Hellfire Dash

by Centurion Pike-Wall

Chapter 11~An Important Task

"Yes, sister. This is the one I discussed. Umbra Venandi, meet my sister, Faust", Lucifer said.

Faust waved her hand somewhat dismissively, saying, "Good, good. Have a seat; we'll get to business. I just have to handle a quick something."

Umbra did so, sitting one of the chairs that rested in front of her desk while her boss remained standing. She said, "So, what do you need me for exactly?"

Faust looked up from her papers, somewhat bloodshot eyes flashing a look of annoyance. "You told her nothing, brother? Nothing!?"

"No", he said, grinning. "I figured you would want to explain your own problems yourself."

"Oh, of course! I have to bucking everything, don't I!?", she snarled, falling back into her chair. "For once in our ten thousand years, would it kill you to just make my job even the tiniest bit easier!?"

"Last time we did some sort of collaborative thing, you yelled at me for doing it. I assumed you would've just liked to stick to your schedule", Lucifer said, crossing his arms.

"By mothers wings, you're worse than our brother!", Faust sighed, flailing her arm around a bit.

At that comment, her boss went into what was colloquially nicknamed, 'Discipline mode'. "1. I'm not the avatar of Chaos for simply letting my underlings have more free-reign and not bogging myself down in paperwork and regulations. 2. At least I didn't stick cotton candy up your flank and buck around with your daughters. And 3. A bit soon, don't you think? It's been less than a decade."

Faust's eyes began glowing much, MUCH brighter. And even if she wasn't a unicorn or other naturally magic-manipulating creature, she had been a daemon long enough to know when lots of magic was about to be used. Not wanting to have a full on argument break out and nothing getting done, she interrupted, "All due respect, bosses. I don't really know what you two are talking about, nor do I really care all too much. Can we just get on with it. I still need to go get my bag from Princess Twilights castle."

Faust sputtered for a second, before breathing in deeply, the glow in her eyes dimming. She said, "Well said. You're right. To business." She sat back down, sighing and rubbing her temples. "We'll finish this conversation after she gets underway, brother."

"Very well, sister", he said.

"Now, like you said, miss Venandi, to business", she said, adjusting her dresses collar and straitening up. "One of mine has gone rouge."

Umbra's eyes widened behind her glasses, eyebrows reaching up into her mane. Sure, some stories circled around the Supernatural Bars and Hell about some Celestials or Daemons going rouge or even outright rebelling against Faust or Lucifer. Still, she thought they were just that; stories. Call her still Loyal, but she really didn't want to get on either of these near all-powerful creatures bad sides.

"Yes, such rouges exist", she said, noticing the look of shock on her face. "These, less than savories, are a stain on our judgements. And this one in particular I regret to say is one of my Elder Celestials. His name is Pillar, and he-"

"Wait wait wait", Umbra butted in. "Pillar? As in Pillar the Daemon-butcher!?"

"Correct, Venandi", her boss said. "The same."

Umbra bit back a gulp. She had heard the stories from both books and some of the older Daemons. Pillar was a Celestial, supposedly one of the first, back during the era of the Celestial-Daemonic War. He was a vicious fighter, one who was more than able to beat dozens of Daemons on his own. "B-but I thought he was imprisoned after he broke the Covenant?"

"He was. I should've killed him, but I thought he would be swayed with time. Instead, he escaped", Faust said. "How, I don't know. The flare of magic from the death of Discord. A simple storing of power. Who knows? The point is, he must be found, less he do something drastic."

"Ok. I get that. But, why me?", she asked nervously. "Why not have your own deal with him? You know, 'cause he might be more lenient on them if they lost a fight with him?"

Faust said, "Pure versatility. A Daemon can do things a Celestial can do, and vice versa. Besides, I simply don't have very many to spare. Due to way I operate, and the frailty of mortals, I simply can't send anyone of my Celestials out to deal with him, without leaving the souls of those who die alone to languish on the surface."

"That doesn't mean you will handle it alone, or even with another Daemon", Lucifer said.

Faust said, "My brother speaks true! That is what we were discussing while you were down in Ponyville. I can spare a few of my own, and will have one working with each of my brothers Daemons. I believe you are familiar with the one assigned to you."

Before Umbra could ask who it was, the Celestial entered the room. "'Sup, Venandi", Lighting Dust said, leaning up against one of the pillars by the door.

"'Sup yourself, LD." Turning back to Faust, she said, "Yeah, I can work with her."

"Good. Now, one of the areas I believe he would be going to would be by the town you just came from, in what mortals call the Everfree Forest. I suggest you two start looking there."

"Sounds good." Recalling an initial point she made, she said, "Hey boss. Can you send me back down to the spot you took me up? I still need to get my bag."

"Of course. I fail to see why not", he said.

"Awesome." She stood up and stretched, cracking her back a bit and said to Lightning, "I'll meet you just outside of town. Find a big rock with a cracked dent in the side of it. I'll meet you there a few minutes after I get down."

"See you there, Umbra", she said. Lucifer snapped his fingers after this, and Umbra vanished in a flash of black smoke.

++++

As soon as the light faded around her, Umbra took off at full speed towards the castle. Besides her recommendation not to waste time, she didn't necessarily want to be in the area for very long. Considering the sun was high up in the air, she guessed that it was about noon. Now that would likely set off, if not red flags, than at least a few suspicions.

She saw the open window of the room she was staying in, and dove inside. She immediately grabbed the tank top and other items she had brought that were on the bed and stuffed them back into the bag. Remembering her horns, she summoned her hat and slid it on. She slung her duffle bag over her shoulder, then went to grab her necklace from the nightstand.

Opening up the drawer on the nightstand, her eyes widened when she saw the box gone. "Oh no", she muttered, her mind going a million mile an hour from alarm. She looked under the nightstand, behind the bed, on the dresser, everywhere in her room. No sign of it. Still, she dug around for it. She couldn't have just lost it; she couldn't loose it period! It was too important.

Suddenly, she felt a magic surround her, and she felt the familiar feeling of teleportation. When it faded, she found herself in the Map Room. Standing around it, she saw her former friends, along with Spike and Fizzlepop. All of them looked VERY angry, and Fizzlepop even had what looked like a two-pronged spear.

From the group came Twilight, looking very angry, yet at the same time incredibly calm. Umbra had only seen her this angry once, and shuddered at being on the receiving end of it. Twilight stopped in front of her, and held up a clenched fist. She laxed her grip on it slightly, and something fell out, only to be stopped by a silver chain. A dark purple gem, shaped like a six pointed star.

Opening her eyes and locking them with Umbra's, sending a chill up the Daemons spine and over her wings. She fixed her with a gaze that would freeze over the River Styx. Then, in a voice that would freeze the Styx SOLID, she said, "Care to explain?"

Author's Note:

And, on that note, I have an important update!

Schools started up again, and as such I'll have less time to work on this a story. As such, the story will be updated around every week, as opposed to every, say four days. Just a heads up. Have a nice day!

Comments

[ponyreaper1]

Oh fuck u too karma. Murphy... eat a slong

[Blackfire24die]

Damn cliffhanger, seriously books on this website sometimes are like anime.

[RDDash]

Opening her eyes and locking them with Umbra's, sending a chill up the Daemons spine and over her wings. She fixed her with a gaze that would freeze over the River Styx. Then, in a voice that would freeze the Styx SOLID, she said, "Care to explain?"

Umbra: it's none of your damn business Twilight.