//------------------------------// // 9th Candle // Story: Kaidan // by Lupine Infernis //------------------------------// “Hey, what is that? Mare carrying all that crap, I’m talking to you!” Coco turned her head in surprise. She was the sort to go unnoticed in daily life, a trait that Suri exploited gratuitously. Coco felt it was both a blessing and a curse, the former because usually being stopped in the streets of Manehattan entailed further grief. The pony who stopped her was a stallion she had just walked past. He was dressed in flashy clothing with gaudy jewellery; a sign he likely worked in the fashion business, but Coco did not recognize him. Nervously, she dared to reply. “P-pardon?” “That, that…” He waved his hoof in circles. “Thing following ya,” He then pointed to the ground between them. “Don’t tell me ya don’t see it.” Coco followed his line of sight and noticed something on the pavement. At first, she thought it was a spool of silver thread she dropped but realized shortly that she didn’t buy that colour. She took a closer look and jumped when it moved. “Wah?!” It was as big as her hoof, shaped like a rubber ball, and covered in long, silver hairs. There were no other distinguishing features; no mouth, no eyes, no legs – it was a hairy sphere that moved too distinctly to be a result of the faint breeze. Coco wasn’t afraid of mice and even if she was, this thing still wouldn’t invoke feelings of revulsion or fright. The most she felt was a slight aversion to its moist strands. ‘Where did it come from? How long was it behind me?’ “So, you didn’t know?” The stallion grunted and took a step forward. “Whatever, it’s an eyesore, so I’ll deal with it.” “No, wait!” Coco couldn’t ‘hurry’ with all the materials she was balancing, but her tone was enough to make the stallion pause. “It’s not doing anypony harm, so…!” The silver sphere rolled to the side languidly. “Tch, fine,” The stallion turned and went on his way. “Don’t blame me if it gives ya some crazy disease.” Coco breathed a sigh of relief, then looked down at the… creature? “Um, hello there,” It didn’t reply, probably because it didn’t have a mouth. “Are you…? I should take you to a vet, perhaps, but I really need to bring these to Suri or she’ll get mad. Can you be patient for a little bit?” It bobbed slightly. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Despite lacking any visible means of registering its environment, the little sphere – Coco decided to call it ‘Silver’ – rolled after her with little trouble. It kept close to her legs, lagging just enough to avoid tripping her. Coco got a few strange looks on the way, but nothing that was worth noting about. Arriving at Suri’s apartment, Coco opened the door and walked in. She saw Suri at her desk, working on something. “About time,” Suri sighed without turning. “Did you get lost on the way?” “No, but something odd happened,” Coco put the materials down in a safe place. “A little animal, I think, started following me.” Suri put her threading needle down and levelled a dark glare at her. “It’s not a cat, is it?” Coco shuddered. “N-no.” “… A dog?” Suri’s glare softened somewhat and she sounded… hopeful? “I doubt that.” “Then get rid of it,” Suri growled and got up to search the apartment. “Can’t let it mess up my talent, m’kay? So, where is it?” Coco blinked and looked around her legs. “It… was just here.” “You lost it?” “I-I’m sure it’s just… Er…” Suri slapped her hoof against her forehead. “Jeez…” “I’ll find it! Fast!” “Yes, you will.” Coco went through the apartment in search of Silver. She looked under the couches and chairs, checked the closets and the hallway outside the apartment, and even checked the materials she brought back on the chance that Silver mistook them for his own kind. Nothing. Coco was ready to give up when she heard Suri cry out. “What is this thing? A rat?!” “M-maybe?!” Coco ran over and found Suri giving her desk a look of disgust. Silver had somehow made its way to the top and was using its hair to grab at various spools and threading needles. “Oh, look – it can use its hair like little arms.” “I don’t care – get it away!” Coco moved forward and cooed to Silver with her hooves held out. Silver seemed to have taken an interest in the needles and held onto them fast, leaving the spools behind as it, surprisingly, wriggled into Coco’s grasp. The hairs felt gross, but Silver was surprisingly warm. “Okay, let me just…” Coco grabbed one of the needles and pulled. “U-um, oh, it’s quite strong.” “Ugh, just get it out of here,” Suri sighed harshly. “And don’t come back until you’ve done it, m’kay?” Coco’s ears flattened against her skull and she quickly ran out, flinching as Suri slammed the door shut. Silver seemed content in her grasp, playing with the three needles it stole. Coco tried taking the needles away again, but Silver would not give them up, and she was afraid she would hurt it if she used too much force. Unfortunately, this meant she had to put it back on the ground and let it follow her because it would wave those needles around and prick her. Ponies were especially curious about the little hairball trailing after her; some even followed for a few metres before losing interest and going back to their previous path. Some stallion offered to buy it from her, but Coco turned him down. Coco noticed a broken bottle in the gutter and passed without much thought. A few seconds later, she heard a sharp scraping and turned around. “Ah!” Silver had rolled through the shards of the bottle and lassoed them with its hair. “No! Why did you…?” Coco stopped herself before she could try grabbing them. That would likely just end up with her getting cut and an infection. “Oh, never mind.” Several minutes later, Coco found herself in front of the veterinarian. It didn’t look busy today, which was a relief; she could get Silver checked without delay. After making sure it was still behind her, Coco walked in. This time, she made sure to keep Silver within her sights. There was one other pony in the waiting room, but it looked like they were preparing to head out. The mare and her pet cat, a rather chubby tabby, looked up on Coco’s entry. The mare grimaced spotting Silver and her cat licked its lips. Coco went up to reception. “Excuse me. I don’t have an appointment, but I was wondering if the vet could just take a loot at, um… well, I’m not sure what it is.” The receptionist yawned – didn’t even look up from her magazine. “Just go on in.” Coco opened her mouth, then closed it with a sigh. “Thanks.” Coco walked down the only corridor. Thankfully, the vet had their initials on the door, so she didn’t have to spend time wandering around looking lost. As she went through, she was greeted with the pungent scent of chemicals and animal. “Hello there,” A cheery-looking mare in a white coat seemed to have been taking stock by a wall unit holding various bottles and jars. She put down her clipboard and walked over. “Can I help with something?” Coco was reassured by the mare’s friendliness. “Yes, if you can. See, on my way home, I was followed by this animal. But I don’t know what it is,” Coco looked behind, relieved to see Silver was there. “Do you know?” The vet – her name tag said ‘Dr. Thermo’ – took one look and her eyes widened. “Mother Faust, are those needles and glass?” “Y-yes. I didn’t do that, though! It just… picked them up and won’t let go.” Dr. Thermo pursed her lips. “… Please shut the door.” Coco obeyed. Dr. Thermo approached Silver carefully. “Interesting. I’ve never seen anything like this in all my years. Where did you find it?” “Well, it found me.” “Right, you said it was following you. Hmm…” Dr. Thermo walked over to the wall unit and procured a camera. “Don’t worry – it doesn’t have a flash.” Coco stood by silently as the vet took a few pictures. Silver just sat there, playing with its needles and glass shards. Dr. Thermo put the camera aside and turned to her. “You said it won’t let go? It’s strong?” “Yes,” Coco shrugged. “But I didn’t try very hard because I was afraid I’d pull out some of its hairs.” “I see.” The vet did some more observations and jotted down some notes in her journal. Coco watched her go over to her desk and slip the journal into a drawer. She turned around and came back. “So far, my initial thought is that it’s… gone.” “Pardon?” Coco looked down and gasped. “Ah! I-I only looked away for a second!” She feared they would have to search the entire room, but her attention was drawn by a jarring bang of metal as a tray dropped to the floor. Coco looked over to the wall unit and saw Silver on one of the shelves, holding two hypodermic needles in its strands. Dr. Thermo spluttered. “Wh-what? I put those away. How did it…?” Coco was mortified. “Please come down from there! I’ll give you, um… treats? A massage?” Silver was not swayed and continued rummaging around, somehow able to cling to surfaces like an insect. It traversed several more shelves and secured an ink pen before finally coming down onto the floor. Coco spun to the vet and lowered her head. “I’m so sorry.” Dr. Thermo just blinked. “Did it just get bigger?” That couldn’t have been, but Coco took another look just to be sure. In fact, Silver had grown, just a little but enough to be noticeable. It was now slightly larger than her hoof and covered itself in even thicker strands of hair. Silver started to roll towards the vet’s desk. “Hey!” Dr. Thermo said sharply, then whistled to get its attention. When that failed, she grabbed a glove that looked like an oven mitt from the shelf and ran over, putting her hoof down in its path. “What on earth are you doing, little guy?” Like a cat, Silver’s hair stood on end and the tools it gathered lashed out at once. “Shit!” Coco covered her mouth and gasped as the vet stumbled back, clutching at the shredded glove. “Are you okay?” Dr. Thermo nodded. “It didn’t go all the way through, but damn, that surprised me.” Coco could do little but watch as Silver climbed up the desk and pulled open drawers, looting pens, pencils – anything that had a point. Her stomach felt like there was a block of ice within. “I have no idea what this thing is…” Dr. Thermo looked down at her glove and shook her head. “But I think it would be best to sedate it for now until we can bring somepony else in.” Coco nodded. “If you think that’s best…” Dr. Thermo walked over to another door Coco hadn’t noticed. “Tranqs should be in here.” The second she opened the door, everything happened in a flash. A blur of movement was all Coco saw. She only realized what had happened a second after it had already happened: Silver’s longest hairs had shot out – extended – and ensnared the cord that the bulb overhead was connected to, then used it as an anchor to swing itself pass the vet and into the closet. And at that moment, though Coco didn’t see it, one of the things it had snared sliced across Dr. Thermo’s jugular. Blood sprayed the white wall as Dr. Thermo staggered back, looking more surprised than pained as she put her hoof against the cut. Coco shrieked and ran, swiping a cloth she spotted in the corner of her vision. “Oh, Faust! Oh… oh no!” Dr. Thermo carefully sat down, her brow furrowed as she took the cloth and pushed it to her throat. “I-I… didn’t quite expect that.” Coco waved her hooves uselessly. “Wh-wh-what do I do? Get the receptionist?” “Yes, could you?” The vet seemed remarkably calm given the situation. “It doesn’t feel like a deep cut. I think. Oh, the door.” “The door?” Dr. Thermo pointed to the door. Coco grabbed the handle and slammed it shut. She could hear noises going on beyond the barrier. “My medical tools are in there,” Dr. Thermo said as she accepted Coco’s help in getting to her feet. “Scalpels, more needles – not the best place for that creature. Concerning us, I mean.” Coco trembled with terror as she bore Dr. Thermo’s weight and head for the door. She heard a new noise behind them and made the mistake of looking back. Silvery strands of hair creeped out from the gap between the door and the ground. Light glittered from the myriad of sharp objects they were wrapped around. As Coco watched, the hairs joined up and wrapped into a ball, one that was approaching the size of one used for bowling. Crying out in fear, Coco helped the vet out into the hallway and kicked the door shut. They made for reception, where the mare at the desk was only now taking her nose out of the magazine. “What the hell happened?” Dr. Thermo tried explaining, but Coco talked over her. “Please! Help me carry her. Th-there’s something-” Then, Coco heard the skittering. She only glanced over her shoulder, but it was enough: Silver was behind them, rolling along with its sharp surplus catching on the linoleum tiles – it was like a monstrous spider with hooked legs. “No!” The receptionist came around to look and gawked in horrified awe. “Holy shi-” Silver’s hairs shot out and gripped the walls. It tensed, then flung itself like a slingshot. Coco squealed in terror and pushed Dr. Thermo to the ground, instinctively throwing herself over like a shield. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the bite of her flesh being cut, but it never came. Instead, Coco heard a strangled gurgle. She lifted her head in time to see a lock of silver vanish down the receptionist’s gullet. Coco’s jaw dropped in horror as the mare blinked, seemingly shell-shocked. She coughed. Her hoof went to her stomach. She coughed again, a ribbon of bloody spittle sticking to her chin. Her eyes stretched wide as possible, losing focus. There was a hideous crack from within her body. And she collapsed on her side, unmoving and unseeing. Coco whimpered, barely keeping herself together as she urged Dr. Thermo to get back up. “Hurry, hurry, please hurry…” Dr. Thermo’s face was pale. The cloth on her neck was damp. “Ungh, what happened?” “We have to go.” The receptionist jolted. “We have to go now!” Coco helped the vet limp pass the receptionist’s body. There were more cracks and pops coming from her. Blood started seeping from her nostrils and mouth. Halfway to the door, there was a wet tearing of meat. Coco swallowed the bile as she heard a sinister scrape and knew that it was the sound of bones being sharpened against metal. “Ooh, that one was more to my tastes!” Pinkie giggled. “And I mean that in the most non-creepy way possible.” “Is there such a thing?” Rainbow Dash’s eyebrows went up. “It’s different from your first story, too. It’s a lot more dark.” “I hope that’s okay,” Fluttershy said. “There was going to be a happier ending, but I think this one suits it more.” “Interesting choice to leave it ambiguous,” Starlight added. “The story with the dog had a conclusion, even if we don’t know why it was able to talk, but this one has a lot more speculation. Did the mare escape from the creature following her? What happened to the vet afterwards? Did they find a way to dispose of the creature?” “Lettin’ yer imagination fill in th’ blanks can be scary, too,” Applejack nodded. “Sometimes, a horror story just needs to be enough to set an ‘idea’ of what could happen an’ yer head does th’ rest.” Twilight sighed wistfully. “Isn’t the mind just so fascinating?” “It is~” Starlight agreed with starry eyes. Rainbow Dash snorted. “Jeez, well, while you eggheads are swapping spit with your brain cells and synapses, I’ll be here telling my second story of the night.” “Did you hear that, Twilight? She said ‘synapses’.” “Oh, Starlight, our little pegasus is taking our lessons to heart!” “Ha, ha – you two are so hilarious.”