Costernazione

Camille took a deep breath, reaching up to adjust the bandage around her head, then the one around her chest and midsection. She winced at the stinging of the wounds underneath but stood strong. Stepping forwards through the darkened hallways of an abandoned hospital, her already activated gauntlets clanking against the cracked floor. The place was definitely freaking haunted. Or at least it seemed like it, for how the place reacted to her presence. It was like the building itself was alive, with doors creaking open, or breezes coming in from areas that are closed off. Cold chills. Her ears remained alert, though, and never once stopped pivoting to each sound. Something was here, someone was hiding, or at least...what was someone was there. "Great," she sighed, rubbing her foreleg across her face before pulling her cloak back over her body. Even to ghosts, stick to the shadows. "Last time I'm taking a job in a creepy place like this. Mom would be a better choice." With a groan, Camille pushed on ahead. Walking slowly past old rooms, abandoned wheelchairs, and a few flipped over beds. Then, she entered a new hallway, and stopped dead in her tracks. There was something at the end of this hallway that sent a chill up her spine. Something she'd never have thought would possibly cause any sort of damning to an old hospital. She slowly stepped forwards, disengaging her gauntlets as she stepped. "Hello..?" Whatever it was turned and stared her down, not speaking, not moving. "You shouldn't be here. Why are you here?" Still, no answer. Instead, the creature slowly stepped forwards towards the bat pony. "Hey, hey, stay back, little one." The little one stepped closer and closer, steps seemingly growing louder to Camille, and the world seemingly warping around her. Waves of heat surrounding with low glows of energy. "Oh, okay, well, that's freaky. Kid, I'm telling you to step back." "No!" "Please?" "NO!" "I'm just saying, we could talk this out? I don't want to hurt you." "I want to hurt you!" click The gauntlets were readied.

---

A few hours later she trotted through town, hidden under her cloak as she moved along. Only stopping once she reached the location agreed upon with her commissioner. "I have cleared the hospital of the creature haunting it." "Oh, thank you Huntress!" "Hush!" "Sorry, sorry...thank you. What was it..?" The pony asked, offering Camille a few bits that she accepted gracefully. "This." She turned sideways, a small filly standing on her back with a creepily wide smile. Colorless eyes, and a nearly transparent body. The mare screamed. The filly screamed. Camille laughed. "Don't worry, her name is Thalia, she's just a crystal pony. Must have been caught in a magical splash from an enchanted amulet. Don't worry, she doesn't bite. But, she can't see." The filly jumped onto the bench beside the mare and smiled up at...well, the wrong way. "Sorry to scare you! I thought everyone was trying to hurt me..." "Ehh-heh..." "Sorry, ma'am, you'll have to turn the filly in to the guard. I can't." The mare looked from Camille to the filly, and then back to...empty space. Like mother, like daughter.