“Princess, I have something to ask you.” Cheerilee stared into the magic mirror. A few days had passed, and she’d given Golden permission to leave the house. A few minutes of fresh air wouldn’t hurt. Also, this was a conversation the young pony didn’t need to hear.
“What’s that?” asked Luna.
“Why is Golden Ring important to you? Why am I trying to be her friend?” There it was. The question Cheerilee had wanted answered since first capturing the pegasus.
Luna looked contemplative. “Cheerilee, you’re very good at your job. Sometimes I think even a little obsessive. By giving you somepony to take care of, I hope you’ll slow down a little and realize there’s more to life than just efficient work.”
“What do you mean?” Cheerilee had an idea where this was going, but wanted to make sure her suspicions were correct.
“I’ve watched you over the years,” said Luna. “I’m concerned that you might be starting to suppress your conscience a little too much.”
“I don’t know what…”
“Cheerilee, you took this job because you thought it was the best thing to do, not because I ordered you to. I don’t want you to ignore your feelings just to get the assignment finished.”
The schoolteacher reflected on some of the things she’d done. The point where killing became justified seemed to be getting closer lately. She’d also noticed her sense of remorse beginning to slip away.
“I guess you’re right.” Cheerilee looked away from the mirror. She would pump blood into her face to create the illusion of blushing in shame, which is how she felt, but the Princess would not be impressed.
“As for Golden,” said Luna, “I plan to offer her the same employment as you. It’s her choice, of course. Let me know when you think she’s ready to make the decision.”
Cheerilee promised she would keep the Princess informed. Putting down the mirror, she went outside to look for Golden.
▼▼
The white pegasus stood on a street corner watching the weekend crowd. They paid the mare no mind. It felt like everypony should be staring at her and giving the vampire a wide berth. It was strange how strange it wasn’t.
A stallion she had seen before walked by, glanced at her and stopped in his tracks. “Hey, are you Cheerilee’s cousin?”
“Er…yes.” It seemed like the only reasonable answer. Golden braced herself as the pony came walking over. He was smiling, but she felt cautious about letting anypony get so close.
“My name’s Teacup. I live next door.” He extended a hoof. Gingerly, Golden returned the gesture. The simple contact relaxed her a little. Okay, I can handle this.
The mare smiled. It was forced, but it may have been the first time she’d used the expression in the last decade. “I’m Golden Ring. Cheerilee let me stay for a while.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you. Have a good day.” The stallion walked away.
Emboldened by the experience, Golden stepped off the curb feeling a little more confident than before. There was some kind of market set up nearby, and she headed that way. Ponies of all kinds interacted as they bought and sold wares, or simply talked and spent time together.
As she drew closer, her senses reached out to the crowd of ponies. Pulses beating, unprotected throats, the smell of tender flesh…
No! They weren’t food! Golden shook herself, but not half as hard as Cheerilee. The lavender mare seemed to appear out of nowhere and dragged her backwards.
“What are you doing?” hissed the schoolteacher.
“Nothing.”
“You weren’t supposed to go far, and now I find you down here sizing up ponies like they’re snacks.” Cheerilee was now in front of the white pegasus, her face only inches away.
“Is there a problem?” asked a nearby vendor. He was probably too far away to hear the whispering, but it was obvious that one of mares was angry with the other.
Cheerilee’s face shifted immediately and she turned to present a smile. “We were just arguing over the price to offer for some of those delicious-looking peaches you’re selling. I think they’re worth what you’re asking.”
The schoolteacher shoved some bits at the vendor and took a bag full of fruit. She quickly pulled Golden away down the street. When they were out of sight, she tossed the produce in a garbage can.
“What did you do that for?” demanded Golden. “They smelled great.”
“Your nose will get you in trouble,” Cheerilee told her. “First stalking ponies at the market and now this. Didn’t you wonder why there was nothing in my pantry? Vampires can’t eat normal food.”
Golden’s face fell. After a moment, she said, “I’m sorry.”
Cheerilee’s irritation had now faded completely. She gave the younger mare a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Just keep your wits about you at all times. You have to stay in control.”
“I’m afraid I’ll let myself go,” said Golden. “It’s really hard to resist.”
“Do you best,” advised Cheerilee. “It’s all any of us can do.”
▼▼
Tea’s good mood over getting a job had carried him through the weekend and into his new job. He thought perhaps his attitude had affected Cheerilee’s cousin. He had encountered the mare on his way home from the school. She seemed a little more friendly after he talked to her.
When Tea got home, he found a thank you note from Cheerilee. He smiled. They made great neighbors, but he wondered again if perhaps the two of them could build an even closer relationship.
With nothing to spend the afternoon on, the stallion decided to go for a walk. The forest was safe now, right? Despite Princess Luna’s proclamation, he wasn’t entirely sure he trusted that. Still, nopony had died since her visit to town.
Tea entered the woods. The sun was still pretty high in the sky, and he promised himself he would start for home well before dark. There was something he wanted to see first.
After trekking back and forth for a while, the stallion was unable to locate the cage he’d seen before. He thought he had the area right, but it seemed to have disappeared.
Frustrated, Tea expanded his search circle wider. He was making another loop through the woods when he spotted a couple of predatory birds circling over the threes.
A sudden cold feeling gripped him. It was exactly the same sight that had drawn him to Mr. Crock’s mutilated body. Tea felt the urge to run, but held back. If there had been another killing, it needed to be reported right away. And besides, the carrion birds would have taken a while to find the scene. The monster should be gone by now…right?
Creeping as quietly as he could, Tea headed in that direction. He poked his nose out of a bush situated at the top of a hill. Down below lay a bloody bear carcass.
The pony sighed with relief. Only a dead bear. Wait, what in the world could kill a bear? Gulping, he cautiously approached.
A heavy stench had not yet set in, so the body wasn’t older than a day or so. It was badly mauled, particularly around the neck. Tea looked at the tracks on the ground, his eyes going wide.
▼▼
“Hey Twilight, you got a letter from Princess Luna!”
A purple unicorn looked up from the book she was reading. “You don’t have to shout, Spike, just bring it here.”
A purple and green dragon appeared, ducking his head a little to get through the door that lead to the Ponyville library’s back room. He presented Twilight, the librarian, with a scroll.
The unicorn quickly read the letter. “This doesn’t sound good.”
“What is it?” asked Spike. He’d been Twilight’s assistant for quite a while and was usually privy to her communications from the Princesses. The dragon craned his lanky neck and peered over her shoulder.
The unicorn showed him the letter. “Princess Luna says she’s worried that there might be a powerful sorcerer lurking in town. We should be on the lookout for anything suspicious.”
Spike gasped in surprise as he read. “Not just a sorcerer, but a necromancer? Is this a job for the Elements of Harmony?”
“It might be. Right now, we need to find him and make sure.” She gave Spike the letter back. “Make copies and forward them to the girls.”
The dragon left the room, quick to begin his task. Zombies in comic books were one thing. Possibly having them in your town was quite another.