that would have been a sight to see. Onyx shrugged with a smirk. “Welp, better get on it…” He wet his lips and stepped closer to the gate. “Oi!” The dog jerked and looked over at him. “Ye better think twice ‘fore ye go around scarin’ little fillies, ye hear?!” Onyx snorted and pawed at the dirt. “I’ll give yer hide a good tannin’ if my ears catch wind of yer shenanigans!” The dog got up and trotted over, a studded collar jingling with each step. He seemed to be in good shape; his owner looked after him well despite her absence. Onyx was perhaps having a bit too much fun with this. He kept shouting: “Tough boy, ain’t ye? Think ye can come over and wrangle with this here farmpony, eh? Ye got-” The dog stared at him. Onyx’s throat seized up. He felt cold claws caress his neck. The dog stared at him. Slowly, with cold sweat running down his neck, Onyx backed away from the gate. The dog stared at him. Onyx retreated until the dog’s eyes were no longer on him, then he turned and sprinted back to the Gold Tooth residence. Jade was waiting for him. “Mister? What’s-” “Little miss, why are his eyes like that?” Onyx’s teeth clacked against one another. He felt sick. “Why does he look like he knows…!” Jade blinked, alarmed. “Wh-what? Knows what?” “He just…” Onyx struggled to get the words out. “He just knows! He knows what I’m trying to do, he knows what I’m saying, he just- he knows in a way that dogs shouldn’t know!” “Mister-” “I-I gotta get goin’.” “W-wait! Mister, w-wait, please! Don’t leave me!” Onyx didn’t go into town that day. He hooked back up to his wagon and went back to his farm without turning back to the girl’s cries. Some distance later, he swore he could hear barking on the wind. Two days later, Onyx found himself on the dirt path approaching the Gold Tooth manor, sans wagon. He wasn’t coming to town for business; he wasn’t coming to town in general. No, he had to make amends for what he did. Since he ran with his tail between his legs, Onyx had been wracked with guilt; it manifested as a jagged lump in his belly and gnawed at the back of his head, persistent no matter how hard he threw himself into his chores. Hell, he’d finished fixing his barn because he was so dang antsy. He’d planned to put it off until the weather got warmer. But no matter what he did, his mind drifted back to Jade and her pleas. And that dog – the dog that knew too much. Even now, he couldn’t forget the intelligence in that beast’s eyes, nor could he explain just what it was that made his skin crawl. The dog knew, that was the best Onyx could do. Onyx shook his head as the iron gate loomed closer. Today, he would own his cowardice and try to make up for it. It was only right that Jade had somepony around she could rely on, especially since she had to put up with that beast’s unnatural gaze and constant barking by herself. Onyx arrived to see Jade staring at him through the bars. Her eyes were dark and miserable. “Hey, mister…” “I…” Onyx spent all morning rehearsing his apology, but one look at the filly’s face was enough to make him forget. He could only fumble in silence before hanging his head. “I’m sorry, little miss.” “It’s okay.” As silence stretched between them, Onyx looked ahead to the Copper Ear residence. He knew the dog was there, but at least he couldn’t feel those haunting eyes boring into the back of his skull. But it was so quiet now. Onyx turned to Jade. “Little miss, I… I ain’t too sure what’s going on with that dog, but I couldn’t leave ye alone. But I’m ashamed to say that I don’t have much of a solution for yer problem.” “Please kill it.” Onyx inhaled sharply. “I-I know I shouldn’t be asking. I know it’s wrong,” Jade’s eyes glistened with stored tears. “But he keeps barking. He barks and barks and he won’t stop!” There was a hitch in her breathing as she gripped the bars of the gate with all her might. “Sometimes… s-sometimes it doesn’t even sound like he’s barking. He’s a monster. Please, mister, you have to help me.” Onyx swallowed, his throat dry. His mind was frayed. “Little miss-” Then, the most ferocious snarling drew his attention. Onyx turned and saw a stallion in a fancy blue shirt further down the road staring in shock at the gate to Copper Ear’s manor. He could hear claws scrabbling at the bars and see a flash of a muzzle filled with sharp teeth poking through the gaps. The stallion’s shock turned to anger, and he spat a curse before going on his way, only to stop again when he noticed Onyx. His eyes hardened. “Who in blazes are you?” Onyx tipped his hat with a trembling hoof. “Mornin’. My name’s Onyx – I own the farm just down this here road,” He paused, distracted as the dog’s actions ceased. “Was just making small talk with this little miss.” The stallion stared. “Is that you, brother?” Jade called out. Jade’s ‘brother’ snorted. “Yes, an astute observation. My name is Amber,” He walked forward, looking at Onyx with disdain. “Sorry but I have business to attend to. Excuse me.” Onyx took a step back as Amber undid the latch on the gate. “So, listen, sir, yer kin’s got herself a little problem-” Amber laughed, mirthless and cold. “Oh, she does, hm? Is it about that mongrel, perhaps?” “W-well-” “He was growling at you just now, wasn’t he?” Jade hopped up and down as Amber slipped inside, then hurriedly turned to close the gate again. “Why won’t you believe me?” Amber rolled his eyes and looked at Onyx through the bars. “Pay her no mind. That mongrel scares her apparently.” Onyx frowned. “Ye see, I went over there and-” “Forgive me, but I’m more concerned with my family’s wealth than the irrational fears of a filly,” Amber paused, then with as much venom as he could summon, spat, “Or the problems of some hick.” And with that, he stormed off to the manor. Onyx watched him go with indignation. “Why that no-good, son of a…!” He caught himself and glanced at Jade apologetically. “A lovely, intelligent mare, I’m sure.” Jade shook her head. “He’s a big doo-doo head.” “I’m inclined to agree, little miss.” “All he cares about is money,” She kicked the ground in frustration. “And his inheri… his, um… inheresy?” Onyx paused to think. “Inheritance?” “Yeah, that word,” Jade sighed. “I don’t really get it, but he was supposed to get a lot of money from mom and dad, but then I was born, so now we have to share it. Now he goes to that friend of his in town to talk about it and sometimes I hear him muttering in his room. I can’t hear him clearly, but he sounds upset.” “But ain’t that fair? Seems like yer folks are swimmin’ in bits.” “But he wants all of it,” Jade turned her head to the side. “I don’t care. He can have it if he wants. I’d be happy if that dog would just…” Onyx didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing. An uncomfortable period of time passed before Jade spoke. “It’s okay, mister. You don’t have to do anything. Just forget about it,” She turned and trudged to the manor. “Thanks for stopping by.” Onyx wanted to stop her. He wanted to say he’d do it. But he kept his mouth shut and watched her helplessly. And when the door to the manor swung shut, a sudden rage overtook him, and he stomped over to the Copper Ear residence. The dog stared at him. “Yer a mangy mutt, ye know that?” Onyx hissed in a low tone. He had to stay angry to look into those brown, unnatural eyes. “That poor girl has enough on her plate without ye adding to it. Ye feel good tormentin’ an innocent filly?” The dog stared at him. “Choke on a bone, ye mongrel.” Onyx spat on the dirt and turned away. The dog barked. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t sharp. It wasn’t threatening. It was a low ‘woof’ to get his attention. And it kept making that noise as Onyx turned. The dog barked and barked, staring at him with a crushing intensity. Onyx searched those brown eyes and felt himself trembling at the knowledge that shouldn’t be there. He went to walk back home- The dog barked jumped on its hind legs and scrabbled at the bars, still going ‘whuf, whuf, whuf.’ Onyx flinched, looked at it, then turned away again. ‘Whuf, whuf, whuf, whuf.’ The dog whimpered. Onyx gasped and stared in shock. That wasn’t a whimper he’d ever heard a dog make before. It sounded tortured, desperate. The dog gave that strained whine again, barked, then convulsed like it was about to spew. More barking. More whining. More convulsing. Onyx trembled at the desperation in the beast’s eyes. “Wh-what do you want from me?” ‘Whuf, whu…’ Whimper. ‘Glk… guk!’ The dog went on all fours, convulsed, and hacked up droplets of blood. Then, he went back on his hind legs and clawed at the bars. ‘Whurf! Whug! Urt!’ Onyx’s eyes widened. ‘Whurt! W-waaaiiit…’ Onyx turned to run back home and found that he had already left Gold Tooth manor far behind him. He ran. He ran. He ran. Then, he stopped. He turned and ran back. His hat flew off his head. Onyx did not know why he was doing this. Perhaps because he already ran once and couldn’t bear the thought of doing it again. He did not know, but his mind was made up. Gold Tooth manor loomed into view. He could hear the dog. It was whining, crying – screaming. “He’s going to kill you! You have to get out! Amber is going to kill you!” Onyx did not pause to give thought to what he was hearing. He simply acted. He climbed over the wall and ran to the manor. He slammed into the doors. Locked. He doubled back and ran into them again, breaking them off their hinges. “He’ll kill her! He’ll kill her!” “Jade!” Onyx’s wild eyes bounced across the entrance hall, all the many stairs and doors. “Jade!” “He’s going to kill her! He’ll kill her!” Onyx picked a direction and ran. Through the hallways, through the rooms. “He’ll kill her!” Onyx barged through a door. He saw Amber atop Jade. His hooves were on her neck. There was a burlap sack to the side. Jade’s face was pale. Onyx acted. Amber’s feral features morphed into shock before Onyx slammed his hoof into him so hard that Amber flew across the room and banged his head against the corner of a desk. He didn’t move. Onyx, panting and soaked with sweat, gently cradled Jade. “It’s okay, little miss – you’re safe now. I’ll get you to town. You’ll be right,” He moved Jade onto his back and walked out of the room. “You’ll be right, little miss.” Out the manor. Out the gate. Onyx passed Copper Ear residence and looked inside. He saw the dog slumped against the wall facing Jade’s home, still as Amber had been. There was blood dripping from the matted red fur on his mouth and his eyes were dull and lifeless. Twilight watched as Fluttershy got up, went over to the vanity, and blew out a candle – the first of 16. “Wow, that was a chilling story. I’m surprised, honestly.” “Oh, th-thank you.” Fluttershy smiled bashfully and trotted back to their group and laid down on her sleeping bag. Rainbow Dash nodded and grabbed a hoof’s worth of popcorn. “Your scary stories have improved, like, 120%,” She paused to scarf her score down. “But I don’t know… it seems more sad than scary.” “I thought it was perfect,” Rarity said. “Alas, I do wish that poor dog had survived.” Twilight’s ears twitched as she heard the wind howling outside the Crystal Castle’s windows. It was supposed to rain later, too, which only meant prime conditions for this sleepover activity. Luna had suggested it to her when she mentioned having a sleepover with her friends: a night spent telling scary stories with each tale being marked by snuffing out a candle placed beside a mirror. It was called ‘Kaidan’ – a Neighpanese game from a past age. The materials and conditions were simple to get: A room with a mirror – Twilight’s new castle had literally dozens, but they chose Rarity’s guest room because it had the largest one. Candles – Twilight got them at half-price. Midnight – well, it’d be concerning if they couldn’t get that. Willing participants – Fluttershy took some convincing, but along with Starlight and Trixie, they had 8 in total. A shame Spike couldn’t come, but he was enjoying a guy’s night out with Discord and Big Mac. And that was all that was needed to have a creepy yet exhilarating sleepover! Twilight felt like this sleepover was going to be a 100% success. “Okay…” Twilight grinned gleefully and searched the faces of her friends. “Who wants to go next?”