//------------------------------// // Exorcism's Mark, A Painful Scar // Story: The Love Demon // by Hazel_Hester777 //------------------------------// “I KNEW IT WAS YOU!” Pinkie pounced and pinned Bunny to a wall, pushing on the alien’s neck as though trying to choke her. She didn’t feel any pain, of course, but she had to ask. “Pinkie, what are you doing?” “I WAS RIGHT! FLUTTERSHY WAS JUST JEALOUS OF ME AND TWILIGHT, WASN’T SHE?! THAT’S WHY SHE KIDNAPPED THE CRUSADERS, SPIKE, AND OUR PETS! Everypony acted that way since the day we started dating! And that mark on you?! It’s a cutie mark for thievery, is it?! I thought you were a Servant!” Pinkie noticed Bunny wasn’t affected no matter how hard she pressed. “Don’t worry, I know you can’t die. But, I’m gonna make it worse for you. I’ll snap your neck repeatedly until I plop off your little head. Then, when you wake, I’ll do it all over again” Bunny was already beginning to panic. If she faints or passes out, her barrier spell will drop and the demon will escape. As Pinkie got ready to snap her neck, Bunny pathetically begged. “Pinkie, no! Don’t’ do this! If you do, you’ll all die!” “See you soon, Bun” But before Pinkie got the chance, Twilight used her magic to levitate Pinkie and let go of Bunny. Bunny regained herself after a quick breath, sniffing at a Baby’s Breath flower. Pinkie tried to struggle. “Twilight, did you just…” “Pinkie, let Bunny speak” The Alicorn came close to the Alien. “Are you alright?” “Never better. Thank you, Twilight” “Don’t mention it, now start talking” The alien sat down, and nodded her head. “It began a few months ago. When me and Fluttershy were at Zecora’s hut with all of you, on the day Pinkie confessed her love to Twilight, it was more than a broken heart she walked away with. When we got home, she started to ball her eyes out, I needed to comfort her. But I didn’t know back then she also now had a demon in her body. I couldn’t sniff him out at first, but as days moved, it got stronger. And over that amount of time, I watched her cycle through the 3 stages of Demonic Activity” “3?” Applejack asked. “Indeed, AJ. The first was Infestation: she heard voices that hurt her whenever she passed out. Second was Oppression: it sucked the feeling from her broken heart, making her weaker and weaker. No wonder she looked as though she didn’t sleep. Last was the worse, Possession: last night, it finally took control of her body, changing both her form and her appearance. That’s why all your said friends are not here, he took them and is now absorbing their life energy” The others were now shocked by what they heard. “But, how did you escape?” Bunny looked back at them, dismayed. “Demons can’t absorb Servants, so when he tried to get at me, it burned him. He threatened me by grabbing all of Fluttershy’s pets, even Angel. But the rabbit reassured me, and I promised him I’d come back for all of them. Before I left, I casted a spell on the cottage that will prevent him from getting out. But I guess it wasn’t enough to keep him from grabbing hosts to draw from” “What about the bag, the cross, the Baby’s Breath Flower…and is that your cutie mark?” Rainbow asked. “No, this isn’t my cutie mark, it’s a sigil. In E-arth, when there was an exorcism needed, we would determine who is to send to perform the exorcism by the use of this mark. Whoever gets it, that being will perform the exorcism. We call it the Exorcism’s Mark. It will allow me to do the exorcism but in the process when it’s not in use, it will drain me and make me feel weak. If I get too weak and faint, my barrier spell will drop and the demon will escape to destroy everything. I have the Baby’s Breath flowers to sniff whenever I feel like fainting, it will keep me awake. The cross is what I’ll wear to show I represent exorcism. And in my bag, I have a giant fish’s liver and heart to burn on the incense to drive the demon out for good. I also have extra crosses for you all when we get there, and some holy water to keep him in one place. I also have the Exorcism’s Book, filled with what I’ll say to drive the demon out of Fluttershy” “What if you faint along the way?” Rarity asked. “Put the Baby’s Breath Flower on my nose, I’ll wake up. When we get the cottage, I’ll make a wreath to put on my head to keep me awake. Once the exorcism’s complete, whether we succeed or not, the sigil will fade and I’ll be back to normal” “Cool. Have you done this before?” “I have, I was once sent to do my first one in another dimension, and it didn’t end well” the alien looked down, remembering what happened. “Why? What happened?” Twilight approached the alien; she put a hoof on her shoulder to assure her. “You can tell us” Bunny sighed, and began to tell her story. “Long ago, I used to be the assistant of a being named Poltrust. He and I were as close as I was with Fluttershy. All that changed when he was possessed by the same demon she has now, Loveithan, the demon who feeds off the souls of those who were supposed to be the real lover of that being. The demon fed off his broken heart when he failed to ask the love of his life out. Eventually it took control of him, and I was sent to do the exorcism, only to find that it was already too late. I managed to remove the demon, but he died as well. I had a hard time recovering from it, and I began to think of the Exorcism’s Mark as a painful scar, a reminder that I failed. He only had enough time left to say goodbye. Overtime, I was hoping I’d never get called in to do the same task, I was scared. Now that it has come to me again, it’s like it’s happening all over again. I don’t want her to die; I don’t want her soul to be in limbo forever.” The others were scared now, but nonetheless they had to do it. Twilight was afraid, the fate of Equestria was now on the line, and Fluttershy’s life was on the line. “How bad will it be if he succeeds?” “Ever wondered what happened to Tartarus? It used to be called, Paradise” Twilight had to agree, even if the risk was too high. At least she will get a chance to say goodbye. “I failed Poltrust; I won’t make the same mistake with Fluttershy” “Then, we shall go. Try and save her while we still can.” Twilight declared. “Very well, but…” Bunny yawned. “I’m gonna have to take a nap” “WHAT?!”Rainbow grabbed the alien. “YOU CAN’T SLEEP ON US NOW!” “Sorry, Dashie. But when Pinkie strangled me, I lost all reserves of keeping myself awake to perform the exorcism” Pinkie facehoofed. “How long will it take for you to have enough again?” “Until dusk if I start now” Twilight groaned in annoyance. “Okay, I guess we’ll see you then” “Good. I’d advise you all to take shifts to avoid falling asleep all at the same time while waiting” “Me, Pinkie, and Twilight will have the first shift. Rainbow and Applejack can doze off until 9:00 A.M” Rarity spoke. “Good. Oh and Twilight, when we get there, you have to spill the beans” Bunny said as she clung upside-down. Twilight knew what that meant, but…HOW DID SHE KNOW?! “Bunny, wait! How did you…” But the young alien was already asleep. “Twilight, what did she mean by that?” Pinkie approached the lavender mare. “Oh…um….she meant about…how I really feel for you, Pinkie” the Alicorn said, she was trying her best not to make it too obvious. She wanted her to know when it’s time. “Okey dokey lokey!” Pinkie skipped away, thinking it may mean something about taking their ‘relationship’ even further. The Alicorn breathed a sigh of relief. Twilight looked out her window, ever so watchful. She was afraid as ever about the fate of every living thing in Equestria. But she was even more scared about losing the mare she really loved. Don’t worry, Flutters. She thought to herself. I’ll get you out of there, I won’t let you die.