> Queen Of The Netherworld - Season 2 > by Pinkamena666 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Friendship Is Magic > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight ran down the stairs into the main room of the library. Looking around the room, she saw no one. Letting out a sigh, she quickly ran out of the library and made her way through the town towards Sugarcube Corner. Once there, she ran inside and found Pinkamena at the counter. "Hey, Twilight," the pink mare said with a smile. "What brings ya in?" "Have you seen her yet?" The unicorn asked quickly. The pink mare tilted her head. "Um... Who?" Twilight let out a groan and ran out of the building. "Ohhhhhh..." the pink mare said, finally getting it. "No!" She called after the unicorn. Quickly making her way to Carousel Boutique, she opened the door to see Rarity standing in the center of the large showroom, circling a mannequin which was wearing a dark red dress. When Twilight opened the door, Rarity looked over at her and smiled. "Hey, Twilight," she said as she turned to face the mare. "Have you seen her yet?" Twilight asked, blushing lightly. The white unicorn smiled and shook her head. "I'm sure you'll be the first one she appears to..." Twilight let out a sigh and leaned against the door frame. "Yeah, I guess..." she said, before letting out a gasp. "Maybe Applejack's seen her!" She said, before running off. Rarity stared at her as she left before using her magic to close the door and went back to what she was doing. Meanwhile, Twilight ran through the town and then down the long path leading to Sweet Apple Acres. When she finally got to the entry gate, she was panting heavily. Stumbling over to the fence, she leaned against it and dropped to her knees. "Twilight?" Asked Applejack, who was standing near a tree stump, a small log set atop it. She was holding an ax above her head, ready to cut the wood. Seeing the purple mare, she lowered the ax and wiped sweat from her forehead. "Did ya run all the way here?" "Uh-huh..." Twilight said with a nod, before standing upright. "Have you... seen her yet?" She asked, trying to catch her breath. "Pinkie and Rarity haven't..." The farm mare smiled and let out a brief chuckle. "Can't wait for her to come back, sugarcube?" A blush formed on the purple mare's cheeks as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Well... She's just... fun... I guess..." Twilight muttered. "Right?" She then looked at AJ. "Everything was so much more... interesting when she was here. Now, it just feels..." "Boring?" Applejack asked before whacking the tree stump with her ax, the tool sticking into the wood as the mare turned back to the unicorn. "Ah hear ya... The Candy Mare may have done... terrible things... but... I came to like Kyra, too." Twilight gave her a smile and let out a sigh. "Well... I doubt she'd go to Fluttershy first, so... that leaves Rainbow Dash..." Applejack let out another chuckle. "Come on, Twilight," she said as she wiped more sweat from her forehead. "You know as well as I do... She's gonna go to you first." "Yeah, that's what Rarity said..." the purple mare said with a sigh, leaning against the fence. She then looked down the trail back towards Ponyville. "Well, maybe Rainbow has seen her..." "Twilight," AJ, getting her friend's attention. "She'll go to you... first... So, just go home and wait for her if yer so anxious to see her." The unicorn smiled and nodded. "Right... You're right..." Letting out a sigh, she turned and began heading back towards town. Back at the library, Twilight went to go sit on the couch and wait. After staring at the door for a few minutes, she leaned her head back to rest it on the back of the couch. Now staring at the ceiling, she began to think of the demon. About her personality. About her look. And, her voice... Letting out a sigh, the unicorn closed her eyes. Before she could fall asleep, there was a knock at the door. Letting out a gasp, she sat straight up and ran for the door. Stopping with her hand on the doorknob, she took a couple deep breaths before opening the door. There, stood the red demon wearing black shorts and a black sleeveless top. She wore nothing on her feet as she stood there with a light smile. "Hey," she said with a small wave. Twilight smiled back. "Hey..." She then looked behind the demon. "Any... trouble?" The demon hesitated before shaking her head. "No..." she said, eyeing the floor. "Um... None of the other escaped demons have surfaced yet..." Twilight tilted her head. "Then... why are you here?" She asked, her heart starting to beat a little faster as she leaned against the door frame. Kyra let out a brief chuckle. "Um... Well, I remember you saying you'd... like to hang out some time..." the demon replied before looking the unicorn in the eyes. "So, I'd... like to get to know you and... your friends a little more..." The purple mare smiled wider and nodded. "Great. Who first?" Kyra thought for a moment before looking over her shoulder. "Maybe the blue one. Rainbow Dash..." Twilight's smile faded at hearing that it wasn't her. "Oh... Okay..." Hearing the change in the mare's tone, Kyra looked at her. Seeing the mare's disappointed expression, she felt like she understood why. And it made her happy for some reason. Stepping up to the mare, she leaned in. "I'm saving the... best for last..." she said with a blush before backing away with a smile. Twilight blushed, too, and smiled back. "Oh..." she repeated, but in a happier tone. "And, if I get the others out of the way first..." Kyra began before she began backing away. "I can spend the rest of the day with you..." She then turned and began walking away. Twilight blushed more and watched her demon friend walk away. Slowly closing the door, she slid to her knees, her heart rate picking up. "Oh, my god..." she gasped, not believing how well that went. Now, all she had to do was wait a couple more hours and then it was hers and Kyra's time alone. And, she couldn't wait. Kyra appeared on the cloud which Rainbow Dash's house sat on. Looking down as her feet sank into the cloud, she smiled lightly as the fluffy clouds felt good on her feet. She then began making her way to the front door, knocking once. Taking a step back, she waited. She soon heard the doorknob turn before the door opened, revealing the cyan pegasus in a sports bra and shorts and sneakers. "Kyra?" She asked, surprised to see an earth pony on a cloud before remembering she was actually a demon. "You're back," she said with a smile, stepping out of her home. "Any demons we have to hunt down?" The demon shook her head and took a step towards the mare. "No... Just visiting." Rainbow let out a soft chuckle as she crossed her arms. "I bet Twilight was happy..." Kyra raised an eyebrow at that. "Why do you say that?" "No reason," Dash said with a smirk. "So, I was just on my way to do some working out... If you wanna come, we could play a game of kickball?" "Kickball..." Kyra repeated, clearly thinking about it. It seemed like she didn't want to but wanted to at least try to make a friend. "I guess I could try it..." "Cool!" Rainbow said happily as she closed her door. Kyra then slowly wrapped herself in her arms as though she were cold. Turning back to her, Rainbow tilted her head in confusion. "Um... What's wrong? You cold?" The demon nodded. "A little, yeah..." "Odd..." the cyan mare said as she walked up to the demon. "It's one of the hottest days of the month." "Rainbow Dash..." Kyra said with a light chuckle. "Where I'm from, it's... Well, let's just say there's fire everywhere... It's extremely hot. So, this is cold for me..." She then looked around. "You don't have a fireplace I could crawl in, do you?" Dash let out a chuckle and rubbed the back of her head. "Um..." The demon then looked back at her and gave her a light smile. "Sorry... You said something about... kickball?" The cyan mare smiled and nodded, unfolding her wings. "Yep. Follow me." Kyra nodded and waited, making Dashie tilt her head in confusion. "Um... No wings?" "I don't fly," Kyra explained. "Just head on over. I'll see you there," she said with a smile. The pegasus hesitated before letting out a sigh. "I was sort of hoping to... fly there with you..." She then let out a light chuckle. "I'm always looking for new flying buddies..." Seeing how much the pegasus wanted to fly over together, Kyra let out a sigh and nodded. "Alright..." she said, before she closed her eyes. When she did, a pair of demon wings shot out from her back and flapped a little. "Mmm... Haven't used these in a while..." She then opened her eyes to see Rainbow Dash staring in both shock and awe. "Well?" The demon asked with a smile. "Lead the way..." Rainbow smirked and nodded before running and jumping off her cloud, letting her wings catch the air before flapping them. She then began flying away from her cloud home, looking back to see Kyra still back there. The demon grinned before sliding one foot back. Licking off, she flew straight forward and wrapped her wings around herself, torpedo-ing through the sky towards Rainbow Dash. The pegasus went wide-eyed as the demon flew up beside her before unwrapping herself and flapping her wings a couple times. "That was awesome!" Rainbow said with a laugh. Kyra let out a chuckle as the two flew towards a field on the outer part of town, no buildings to get in the way. "I forgot how fun flying is." "What?!" Rainbow exclaimed in shock. "You forgot how fun flying is?" "When you can teleport anywhere, you sort of lose the need for it," Kyra told her as they began to descend to the field. "After I while, I sort of just... stopped." "I see..." Dash said as she landed. "I guess that makes sense, but... what about the feel of the wind through your hair?" Kyra landed beside her as her wings disappeared. "There's no wind where I live... and, I rarely come to this realm..." Rainbow gave her a sympathetic smile before placing a hand on her shoulder. "I hope you'll come here more often." The demon looked over at her and gave her a light smile. "I'm considering it. "Good," Dash said as she walked over to where a ball sat in the grass. "Now, let's play." "Do you just leave that there?" The demon asked as she joined the pegasus. Rainbow nodded and placed her foot on the ball. "Know how to play?" Kyra let out a chuckle and crossed her arms. "I have been commanding demons for thousands of years, Rainbow Dash. I haven't had the time for games." "Oh..." the cyan mare replied with a slightly nervous chuckle. "Right... Well, it's simple. It's like baseball, but..." She then eyed the demon, who raised an eyebrow. It was clear she wasn't familiar with baseball, either. "Just, um... Just start by kicking the ball as hard as you can." Kyra hesitated before letting out a chuckle. "As hard as I can?" She asked, stepping up to the ball. "Yep," Rainbow said with a smile. "The game is about kicking the ball far. The further the better because it will take longer for the other team to retrieve the ba--" She was cut off when she felt a burst of wind as the ball rocketed off into the air, quickly disappearing in a shimmer. Staring in disbelief, she looked over at the demon. "What?" Asked Kyra. "You said to kick it as hard as I could." The pegasus continued to stare in disbelief before speaking. "We still... needed that..." Kyra hesitated for a moment, wanting to just conjure up another ball, but she knew that if she were to try making friends she should at least get the same ball back. Letting out a sigh, she started walking. "I'll go get it..." After playing a quick round of kickball with Rainbow Dash, Kyra decided her next visit would be to Carousal Boutique. Upon arrival, she knocked on the door. The whole door thing was still weird to her as she was used to just teleporting everywhere. Soon, the door opened. "Kyra, darling," the white unicorn greeted, wearing a blue blouse and purple skirt along with high-heels and fancy-looking glasses. "You're here. Did you go see Twilight yet?" The red mare tilted her head, wondering why Rarity asked her this. "Um... Yes... Why?" "It's just, she came by earlier," Rarity explained. "Asking if I'd seen you." Kyra eyed the ground for a moment. "Oh..." "Well, since you're here, why not come in," Rarity said as she stepped aside. "How long is your stay?" "Undetermined," the demon said as she entered. "I just figured I'd give this friend thing a try. It has been a while since I had one..." Rarity nodded and walked over to a rack of clothes. "Maybe you'd like to help try on some new dresses I made?" Kyra stared at the clothes before looking back at the door. Biting her lip, she thought for a moment before letting out a soft groan. Turning back to Rarity, she smiled. "Sure..." The unicorn smiled and wheeled the dresses into the back where the changing rooms were. "You can change back here." "Uh, Rarity?" The demon asked. "You know I could just... snap my fingers and I'll be in different clothes, right?" "Oh, well, yes, but..." Rarity said with a light laugh. "It's just you entered through my front door, so I thought you were trying out new things..." Kyra hesitated in thought for a moment. "Well, I entered through the door to be polite... though, it would be nice to feel normal again..." After tapping her foot in thought a few times, she made her way into the back, entering the curtained off room where the dresses were. When she was in, she turned to the dresses, wondering if she had to try them all on. Being a succubus by nature, it was weird for her to be changing in private, but she wanted to try the normal thing. Slowly pulling off her shirt, she let out a sigh and tossed it aside. "That wasn't too difficult..." She then reached down to undo her shorts, only to find her zipper wouldn't budge. "Oh, shit..." Letting out grunts, she pulled harder and broke the tab off. "Fuck..." Rarity's ears perked at hearing the mare's grunts from the changing room. "Um..." she said as she headed into the back room, stepping up to the close curtain. "You okay in there?" "Yeah," Kyra replied. "It's just... I broke my zipper off..." Rarity covered her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. "Um... So... Are you going to use magic to get out of them?" The demon let out more grunts as she kept tugging on the broken zipper. "I'm... trying not to... Remember?" The white mare cleared her throat to keep from chuckling at that. "Do you... need help?" She asked, crossing her arms. The sounds from behind the curtain stopped before the demon finally spoke again. "Um... Yes..." "Alright, darling, I'm coming in," the unicorn said before stepping into the changing room. To her surprise, the demon just stood there, breasts exposed and not even bothering to cover up. "Uh..." "What?" Asked the demon. "We're both mares, right? Besides, I'm a succubus-class demon... Being naked in front of others is natural for me. I'm only wearing clothes to keep from drawing attention and so you girls don't feel uncomfortable." "Fair enough," Rarity said, before looking down at the demon's shorts. "Just grab the zipper from the top with your left hand while holding the opposite side of your shorts with your other hand, then pull the zipper down." Kyra nodded and looked down, trying to get her hands in the right position before tugging again... and failing. "Um..." "Would you like me to..." Rarity started to ask. "I mean, I'd... have to... get close to..." The demon let out a chuckle and took her hands away. "I just said I'm a succubus... I don't care where or how you touch me. As long as your comfortable." Rarity's blush was now visible. "S... So..." the unicorn said as she stepped in front of the demon, getting a hold of her zipper with one hand and her shorts with the other, her fingers close to the demon's crotch. "A-Are you letting me do this because you... You know..." Kyra thought for a moment before smirking. "Like you?" She asked, before shaking her head. "I'd let your other friends do it. It's not for you specifically. As I said... Succubus..." "I see..." Rarity said as she finally managed to pull the zipper down. Her blush grew deeper when she noticed the demon wasn't wearing any panties. Kyra gave a light chuckle when she saw where the mare was looking. "I can take it from here," she cooed, running a finger down the unicorn's cheek. Rarity snapped back to reality and let out a nervous chuckle. "Yes, well... Good..." she stammered, backing out of the changing stall. "Try on whichever ones you want..." "Will do," Kyra said with a smirk, slipping out of her shorts before turning to the clothing rack. "Now... which one do I try?" She then grinned deviously. "Hey, Rarity?" She called. There was a few seconds of silence before she got a response. "Y-Yes?" "I may need help figuring out how to get these dresses on..." she cooed. After a few more seconds of silence, the curtain opened as Rarity's face was bright red. "I'm not making you... uncomfortable, am I?" Asked Kyra, standing there fully nude. Rarity stared for a moment, more so in shock than embarrassment. "No... Just... You are so open... It's different..." She then entered and stepped up to the clothing rack. "And, you're... not bad looking..." Kyra smirked and leaned against the rack. "Really? You think I look... hot?" The white mare gave a light chuckle at that. "You are attractive, yes, but... See, there was a reason I asked you before if you were only doing this because you liked me..." "Oh?" Asked the demon. "And, why's that?" Picking out a black dress, Rarity turned to face Kyra. "I'm not into mares." Kyra smirked at that. "That's okay. Because I'm just screwing with you." Rarity let out a laugh of relief. "Ha. Good one." "But, I have to say, Rarity..." Kyra said with a smile. "You're pretty attractive, too. What's your secret?" The white mare smiled and seemed more relaxed now. "Well, I shouldn't give away all my secrets, but... some of it has to do with my visits to the town spa." "A spa?" Asked Kyra. "Is it... hot there?" Rarity hesitated for a moment, a little confused by the question. "Hot? Yes, there's a steam room... It can get pretty hot in there..." "Good," Kyra said with a sigh. "Because I'm so cold... Worse now, since I'm naked..." "Cold?" Asked the mortal mare, still confused. "It's like a furnace where I'm from, so I'm used to it being really hot. This normal temperature is cold for me." "I see..." Rarity said, before smiling. "Maybe, we can go together some time." Kyra smiled back and nodded. "Yes, that sounds like fun." "It's a date, then," the unicorn said as she held out the dress. "Now, let's get you into these dresses so I can see what you like in them." The demon nodded as she looked over the dress. "Alright, fashion pony... You may begin..." The red demon walked up to Sugarcube Corner and entered the shoppe. When she did, Pinkamena looked up from the book she was reading and smiled. Even though her hair hung over half her face, she knew who it was clear as day. "Kyra," she said, as she closed the book. "Welcome back. Please, tell me you visited Twilight first." Kyra hesitated before approaching the counter. "Um... Yes, I did..." she said, not knowing why both this mare and Rarity had said that. "Oh, good," the pink mare said with a light smile. "So, what brings you here?" "Well, I'm... attempting to get to know you and the others..." Kyra said as she stepped up to the counter. "I've already seen Rainbow Dash and Rarity, and... I feel like it went well..." She then thought for a moment before eyeing the ceiling. "Except I kicked a ball into Manehattan and had a some fun with Rarity..." She then looked at the pink mare, who had a light blush. "Not like that," the demon explained. "She had me try on dresses... so I made her help me since I haven't put on clothes and taken them off without magic in... a very long time..." "Makes sense, I guess," the pink mare said as she started to back away. "Well, if you come with me, I can show you the kitchen." Kyra gave her a light smile and followed her into the back room. Inside was a long wooden table in the center with baking ingredients and utensils. Around the edge of the room were counters, cabinets, and at the far wall was a large oven. The red light inside indicated that something was cooking. Sniffing the air, Kyra smiled. "Mmm... Smells nice." "Doesn't it?" Pinks asked as she walked over to the oven and grabbed two oven mittens. She then opened the oven and pulled out a tray with chocolate chip cookies, setting them on the middle table. "Try one?" She asked as Kyra stepped up to the table. "You may need to wait until it..." she began as Kyra picked one up. "until it... cools down..." The pink mare watched as the demon quickly put it in her mouth without hesitation. "So... How is it?" The demon nodded and swallowed. "Mmm... It was good," she said with a smile, before eyeing the empty oven. "Say, uh... how hot can that get?" "What, the oven?" The pink mare asked as she looked over her shoulder at the oven. "It's at 450-degrees right now, but it can go higher... Why?" "Because I'm so cold," Kyra said as she walked over to the oven and climbed in, the door closing behind her. "U-Um..." Pinkamena stammered, surprised at what the demon just did. Slowly approaching the oven, she knocked on the window. "Are you... good in there?" "Yeah," came the demon's voice. "It's nice in here. Makes me think of home." "You know, food goes in there to bake for others to eat, right?" "Don't worry. I won't leave anything behind." Pinkamena walked over to the table and sat on the edge, facing the oven. After about another minute or so, Kyra's hand appeared on the window. Pushing the door open, the demon crawled out before standing up with a sigh. "That felt nice," Kyra cooed, before noticing Pinkie's blush. "What?" The pink mare pointed at the demon, who looked down to notice her clothes had burnt off. "Oh..." she said, before eyeing Pinks. "Have any, uh... spare clothes?" "Well, you could always bring it back, right?" Asked the earth pony. "I'm trying to be a normal mare," Kyra explained. "No demon magic." The pink mare let out a chuckle. "Normal? You just crawled into an oven because you were cold. Now, you're standing in my kitchen, naked." "Huh..." the red mare said as she looked at herself before looking back at the oven. "Good point..." She then snapped hr fingers as the same clothes she was wearing before began to re-form around her body. "There. Better?" Pinks gave her a smile. "Better." After eating a few more cookies, Kyra said her good-byes to the pink mare and made her way towards Fluttershy's cottage. Stepping up to the door, she hesitated. This was the shy one, so she couldn't screw with her like she did Rarity and Pinkie. She paced back and forth in front of the door as she tried to figure out how to best tackle this. Soon, she let out a sigh and knocked. She heard a light gasp from the other side before the door slowly opened. Peeking out, Fluttershy let out a relieved sigh. "Kyra," Fluttershy said with a smile, wearing a white, sleeveless shirt and a lime green skirt. Her smile then faded and put her fist to her lips. "There's not another demon, is there?" Kyra let out a chuckle and shook her head. "No... Everyone seems to think that, though..." Fluttershy went wide-eyed a little. "O-Oh, I... I didn't mean anything by it... I just--" She was cut off when Kyra raised her hand to silence her. "It's fine, Fluttershy." Lowering her hand, she gave a small smile. "So... Were you about to head out?" She asked. Fluttershy gave her a small smile back. "How'd you know?" "Well, you answered the door faster than the others..." Kyra replied with a chuckle. "Who'd've thought?" The shy mare blushed, knowing what she meant. "Well... I was just about to go check on my animal friends," she said, looking at the demon through her hair. "Would you... like to..." This mare was way too adorable and shy to be hanging out with a demon, yet here she was. Asking a demon to take a walk with her. Kyra let out a sigh and gave a single nod. "Mmm... Okay..." The pegasus smiled again before stepping out and closing the door. "This way," she said, as she turned right and began walking towards the back of the house. As they walked around the side of the house, Kyra spotted a homemade wooden sign with the name Angel carved in it. "Angel?" Asked Kyra, almost sounding disgusted. Fluttershy stopped suddenly before turning to look at the grave. "O-Oh... Not that kind of Angel..." she said softly, before slowly approaching the sign. After hesitating for a few seconds, Kyra followed her. "Then, was... Angel one of your animals?" The yellow mare slowly got to her knees in front of the sign, the demon stepping up next to her. Fluttershy then began whimpering softly. "H-He was my... my pet..." she said, sniffling. "My friend..." Kyra said nothing, not knowing what to do. Just then, Fluttershy looked up at her. "Y-You haven't... seen a bunny hopping around... have you?" She asked with tears in her eyes and slight glimmer of hope. Letting out a silent gasp, Kyra slowly got to her knees beside the pegasus. "Fluttershy... Animals don't end up with me..." Nodding, the pegasus hung her head and cried softly. Hesitantly reaching her arm out, Kyra let out a sigh before putting it around the pegasus. To her surprise, the yellow mare buried her face in her upper chest and cried louder. The demon was taken aback. Never would she have thought that a mortal would feel this safe around her. It was almost a relief for her. Slowly, the red mare put her other arm around the pegasus and nuzzled the top of her head, letting the pegasus cry as much as she wanted. Kyra walked down the path towards Sweet Apple Acres, stopping when she saw the farm. Hesitating, she exhaled deeply before making her way up to the entry gate. Standing there, she stared at the barn for a few seconds before stepping onto the property. When she did, a strong-looking, red stallion wearing overalls and boots walked up to her. "Can I help you?" He asked in a deep but kind voice. The demon eyed him and smiled. "Yes, I'm... looking for Applejack." The stallion nodded. "Are you Kyra?" The red mare crossed her arms and raised her head a little. "Yeah... What do you know about me?" "I know you saved Apple Bloom, and I know you're a demon." Kyra went wide-eyed. "How?" "Applejack and Apple Bloom told me. I heard Twilight came by, asking about you... so, I asked Applejack." "Uh-huh..." the demon said, her eyes narrowing. "You better not tell anyone..." The stallion let out a chuckle. "Who'd believe me?" "But, you believed Applejack and Apple Bloom." "They're my sisters," the stallion explained. "I listen to them. Besides... you just confirmed it." Kyra eyed the ground, letting out a growl at how careless she was. If he didn't know before, he did now. "Name's Big Mac, by the way," the stallion said, introducing himself. "Applejack's in the orchard, pickin' apples. She should be finishing up." Kyra eyed him and smiled lightly. "Thanks," she said, before making her way towards the orchards. When she neared a fence, she could see tons and tons of apple trees. There was an opening a few feet to her left, which Applejack was heading towards. She was carrying two big bags full of apples, one for each hand. Seeing the demon standing there, she gave a smile. "Howdy there, Kyra," she greeted, setting the bags down by the fence and walking over to the red mare. "Yer back. Did ya see Twilight?" Kyra let out a sigh and leaned back against the fence. "Yes, and why does everyone keep asking me that?" AJ tilted her head with a smile. "Everyone?" The demon nodded. "Rarity, Pinkamena, and now you." "Well, three hardly seems like everyone, but maybe it's because she was lookin' for ya." Kyra hesitated before eyeing her. "Looking for me?" She asked, crossing her arms. The farm mare nodded, letting out a chuckle. "She was practically out of breath when she came runnin' up here to ask if ah'd seen ya." Kyra eyed the ground and nodded lightly. "Why the hell would she do that?" This made Applejack let out a louder laugh, almost startling the demon. "Well, I dunno, Kyra. Maybe she likes ya." "Of course she likes me," Kyra said plainly. "I'm interesting compared to you normies. And, she isn't half bad, either. We got along well last time I was here." "Ah don't mean that kinda like..." AJ pointed out. "She seemed pretty anxious to meet you again. Now, ah don't wanna put words in her mouth or go jumpin' to conclusions... but, I would keep an eye on her to see how she reacts around you. Ya might get yr answer." Shaking her head, Kyra looked away with a light blush. "No one could like me like that," Kyra said through her teeth. "I'm not the kind of pony other ponies fall for... given what I am and what I do..." Chuckling, Applejack went back to her apples and picked the bags up. "Ah dunno, Kyra. You are kinda cute." Blushing more, Kyra eyed her. "Don't be ridiculous... i'm not cute. Malice is cute. I'm..." "Hot?" Asked AJ, before letting out another chuckle. "I was tryin' to be friendly about it, and... not awkward." "Hot is better, but... I was thinking more sultry," the demon corrected. "Me being a succubus and all..." "Yeah, yer sultry, alright," AJ agreed. "Now, ah'd ask if ya wanted to help, but I get the feelin' you'd rather be with Twilight." Kyra thought for a moment, her blush deepening. She was curious as to what Twilight thought of her but she was supposed to hang out with all of Twilight's friends to get to know them. Letting out a deep sigh, she looked up at the sky. "Ah, I guess I am kinda curious about Twilight..." the demon groaned. "But... what if she does like me?" She asked, looking at Applejack. "Have you never been in a relationship?" "No, I was burned alive for being a freak before I could even have a crush," Kyra said bluntly, with a hint of hatred at how she died. AJ suddenly felt sad for her, her smile fading. "Oh... Well, if she does like you... take her on a date. Maybe she can make you happy." "And, if I don't like her like that after the date?" AJ hesitated before setting her apples back down. "Knowing you, I would say you could just walk away, or whatever... but, the fact yer asking me that tells me you are concerned with how Twilight would feel if you did walk away. Seems like good start to me." Kyra hesitated before giving her a very light smile. "Okay, Applejack," she said, turning and walking away. "I'll see ya later." "Lemme know how it goes," AJ called after her, chuckling. Smiling lightly, Kyra waved goodbye as she left the farm. The moon was starting to come out as Kyra slowly walked up to the door to the Golden Oaks Library, hesitating before opening it. Looking up from the book she was reading, Twilight smiled at her from the couch. "You're back," she said, closing her book and standing up. The demon eyed her before closing the door, Applejack's words still in her thoughts. "Yes," she said, making her way towards the unicorn. "I have spent the day getting to know your friends," she said, crossing her arms. "What now?" Twilight smiled at hearing that she got to know her friends before her smile faded a little. "Um..." she said, trying to think. "Maybe we could... go for a... walk?" Kyra raised an eyebrow. "A walk?" Twilight blushed a little as she averted her gaze from the demon. "Yeah, you know... Get to know each other more... Like what you did with the others today?" Kyra looked her over, reading her body language. Applejack had mentioned to keep an eye on how she acted around her and she sure was acting weird. Was that farm pony right? Did Twilight really have a thing for her? Hesitating for a few more seconds, Kyra let out a sigh. "Alright," she said, turning and heading for the door. "Let's go for a walk." Twilight quickly looked over at her before rushing to catch up to her, seemingly eager to go on this walk. After they left, they started walking through the almost empty streets of Ponyville. "Oh, I know this great spot," Twilight said suddenly, breaking the awkward silence. "It's on a hill that overlooks the town... and..." she said, looking over at the demon to see her giving her a questionable look. "And there's a... a tree..." she finished, before looking away. Keeping her eyes on the mare, Kyra bit her lip as she was starting to get curious. "I would... like to see this spot," she finally said. The unicorn's eyes lit up and quickened her pace. "This way..." Letting out a quiet chuckle, Kyra followed her. Twilight led her out of town and then up onto a nearby hill, overlooking the town's center and Town Hall. Near the edge was a tree with a ton of leaves and a thick trunk. Walking up to the tree, Twilight sat down in the grass and leaned back against the tree. Looking up at the demon, she watched as Kyra slowly knelt beside her on her left, before sliding to her butt and stretching her legs out. "See?" Asked the unicorn, wrapping her arms around herself. "I-Isn't it a great view?" Kyra looked over at her and tilted her head slightly. "Something the matter?" She asked. "You seem... cold?" Letting out a quiet shiver, Twilight looked over at her. "Well, I sort of... r-rushed after you and f-forgot my coat... A-And, it's a surprisingly cold night..." She then noticed that the demon wore only a sleeveless shirt and shorts. "Aren't you cold? Or, is it a demon thing?" Chuckling softly, Kyra nodded. "It's a demon thing. I had to climb into Pinkamena's oven earlier when I was cold since I was trying not to use my demonic powers. But, now... without an oven... I sort of have to..." she explained plainly. "All I do is heat up my body until I'm no longer cold." "Oh, you... you heat your body up?" Twilight asked, still hugging herself. "Yes, I..." Kyra began, stopping when she saw the unicorn was still shivering. Thinking about what Applejack said, she decided now was the time to test it. "If you want... you can... move closer..." she said, her blush being hidden by her red skin. Blushing as well, Twilight felt her heart skip a beat. "U-Um... I-I..." "It's fine if you don't want to," the demon said as she started to look away. "N-No!" The unicorn said suddenly, making Kyra look over at her again. "I, uh..." she muttered, before sliding a little closer so they were about a couple inches apart. Eyes locked on the demon's, she slid a tad closer so they were about an inch apart. Letting out a chuckle, Kyra reached around and placed her hand on Twilight's right hip, pulling her close so their sides touched. The warmth was incredible. Half of Twilight's body was still a little cold but it was totally ignorable given how close she was to the demon. "Don't be afraid, Twilight. Remember, I'm a succubus. Intimate things are normal to me," she explained, getting a bigger blush from the unicorn. "Why, earlier today, I let Rarity see me naked as I tried on clothes. And, when I climbed out of Pinkamena's oven, all my clothes had burned off." Twilight's whole face was red by this point. "R-Rarity, and Pinks... saw you... naked?" "Yes," Kyra replied before chuckling. "And, what's with the stammering?" She teased. "I know you aren't cold anymore..." "N-Nothing!" Twilight gasped, looking down at the ground. "Are you... jealous?" Kyra cooed, continuing her teasing as she was also probing the mare for information on how she felt about her. "Do you want to see me naked, too?" Twilight was sweating, and not from the demon's body heat. "That's not it... I-I just... I..." "Twilight?" Kyra asked, her tone sounding softer. "Look at me..." The unicorn slowly lifted her head to look at her, their faces an inch apart. "Do you... like me?" Twilight tensed up at that. "Like you?" She asked, clearly nervous. "W-Well, uh... I see you as a friend... You know... You're nice, I guess... So..." Smiling gently, Kyra seemed to be in a more serious mood now than a playful one. "That's not what I meant..." Twilight bit her lip as she looked the demon in the eyes. She knew this may be the only chance she'd get to tell her how she really felt about her. If she was ever going to, now was the time. "I... I think I... do..." she said, her voice getting softer and softer until she finished in a whisper. Kyra let out what appeared to be a sad sigh as her smile faded. "Twilight... You know what I am, don't you? What I do? What I've done?" Pausing for a moment, it seemed like she was holding back tears. "I can't start a relationship with a mortal... I don't deserve it... I don't deserve... you..." Twilight let out a soft gasp. "You don't..." she said, starting to repeat the last thing Kyra said. "Of course you do. I know you act tough since your the Demon Queen, and all, but I've seen your softer side. When you had to rip my leg off to keep me from becoming a puppet of the Candy Mare, you cared. You said it yourself." "You were growing on me," Kyra said with a light smile. "You still are. I don't know why, but... I find your awkwardness... adorable..." The unicorn was sweating with nervousness and anticipation. "Well, I find your, uh... demon-ness... attractive..." Kyra let out a chuckle. "My demon-ness?" She asked, her eyes then going half-lidded. "You mean this?" She cooed seductively. Twilight simply stared back in awe, before snapping back to reality. "Th-That, and... just how you act and... I like your face, and your... voice..." "And..." Kyra said as she leaned in a little, so Twilight could feel her breath on her lips. "My body?" Twilight blushed deeply. "U-Uh... I-I haven't... seen it yet, but... f-from what I can see, it's... good..." "Haven't seen it yet?" Kyra asked with a smirk. The unicorn went wide-eyed and pulled away. "N-No, I didn't mean--" she started to exclaim, before Kyra pulled her close again. Out of instinct, she put her hand out to stop herself, only to feel the base of the demon's neck against her fingertips and her breasts against her wrist. She froze up when she realized how close her palm was to the demon's breasts. The demon didn't seem to care, though. "I wouldn't mind... giving this a try," Kyra replied, as Twilight started to pull her hand away. The demon gently took her hand in her own, their fingers slowly interlocking as the unicorn was finding it hard to breathe. "I'm assuming you'd like to try this, too?" Nodding, Twilight gave her a smile. "I'd love that..." Kyra let out a soft chuckle. "Alright, then... I suppose that means we're dating now..." "Yeah..." Twi replied as she leaned her head against the demon's shoulder, loving how warm she felt. "We are..." The red mare smiled and rubbed her back as she kept holding her hand. None said another word. They just looked out upon the city from the hill they were on, thinking about how they were now in a relationship. Next Episode: Saturday, May 26 > Silent Night... > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two scared fillies lay in their bed, their mouths sewn shut as they cried for help. Soon, they heard footsteps approaching their bedroom door before it flung open. There, stood their mother. An all black mare with long black hair down to her stomach. All she had on was a black nightgown and was holding a pair of scissors. "I thought I told you girls to be quiet..." the mare cooed darkly as she glared at them. The fillies continued to scream for help, their lips stained with the blood from the thread keeping their mouth shut. Letting out a low growl, the mare began making her way towards them. "What am I... gonna have to do... to get you to shut up?" She hissed, stepping up to their bed, her grip on the scissors tightening. When the kids wouldn't stop, she raised the scissors with an almost demonic look in her eyes. When she was about to bring the scissors down and silence her children, a handful of Royal Guards ran into the room. "Freeze!" One of them yelled, making the mare turn around and glare at them. "What are you doing in my house?!" She yelled, pointing the scissors at them. "I was just putting the to sleep!" When she turned back to her fillies, the guard that spoke ran over and tackled her to the floor, causing her to drop the scissors. Placing his hand on the back of her head, he held her down stomach-to-floor as he looked at the other two guards. "Help the kids," he said. "Get them medical aid, now!" The black mare started to giggle. "You can't keep me from my kids," she cooed. "I will see them again." Her eyes fell on the bed as the two guards quickly picked up the fillies and carried them out of the room. "Where are you taking them?!" "Away from you," the guard holding her down said. "And you're going to jail forever for what you did." The mare let out a growl and rolled over, knocking the stallion over before she grabbed her scissors. When he got to his feet, the guard saw the mare standing a couple feet away from him, scissors in hand. "Then, I have no reason to live," she said, almost sounding sad. Then, before the stallion could act, she drove the scissors into her throat. The guard watched in horror as the mare sliced her throat open before collapsing, dead. Twilight put a book back on the shelf of her library as she looked over her shoulder at Applejack, who was sitting on the couch, watching her. "So, we're sort of... going on a date tonight," she said, making the farm mare smile. "So, ya told her and it worked out?" AJ asked. "More like she worked it out of me," Twi replied with a small blush, remembering what happened last night. "But, I... I'm still sort of worried..." "Worried?" Asked Applejack, getting up from the couch. "Worried about what? I thought you two got along." "Oh, we do," the unicorn said with a smile. "I mean... under her tough exterior, she's... pretty sweet..." Kyra let out a yell as she tore the leg off a demon, watching him writhe in pain for a few seconds before looking over at Deva. "We're dating tonight." The two were standing in the Smelting Chamber where Kyra was busy torturing a tainted soul. "A date?" Asked Deva, sounding confused. "With a mortal?" "She's really adorable," Kyra said with a chuckle, ignoring the legless demon's cried of agony. "I'm just... a tad concerned about all this..." "Oh?" Deva asked as she crossed her arms. "About what?" "What if she realizes how... bad I can be?" Asked Kyra, looking over at the writhing demon. "What if I scare her?" "Then, it wasn't meant to be," the gray mare cooed. "If she really loves you, she won't care about what you do for a job." She then let out a giggle. "I can't believe you found something you're afraid of." "I'm not afraid," Kyra said, clenching her fists as the legless demon's arms ripped off. "I've been alone for so along, I'm used to it. If this doesn't work out, who gives a shit?" Letting out a sigh, she crossed her arms. "But... if this does work..." "If this does work, you'll have yourself a nice, vulnerable, mortal girlfriend." The red demon eyed her, eyes narrowing slightly. "You don't approve?" "I just think you aren't thinking this through," Deva said before she walked over to the limbless demon, dragging what was left of him over to the wall and lifted him up. Chaining him to the wall by his neck, she let him hang there, choking for air and bleeding on the floor. "She's mortal. You're not. You'll live forever... and she won't," Deva pointed out, before turning to look at her. "I want you to be happy, mistress... but, I don't think a mortal is the right choice for you..." Kyra thought for a moment before turning and walking towards the exit. "I'll think of something..." "You think she'll think I'm too... nerdy?" Twilight asked as she sat on the couch beside Applejack. "Too nerdy?" Asked the earth pony with a chuckle. "She knows you live in a library and still wants to go out with you. Ya got nothin' to worry about, sugarcube." Twilight gave her a light smile. "Thanks, Applejack. It's just, this is my first date, and... I'll be honest... I have done some mild research on dating, but... those were between a male and female..." AJ tilted her head and crossed her arms. "Never thought you'd date a mare?" Blushing, Twilight smiled sheepishly. "Honestly, no... I never thought I'd date a mare and I have no idea what to do or expect..." "What's so hard to get?" Applejack asked with a smile. "You're a mare... You should know what a mare likes." Twi thought for a moment. "Huh... That does make sense..." "Besides, she's a succubus, right? I'm sure she could teach you a few things." Twilight's blush deepened as she looked away. "I... I suppose..." Kyra was making her way towards Tartarus when Malice ran up to her. "I heard the good news," she cooed happily. "Am I really gonna have another mother?" The red mare let out a chuckle. "It's just a date, sweetie. I'm not even sure how this is going to go..." "Oh, well..." Malice started, before running in front of her. "If it becomes official, can I meet her?" She asked with a wide smile. Kyra smirked and reached out, rubbing her head playfully. "Of course you can... But, right now I have to go check on our... sweet, sweet friend..." "Yay!" Malice cheered, jumping up for joy. "Oh, right! I'll let you do that and I'll go for a swim," she said as she began to run away. "Good luck on your date!" She called back. Kyra watched her leave and smiled, before turning and continuing on towards the hellish prison. Twilight let out a groan as she stood in front of her dresser, trying to pick out clothes to wear. "Oh, why is this so hard?" "Because yer makin' this harder than it needs to be," AJ pointed out as she leaned against the door frame. "Just don't think about it, and pick something normal. I doubt Kyra expects you to dress up in a fancy outfit..." "True..." Twilight muttered, her eyes falling on a black sleeveless shirt. "Well, she likes black, so..." "Now, yer tryin' to copy her?" AJ asked with a chuckle. "Just pick something you'd normally wear." Scoffing, Twi looked back at her. "I'd wear this." Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Really? You would wear a sleeveless shirt?" "Sure, why not?" "Because you're usually wearing long-sleeved shirts or, at the very least, short-sleeved. And you barely wear shorts that stop above the knees. Do you even walk barefoot outside in the summer?" Thinking about it, Twilight sighed. "I get it, I don't normally show a lot of skin... But, I feel like Kyra's pulling me from my shell and inspiring me to try new things," she explained with a smile. AJ smiled, too, and nodded. "Alright, then... I'll let you get changed, then," she said as she stood upright. "Can't wait to see what you pick out." She then closed the door and Twilight could hear her head downstairs. Sighing, Twilight went back to picking out clothes. Kyra slowly walked up to a cell door which had runes all over it. Opening it, she entered and closed the door. Inside was a large room that was about as big as a rec room. The walls, floor, and ceiling had a spell on them to make it look like you were standing in a field with a nice blue sky. Kyra had used her powers to make real grass grow in the room along with a few trees to make it look real. "Where are you, Pumpkin?" She asked, making her way towards the clearing at the center of the room. When she got there, she saw the candy pony sitting on a rock. "So..." the candy mare cooed. "I hear you have yourself a girlfriend now..." she said, looking over her shoulder at the Demon Queen. Crossing her arms, Kyra made her way towards her. "As a matter of fact, yes," she said, stepping up to the sweet pony. "We're having our first date tonight." "Oooo, really?" Pumpkin said as she turned around and moved closer, all in one move as if she were a snake. "The big, bad demon has herself a mortal plaything? Aren't you at all concerned with how fragile she is?" She sang in a childish voice as she slithered around behind Kyra and placed her clawed hands on her shoulders. "Not to mention how you'll outlive her... And, when she dies, you'll probably never see her again after that..." Kyra let out a growl and turned around, getting face-to-face with the sugar-coated demon. "We'll make it work." "Oh, i'm sure you will..." Pumpkin said as she placed her hands on Kyra's cheeks. "I would just... hate to see you upset... when you have to watch her die..." The red mare knocked her hands away before making her way towards the exit. "I'll see you later, Pumpkin." "Good luck on your date!" The candy pony sang after her, holding up one of her fingers which had a piece missing. As the missing piece grew back, a wide grin spread across her face. Twilight was just finishing up when there was a knock on the front door. Applejack, who had returned to laying on the couch, got up and went over to the door. Opening it, she smiled as she saw Kyra. The demon was wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt which stopped just above her belly-button. It had open slits on the arm near her shoulder and an open crosshatch window on her upper chest with revealed cleavage. She also wore long, black pants with open slits near her knee and up near her hips. The white of her cutie mark could be seen through the slits. On her feet, she wore normal black shoes. "Wow, Kyra," AJ said with a smile as she stepped aside. "Lookin' good." The demon smiled lightly before she entered, looking around. "Is... Twilight here?" "Upstairs," Applejack replied as she closed the door. "Should be down shortly." Kyra eyed the stairs before walking over to the couch. Applejack leaned against the door as she watched her. "You seem... nervous..." Kyra seemed to tense up as she sat down. "Uh... No..." she said, not making direct eye contact with AJ. "I have total confidence in... this date..." AJ let out a chuckle and looked over at the stairs, seeing Twilight heading down with a nervous expression of her own. She was wearing the black, sleeveless shirt and shorts with sandals. When she arrived at the bottom step, she and Kyra made eye contact as the demon stood up. "Hey, Twilight," Kyra said as she made her way towards the mare. Twi blushed when she saw how attractive Kyra looked. "H-Hi," she said with a smile. Looking her over as she stepped up to her, Kyra let out a soft chuckle. "You change your wardrobe for me?" She asked. AJ let out a chuckle as Twilight blushed more, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "No, I... I already had these... Just never got the chance to wear them, is all..." Kyra chuckled softly and gently tapped her fist against Twilight's shoulder. "Just messin'. You look great." Twi smiled sheepishly before both looked over at Applejack, who had a huge smirk on her face. "Yer cute together," Applejack said when the two remembered she was there. Staring at her for a few seconds, Kyra then looked at Twilight. "Come on. Let's go out," she cooed, leading Twilight towards the door. Twilight followed her, both eyeing Applejack as they opened the door and left. "Have fun, you two," AJ said with a smile. Twilight and Kyra walked through Ponyville, heading towards their spot on the hill. "So, I..." Twi started. "I just wanted to say that I... Well... Thank you for doing this... with me..." Kyra hesitated for a second or two before smiling, crossing her arms. "Honestly, I was more curious as to what your intention were, but... I have to admit... this is nice. It's been a few millenniums since I've interacted with a mortal. Now, here I am dating one..." The unicorn eyed her before looking down at the ground. "I'm sorry if I'm... boring to you..." Kyra stopped moving and reached out with her left hand, taking Twilight's right. Feeling the demon's hand on her own, Twilight stopped, too, and turned to face the demon. "Kyra?" She asked. "Something wrong?" "Twilight..." Kyra said, moving closer and looking the mare in the eyes. "Stop selling yourself short. If I didn't want to be with you, I wouldn't be. Just because you're mortal, doesn't mean you're boring." Twilight blushed harder and smiled. "Sorry, just... I know I can't compare to a demon. You can't be as rough with me and I can't really do anything interesting..." Kyra let out a sigh and placed her right hand on Twilight's cheek. "After what I have to do to for my job... gentle is something I look forward to..." After looking in Twi's eyes for a second longer, she pulled her into a hug. "Despite knowing what I am, you still want to be with me. I can't ignore that. And, for that... I thank you..." Twilight smiled and hugged back, the two embracing each other. An orange filly and a red filly sat in an alley with a flashlight. "Have you heard the story of Silent Night?" The red filly asked. The orange one shook her head with a playful smile. "No, Berry." "Well, the legend goes that she appears as an all black mare with long, scary-looking hair and her mouth sewn shut. She likes to abduct foals and sew their mouths shut. If they make loud noises, like screaming, she kills them." The orange filly's smile faded. "That's... That's pretty dark..." Berry let out a giggle. "Relax, Mango. It's just a scary story. Something like that can't happen." "Yeah, I guess..." Mango said as she stood up. "Well, we should probably get home. It's getting late." "You're right," Berry agreed, standing up as well. "My mom will get worried if I'm out any longer." With that, she took off. "Catch you later!" She called back. Mango smiled, about to leave when she heard a sound behind her. Turning around, she saw nothing but darkness. "Uh... H-Hello?" She called. She suddenly heard a light whimpering. "I... I can't find my children..." Came a voice from a source she couldn't see. "Can you help me?" Mango hesitantly moved closer. "Uh... What do they look like?" She asked, getting ready to run if this went badly. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough time to react as a figure lunged from the darkness and grabbed her by the shoulders. It was an all black mare with black hair that hung down to the ground. The mare's black eyes staring into the filly's as she smiled. Her lips were stitched together but the thread seemed to stretch when she spoke. "Oh..." the dark mare cooed. "I found one..." Mango went wide-eyed in fright and was about to scream, when she stopped. If this was Silent Night, then she knew she couldn't yell for help or make any loud noises. "You seem afraid, little one," the mare cooed darkly, reaching out to gently stroke her cheek. "Like you want to scream..." Mango's heart was beating wildly in her chest before she pulled away and ran. Letting out a yelp, she felt a hand grab her leg, making her fall on her face. Screaming in surprise, she was pulled away into the darkness. Kyra sat against the tree on the hill with Twilight sitting beside her. The unicorn was resting her head on the demon's shoulder as Kyra had her arm around her, hand on the unicorn's waist. "Another nice night..." Kyra said plainly. "Yeah..." Twi agreed. "Best part... is how nice and warm you are..." The demon let out a soft chuckle. "You like how warm my body is?" She asked with a smirk. Twilight nodded and nuzzled the demon's shoulder. "Yeah... It feels nice... Not too hot... Just right..." "I can get warmer," Kyra cooed, before turning to Twilight, taking her by the shoulders, and gently forcing her on her back with herself on top. "How's this?" The unicorn was blushing hard as she stared up at Kyra. "I-I feel like I'm... burning up..." Kyra let out a stifled chuckle. "Twilight, I... I'm not actually doing anything." Going wide-eyed, Twilight's blush deepened. "O-Oh!" "I think that's just you really liking this position," Kyra said with a smirk. "Me on top..." Twilight bit her lip, not knowing what to say... before Kyra let out a laugh. "Oh, Twilight, you're so adorable when you're nervous. And, your heart rate has seemed to increase as well." Straddling Twilight's lap, she sat up and took the unicorn by the waist, helping her sit up before wrapping her arms around her neck. "I admit, I love to sexually tease others... but... despite being a succubus... I want to take our time with this. I want out first time to be magical," Kyra cooed, resting her cheek on Twi's shoulder. Twi blushed at the new position. Never would she have thought that Kyra would allow herself to be in the somewhat submissive position, with her head on Twilight's shoulder. It was nice and showed that the demon actually cared about her and wasn't so set on appearing as the dominant one. Smiling, Twilight wrapped her arms around Kyra. "That sounds like a great idea..." Suddenly, the demon's ears twitched as she lifted her head. Eyes narrowing, she quickly stood up and faced the town. Confused, Twilight got to her feet, too. "What's wrong?" "There's been an attack," the demon said, before turning to Twilight and stepping up to her. Putting her hands on her hips, she let out a sigh. "Sucks to have to end our date, but..." "Time for work?" Twilight asked with a light smile. "You know we're gonna help you, right?" "I learned last time that there's no excuse arguing with you girls..." In a light burst of red smoke, the two teleported inside a dark bedroom. "Wh... Where are we?" Asked Twilight. Without answering, Kyra walked over to the bed and snapped her fingers, all the lights turning on as Rainbow Dash sat up with a gasp. "What?!" The pegasus yelled. "Library," Kyra said, not even flinching. "Now." She and Twilight soon disappeared again, leaving Rainbow Dash to deal with the shock. Mango lay on a bed, eyes filled with tears as Silent Night pulled the needle through the filly's upper lip. Holding up a pair of sharp-looking scissors, she cut the thread and tied the end. "There we go..." Silent cooed. "Now, you won't be screaming again..." she said as she stood up and looked down at the filly. "Please, don't make any more noise. You're much more adorable this way..." Mango sniffled but didn't cry or whimper as she watched the ghostly mare turn and leaved the room. Kyra and Twilight stood in the main room of the library, waiting for the others to arrive. The demon thought for a moment before eyeing Twilight. "Twilight?" She asked, crossing her arms. "I've been meaning to ask..." The unicorn turned to her and gave her a smile. "Yes?" "When I was with Fluttershy, she mentioned her bunny, Angel," Kyra began, which instantly made Twilight's smile fade. "What happened to him?" Twilight hesitated before looking away. "He was... attacked... by timberwolves..." "Timberwolves?" Kyra asked, tilting her head. "Oh, wow..." she said, trying to sound concerned, though the lack of a connection between her and the bunny didn't give her the same emotion as Twilight. "Pinkie was taking care of him at the time," Twilight continued. "She blames herself and, despite Fluttershy having forgave her, she hasn't forgiven herself." "I see..." Kyra muttered. "That's why she seemed protective of Fluttershy back in the castle with Pumpkin. She's trying to make amends..." When Twilight was about to say something else, the door opened. "Hey," AJ said with a wave as Kyra averted her eyes slightly. Behind the farm pony were the others. "Thanks for that startling wake-up call," Dash said with a light smirk. "I'm gonna have nightmares forever because of that." "You don't know what nightmares are," Kyra muttered before turning to face them. "We don't have time to screw around. A filly has gone missing." Everyone's smile faded at hearing the terrible news. "Any idea which demon it is?" Asked Rarity. Kyra gave her a nod. "Of course. Somehow, her energy is being masked from me but from what I can feel... it's Midnight Shadow." "Midnight Shadow?" Asked Twilight. "The one from 20 years ago?" Kyra smiled and looked over at her. "Nerd," she said playfully, getting a blush from the unicorn. "Wait, Midnight Shadow?" Applejack began. "Silent Night?" "You mortals love your legends, don't you?" Kyra asked with a sigh. "So I'm assuming you know the story? How she sewed her children's mouths shut and tried to kill them when they cried out?" "Yeah," Dash said. "If you see her, don't make a sound or she'll take you and sew your mouth shut. You cry, you die." "I never liked that legend," Fluttershy whimpered softly. Pinkamena eyed her with the intent of comforting her, but made no physical attempt to. "Well, she is no legend," Kyra pointed out. "She's real. And she's here." Twilight thought for a moment before stepping up to the demon. "Do you know where she is?" Eyeing her, Kyra smiled and nodded. "I know exactly where she is. She brings her victims to her old home." "Her old home?" Asked Rarity. "That old... rickety thing on the edge of town?" The demon looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Well, well... The fashionista knows her ghost stories." "It's more like... I try and avoid looking at that hideous thing..." AJ chuckled at that and playfully elbowed Rainbow Dash. "Of course it comes down to how the place looks..." "Anyways..." Kyra said plainly, getting everyone's attention again. "I can't approach her. Not without bait." Everyone went wide-eyed at that. "Bait?" Asked Fluttershy, hand over her mouth. "Oh, goodness..." Twilight tilted her head in confusion. "Uh... What kind of bait?" The demon hesitated before letting out a sigh. "A filly..." "What?!" Dash exclaimed. "Preferably, two..." Kyra continued. "Best result... three..." "Completely out of the question," Rarity said somewhat loudly, clearly appalled by the idea. "How could you even suggest such an outrageous idea?!" Twilight thought for a moment, before looking at Kyra. "Because Midnight wants her fillies back." She then turned to face the others. "We distract her with a filly or two, get her away from the one she has already, and then Kyra can capture her." "Even if we did this crazy idea," AJ spoke up. "who would we get?" Kyra and Twilight eyed each other, but said nothing. Dash's eyes widened when she figured it out, quickly shaking her head. "No, that's not gonna happen!" The cyan mare exclaimed. "What?" Asked AJ. "What is it?" The pegasus scoffed and crossed her arms. "They're talking about Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle." "Oh, hell no!" The orange earth pony said. "Makes sense..." Pinkamena finally said, eyes on the floor. Everyone turned to look at the quiet mare, shocked by her response and awaiting an explanation. "They've dealt with the Candy Mare and came out okay... Plus, they're the only fillies in town we could actually get to do it... and they'd want to help, too..." Rainbow thought for a moment before sighing and tilting her head back. "Scootaloo was saying how she thought Kyra was... cool..." "This may be the only way," Twilight pointed out. Kyra gently rubbed the back of Twilight's neck before slowly approaching the others. "I won't let any harm come to them. But, we have to move fast. There's a filly out there with her mouth sewn shut and suffering from the pain. And, that's if she hasn't cried already..." Rarity took a deep breath and nodded. "She's right. If there's a chance to save that filly, we have to take it..." Rainbow and AJ eyed each other before nodding reluctantly. Pinkamena watched them all with a small smile, which faded when she looked over at Fluttershy. "I guess we're all in," Twi said with a smile. The gang stood outside the old house on the edge of town. Joining the girls were the CMC, who were glad to help but also wished to be anywhere else but here. "This is gonna work, right?" Asked Scootaloo. Kyra stepped up beside her, playfully rubbing her head. "You'll be fine," she said, getting a light giggle from the filly. Looking up at Dash, the cyan mare gave her a small smile in appreciation. "Alright," the demon said. "Let's do this. Everyone remember the plan?" Just then, they all heard a scream from inside. "Oh, shit," Kyra gasped. The door to the bedroom where Mango was being held slammed open as Silent Night stood in the doorway. "Did you make a noise?" She asked, scissors in hand as the blade shimmered in the moonlight. The filly quickly shook her head as the mare approached, her eyes wide in fear as her lips had more blood on them. "Really?" The ghostly entity cooed. "Because... I thought I heard something..." The filly shook her head and whimpered as the mare came face-to-face with her. "I-I... had to sneeze..." the filly whispered, shuddering in fear. "Ohhhhhh..." Silent cooed, running her hand over the filly's cheek. "I'm sorry, but... you seem to think I care. I thought I said... no... noises," she said, raising the scissors to the filly's neck. When she was about to cut Mango's neck, she heard chatting outside. Young voices. Ears twitching, Silent quickly and silently moved out of the room and up to the window in the hall, seeing three fillies outside her front door. "Must be my lucky day..." Applebloom looked over at the house. "So, you feel confident about this?" Sweetie shook her head as the orange filly moved to the front door. "Not at all." "Come on, you two!" Scootaloo said in a fake, excited voice. "It's a haunted house. Let's go exploring!" Sweetie and AB eyed each other before moving to join Scoots. Opening the door, the orange filly entered first, followed by the other two. Once inside, the door slammed shut, making the fillies jump. "What happened?!" Sweetie exclaimed. Applebloom ran to the door and tried opening it. "It won't budge!" She yelled, rattling the doorknob. Scootaloo watched them before turning back around, about to let out a scream but held it in. Staring her in the face was Silent Night, only a few centimeters away. "Girls..." she whispered audibly. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle stopped what they were doing and slowly turned around. Their heart rate quickened but due to Scoots' warning, they didn't jump or scream. And, to them, she wasn't as creepy as the Candy Mare but she was still terrifying. "What a treat..." the mare cooed. "Three beautiful fillies..." she said as she ran her sharp nails down Scootaloo's cheek, lightly cutting her. The orange filly let out a wince of pain but kept quiet. AB and Sweetie Belle took a step forward before Silent Night practically slid over to them in the blink of an eye. Applebloom let out a gasp and fell backwards in surprise, letting out a loud grunt when she landed on her butt. Silent Night grinned widely. "You're a very noisy filly..." she cooed darkly, holding out her scissors in her left hand and a needle in her right. The three fillies couldn't hold it in and let out screams of terror. When the mare was about to lunge at Applebloom, there was a flash of red as Twilight, Kyra, and the others appeared by the door. "Gotcha!" Kyra yelled, holding out her hand as a red circle formed around the evil mare. "What?!" Silent yelled in anger, looking all around before her eyes fell on Kyra. "I should've known this was too good to be true!" She yelled out, eyes flashing red. "It's over for you, Silent Night!" Kyra yelled back. "You're going back in your cell right now!" The circle flashed as red energy began to get sucked out of Silent Night. "What's happening?" Twilight asked, stepping up beside the red demon. "I have to drain her energy until she's weak enough for me to capture," Kyra explained. Silent Night dropped to her knees, dropping her scissors and needle. "You'll regret this..." she growled. "Just give in," Kyra snapped back. "Be a good girl and do as your told." Silent chuckled and slowly got to her feet again. "It's not going to be this easy..." she said, before glaring at Kyra. "I will not rest... until I have my children back!" She yelled, the room shaking. "Your foolish attempt to imprison me has failed, Kyra!" "What's going on?" Asked Twilight, looking around the room. "Her rage," Kyra explained. "She's becoming too strong for the barrier." Silent grinned widely and picked up her scissors and needle. "I will have my children again, Kyra! And only then will I rest! Until then, I WILL MAKE EVERY PARENT AS LONELY AS I AM!!!" There was a flash of red as everything went dark. When the darkness faded, Silent Night was gone. Kyra let out a gasp and stepped forward. "It... It didn't work..." she said in disbelief. Rainbow pulled her gaze from where the mare was and ran over to Scootaloo. "Scoots! Are you okay?!" She asked with a worried expression, looking over the cuts. The orange filly nodded with a light smile. "Of course. It's gonna take a lot more than that to get me." "Attagirl," Dash cooed, rubbing her head playfully. "Let's get out of here." Rarity then ran over to Sweetie Belle and Applejack ran over to Applebloom. Twilight watched them before looking at Kyra. "Where'd she go?" She asked. Kyra shook her head. "I'm not sure... Somewhere else... But, she'll be back." "And, we'll be waiting, right?" Twi asked with a smile. Kyra smiled, too, before her smile faded. "You girls head home and get some sleep... I have to tend to that filly," she said, before disappearing. Twilight let out a sigh and turned and looked at the others. "I hope that filly is okay..." "I'm sure she's fine," Dash said with a light smile. "Though, she's right. She can tend to the filly while we get some sleep." Nodding, Twilight began making her way towards the door. "Come on... let's get out of here..." The others all nodded as everyone made their way out the front door and back to their homes. It was a little passed midnight now and they were all feeling tired. On her way back to the library, Twilight only thought about Kyra and the fun they'd have next time she came. Next Episode: Saturday, June 2 > Candy Land > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kyra appeared in the bedroom of Silent Night's home, seeing the filly on the bed. Her sudden appearance made the filly jump and let out a squeak. "No, it's okay," the demon cooed, leaning over the bed and placing her hand on the filly's cheek. "I'm here to help you..." She ran her finger over the stitches as they began to dissolve into nothing. "Wh-Who are you?" Asked the filly, now able to speak. "My name's Kyra," the demon said with a smile as she then ran her finger around the filly's lips, the holes vanishing and the blood fading away. "You must be Mango." "H-How do you know that?" "I know a lot of things," Kyra replied with a chuckle. "Now, let's get you home. I'm sure your parents must be worried." The filly sniffled and nodded. "Yes, please..." A green filly with short pink hair approached the Candy Mare's prison door. Jumping up, she grabbed the bars and lifted herself up, wanting to see inside. Everything seemed normal. Fake trees still there and the walls were intact... but, where was the candy pony? Suddenly, the mare in question popped up in front of her, making the filly yell in fright and let go of the bars. Hitting the floor with a grunt, she looked up at the window. Looking back at her was the face of the Candy Mare. "Gumdrop..." the mare cooed. "I knew you'd come back to me..." The filly stood up and stayed where she was so she could see the mare. "So, you're the one who... did this to me?" The Candy Mare let out a giggle. "Souls are so delicious... I just happened to pick you to possess... and you played your part perfectly..." Gumdrop hesitated in thought before looking down at the floor. "What about... my mother... and my friends?" "You don't need either of those when you have me..." the candy-coated mare cooed eerily. Gumdrop looked up at her again. "Didn't you ever have any friends?" The mare let out a growl. "I don't need friends..." The green filly tilted her head before knocking on the door. "But, don't you get bored in there all by yourself?" The Candy Mare smiled widely and pressed her candy face to the barred window. "Very... But, perhaps you can fix that..." Gumdrop hesitated for a moment, thinking about this before looking at the doorknob. Kyra reappeared in the Nether in a poof of red smoke, standing near the large prison room next to Tartarus where the Candy Mare was kept. Walking closer, she noticed the door open. "What the hell?" She asked, quickly approaching the door. Opening it, she held out her hand, sensing the barrier was still active. "Still there..." she muttered to herself, before entering and closing the door. "Pumpkin?!" She called out, before feeling a slight prick on her neck. Swatting at whatever it was, she saw a piece of candy drop to the floor. Eyes going wide, she realized what had happened. It sank into the floor as there was a loud boom, something shooting out of the floor and knocking her back into the door. Hitting the floor with a grunt, she looked up with wide eyes. Filling the room was now a jungle made of candy. Candy trees with chocolate for the trunk and cotton candy for leaves were everywhere. Vines were made of licorice, rocks made of rock candy, the water was soda, and many plants were candy canes or peppermint candies on sticks along with lollipops or other candies. "Oh, shit..." Kyra said, getting to her feet. "Pumpkin!" She yelled. "Who's in here with you?!" Right after she asked, a lot of the rock candy on the ground began to gather between two nearby trees, fusing together and forming the Candy Mare's face. It was big enough to cover the two trees as she looked down at Kyra. "Why not come to the center and find out?" The face cooed before falling into rock candy pieces. The red demon mare took a cautious step back before slowly making her way into the jungle of candy. Gumdrop opened her eyes, blinking a few times before getting to her feet. Looking around, she saw the candy jungle all around her. She seemed to be in a clearing of some sort. Backing up, she bumped into a large candy rock. Letting out a gasp, she turned around. Looking up, she saw the Candy Mare squatting on top. Her clawed hands were resting on the edge of the rock in front of her like a frog. Letting out another gasp, Gumdrop fell backwards on her butt. "I thought you weren't scared of me..." the Candy Mare cooed, smiling down at her. "I'm not," the filly said, staying on her back as she looked up at the mare. "You just startled me..." "Oh, pity..." the candy pony said, sighing in disappointment as she rolled onto her back, head hanging over the edge so she could still watch the filly. "I'll have to try harder next time..." "Why do you have to try at all?" Gumdrop asked. "Can't you just... play nice?" Th Candy Mare hesitated before the ground beneath the filly began to rise, bringing her closer to the candy pony. The Candy Mare's head turned all the way around so she could look at the filly upright. "Let me get one thing straight..." the candy pony hissed. "I don't do... nice. Pumpkin may be inside me but I am in control. If I had my way, I would turn everyone into my ghoul and turn the world into a candy paradise. Being imprisoned in this place is the worst fate for me. I need to be free..." She trailed off as she looked around their surroundings. "At least it's bigger than my other cell..." "Did Kyra move you here to give you more space?" The Candy Mare rotated her body so she was belly-down, her claws grabbing the edge of the rock. "She seems to think that this special privilege will keep me calm enough so I don't break out again..." The filly thought for a moment before tilting her head. "But, you... didn't break out..." The candy pony hesitated as she looked into the filly's eyes, before her grin widened slightly. "How interesting... You have some of my memories, don't you?" Gumdrop thought for a moment before nodding. "I think so... I do have some memories that aren't mine..." "I've never had a soul escape me before," the Candy Mare cooed, leaning in and placing her hands on the filly's cheeks. "I'm not about to let you escape now..." The filly let out a soft gasp as her eyes went wide slightly. Kyra made her way through the forest, eyeing all the trees and plants for any signs of movement. Letting out an annoyed sigh, she continued moving towards the center. When she heard a light shuffling noise, she stopped and looked around. "What are you trying to do, Pumpkin?" She asked, knowing the candy pony could hear her. She didn't get an answer as the shuffling grew louder. Suddenly, a wolf made of candy just like the Candy Mare jumped out from the cotton candy bushes. "The hell?" Kyra asked. The wolf let out a growl before charging at her. Going wide-eyed, Kyra fired a fireball at it, making it shatter into pieces. Stepping up to it, she kicked the pieces. "Stupid candy..." When she was about to walk away, she heard more growling. Looking all around she saw more candy wolves circling her. Letting out a sigh, she held her hands out by her side, fire engulfing her fists. Hearing a roar behind her, she dropped to the ground as a wolf leaped over her. When it was above her, she hit it with a fireball. As it fell apart, another one ran at her. Shooting it into bits, she slowly got to her feet. "Is this seriously the best you can do?" She asked, assuming the Candy Mare could hear her. The wolves all around her glared at her with hungry eyes before they all charged her at once. Eyes going wide slightly, she punched one and made it burst, before punching another. Ducking to avoid a swipe and a bite, she hit both wolves with fireballs. Soon, the amount of wolves began to overwhelm her. Whenever she killed one, another one would run up to her. Soon, a couple managed to knock her onto her stomach before the rest piled on. Unable to move her hands, the red demon grunted. She then felt the wolves clawing at her back, blood running down her sides as they seemed to be trying to dig through her. Gritting her teeth together, she tried to hold back a scream... but couldn't. Letting out a loud yell of pain, she clenched her fists and breathed heavily. As the wolves mauled her back, cutting her skin with their sharp candy claws, Kyra tried to focus more energy into her body. Closing her eyes, she felt a tear run down her cheek before letting out an even louder yell, a burst of energy erupting from her body. Panting heavily, she opened her eyes to see bits of candy all around her, the attack on her back over. All the wolves were gone. If these were normal wolves, she'd be able to shrug off the pain, but since they were created by a demon she felt actual pain. Taking a moment to get used to the pain in her back, she got to her knees with a groan. When she finally got to her feet, she let out a hiss of pain. Now standing, she could feel the blood running down her back and down her legs. She couldn't see, but she knew she must look like a mess from behind. Taking a few deep breaths, she stumbled over to a tree and leaned against it. She couldn't believe such a brief attack of candy wolves could do this to her, but she knew she had to make it out alive. Not only was she the ruler of the Nether, but she also wanted to see Twilight again. The thought of the purple unicorn gave her the strength she needed as she felt her back begin to heal. Grunting at the slight pain, she closed her eyes and let the rest of her back heal before attempting to stand up again. Now able to do so without stumbling, she slowly made her way towards the center again. Gumdrop walked around the clearing as the Candy Mare was still resting on the rock, lying down on her belly as she watched the filly. Gumdrop stopped in front of a lollipop flower and knelt down, before slowly reaching out and touching it. "Is this... edible?" She asked. The candy pony let out an annoyed sigh. "Unfortunately, yes..." she said. "My candy powers have no effect down here like they do in the mortal realm..." Gumdrop's eyes went wide with joy and began licking the lollipop flower with a happy smile. "Mmm... This place is so cool," she said, standing up and rubbing the tree trunk. "Is this chocolate?!" She gasped, grabbing the trunk with both hands and taking a bite out of it. "It is!" She exclaimed with a mouthful of chocolate. The Candy Mare showed no emotion as she lightly scratched at the rock she was lying on. She found herself somewhat enjoying the fact that someone else was enjoying her candy... and she hated it. The more she watched the filly enjoy herself, the more violent her scratching became until she eventually dug her claws into the rock. She then jumped off the rock and landed on all fours, before quickly crawling over to the filly and grabbing her by the neck. Letting out a gasp as she was pulled close to the candy pony's face, Gumdrop stared into the candy eyes. "Did I do something wrong?" The filly asked. "I see what you're trying to do..." the Candy Mare hissed. "Huh?" the filly asked, confused. "What do you mean?" "You're trying to get on my good side by telling me how much you love my candy, aren't you?" The filly hesitated before smiling. "Do you like that I like your candy?" The Candy Mare growled and threw the filly into a tree, licorice vines wrapping around her and binding her to the tree. "Do you like my candy now?" The candy pony asked the somewhat frightened filly as she went back to her rock. "Now, just wait there until Kyra arrives." Kyra stepped into a small clearing, licorice vines hanging everywhere. "What next?" She asked. "Snakes? I'll burn 'em all!" A few of the licorice vines began to swirl together at the other end of the clearing, forming the shape of the Candy Mare. "Snakes?" The figure cooed. "I don't think I'll be using snakes..." Kyra narrowed her eyes at the licorice mare. "Oh? And, what are you planning to d--" She was cut off when a couple vines shot out from the trees beside her and wrapped around both her arms, pulling them out so she was in a T-pose. Letting out a grunt, she tried to pull free... but the vines were too strong. "What the hell is this?" Kyra asked, unable to move her arms. "A new kind of torture," the licorice mare cooed, before the licorice forming her broke apart and slithered away. "Huh?" The demon asked, confused. "What do you--" Before she could finish her question, a few more vines shot out from the trees and went into her throat. Her eyes going wide, Kyra coughed up a little blood as she felt the vines slithering down her throat. Closing her eyes, she could feel the vines entering her stomach. This was nothing compared to the wolves but the pain was much worse. The worse part was she couldn't scream out this time. She just had to take it. Tears filling her eyes, she eyed the vines on her left arm and then looked over at her right arm. Closing her eyes once more, she focused harder than before, using thoughts of Twilight once more. Doing her best to ignore the pain, she focused energy into her fists and mouth. At the same time, she let out a burst of flame from both hands and bit down on the vines in her mouth. The vines on her arm melted away as she dropped to her knees. Quickly grabbing the vines in her mouth, she began to pull. Coughing up more blood, she kept it up until she felt the licorice vines slide out of her throat and out of her mouth. Collapsing to the ground, she breathed heavily and coughed up a little more blood. It was clear that the Candy Mare wasn't trying to kill her. It seemed more like she wanted Kyra to suffer. Letting out a groan, she slowly got to one knee, blood dripping down her chin. Her insides started to heal as she managed to get to her feet. Holding her stomach with her right hand, she stumbled towards the center once more. The Candy Mare stood near one of her chocolate trees as she gently rubbed the trunk. As she did, Gumdrop struggled to try and get free from the licorice vines. She couldn't. Realizing this, she stopped with a sigh and looked over at the candy pony. "You've changed since we first... met..." The filly said as the Candy Mare stopped her rubbing. "You seem more... calm..." The candy pony looked over her shoulder at the filly. "Calm?" She asked. "Yeah," Gumdrop replied. "I remember you were set on revenge and killing... Now, you're... calmer..." The Candy Mare let out a growl before pulling away from the tree and crawled towards the filly. Once there, she grabbed the tree with both claws and pulled herself up so she was face-to-face with the filly. "Maybe that's due to the fact that I'm trapped in here and my options are limited." "Or Pumpkin's fighting you," the filly said, making the candy pony growl again. "I heard about the curse. The legend... I don't think you're as tough as you think..." The Candy Mare hissed and grabbed the filly by the neck, the vines slithering away before Gumdrop was thrown into the rock. Slamming into it, she fell to the ground with a grunt, whimpering softly. Due to being a demon, she was able to take the hit but she hadn't learned how to ignore the pain. "I'm getting real sick of you real fast..." the candy demon growled as she stood, her long, lanky legs making her tower over the filly. "Maybe I'll just kill you and eliminate the trouble..." The filly let out a grunt and looked up at her. "You won't kill me... Pumpkin won't let you..." "Pumpkin isn't here," the candy pony cooed, lifting her foot before bringing it down hard on the filly's back, her claws digging into her. Letting out a squeal, the filly bit into her finger to try and ignore the pain. "It's just me. And, I have no problem killing or torturing you." Gumdrop let out a cough and didn't bother moving. "I can tell you're just putting on a show... You're lonely... but, you're either too afraid to admit it... or you can't..." The Candy Mare sighed and dug her claws in deeper, making the filly yell out again. "I don't need, or want, friends..." she hissed. "What I want is to be out of here and rid of all of you... I cannot be contained..." "I-If you want... I'll be your friend..." The Candy Mare let out a loud growl and pulled her claws out of the filly before grabbing her by the neck. Picking her up, she then slammed her on her back on top of the rock. "Fine... I'll just kill you now, then..." Gumdrop let out a gasp. "No, wait!" Just as the Candy Mare was about to slice open the filly's throat, Kyra burst into the clearing. "Pumpkin!" She yelled, charging the candy pony. Looking over at her, she let out a hiss before getting tackled to the ground. The candy demon tried to swipe at Kyra with her claws, but the red demon managed to grab both her wrists and pin them down. "Dammit, Pumpkin!" She yelled. "I am doing my best to help you, but when you pull a stunt like this, it makes me question whether or not I should kill you!" "You can't kill me," the Candy Mare cooed. "I am--" "No!" Kyra shouted, cutting her off. "In here, I can kill you. A demon on demon. I could wipe you out of existence forever!" "N-No..." Gumdrop gasped, quickly rolling onto her stomach and watching them. Kyra looked over at her, her breathing returning to normal before looking down at the Candy Mare again. "I have dealt with everything you threw at me here and I already captured you twice. You know I have what it takes to kill you once and for all... But, I can't... Not until I find a way to save Pumpkin..." "You can't..." the Candy Mare cooed. "The curse can't be broken..." "All curses can be broken," Kyra said, leaning in closer. "You just have to know how. So, I'll keep you alive until I find a way... but, if you prove to be too dangerous, I will end you. What does your self-preservation say about that?" The Candy Mare hesitated as she stared into Kyra's eyes. Suddenly, the red demon felt less resistance from the candy pony as it seemed easier to pin her arms down. "I can't promise anything..." Letting out a sigh, Kyra let go of her and stood up. "I know... But, I also know you'd prefer to keep on existing... Only for that to happen is to behave..." The Candy Mare slowly sat up as Gumdrop hopped down off the rock. "Let's get you out of here," Kyra said as she looked at the filly. Gumdrop looked at her before looking at the candy demon. "I'd actually like to stay a little longer... This place is cool." The Candy Mare eyed her as Kyra thought about it for a moment, before sighing. "You sure you want to stay here?" She asked. "You do know who this is, don't you?" Gumdrop nodded. "But, I've never seen a candy forest before. I wanna go exploring!" She exclaimed cheerfully. Kyra smiled lightly and nodded. "Alright... Be careful, though," she said, before looking at the candy pony, her expression becoming more serious. "If anything happens to her... that's it." "Nothing will happen," Gumdrop said as she placed her hand on the candy demon's shoulder, making her snap her head to look at her. The Candy Mare then swatted her hand away before crawling back on top of the rock and lying down. Kyra watched her before looking at Gumdrop. Giving her a light pat on the shoulder, she turned and began making her way back towards the entrance. Twilight was reading a book in her bed. She was sitting up with her bottom half under the covers, the only light on was the one beside her bed. She was so into her book that when Kyra suddenly appeared beside her on the bed, she let out a startled gasp and look over at her. "O-Oh... Kyra..." Twilight said, exhaling deeply. "I was getting used to you using the door..." "My apologies," the demon cooed, before letting out a sigh and resting her head on the mare's shoulder. This took Twilight by surprise as she put the bookmark on the page she was at before closing the book and setting it aside. "Something wrong?" Kyra let out a deep sigh. "Just... a rough day at work, I guess... Though, I think I finally got through to Pumpkin..." Twilight hesitated as she thought for a moment. "The... Candy Mare? You got through to her?" Nodding, the demon closed her eyes. "Used her self-preservation against her... I don't think she'll be causing much trouble anymore." "Oh, really?" Twi asked, a small smile appearing on her face. "Well, um... I would like to meet her sometime." Kyra went wide-eyed and lifted her head. "Sorry, what?" Chuckling, Twilight took Kyra's right hand in her left hand. "She sounds interesting. I know she caused trouble before but ever since I heard she was real I've been wanting to know more about her. Plus, while I'm there, I can say hi to that filly she possessed... Oh!" She exclaimed, leaning in. "And, I can meet your daughter." "Uh..." Kyra said, rubbing the back of her head. "I guess I could take you there sometime... Though, you may see some things you won't be able to un-see..." "I'll risk it," Twilight cooed, nuzzling Kyra's neck. The red mare smiled lightly and let go of the mare's hand to put her arm around her. "If you insist..." "I do..." Twi said softly, before looking Kyra in the eyes. "Could you... stay the night? I'm still a little on edge from today's events..." Kyra nodded and slid her legs under the covers, the purple unicorn scooting up to her before they both slid more under the covers. Turning to face each other, the two embraced each other as they looked into each other's eyes. Biting her lip, Twilight seemed like she wanted to say something. "Yes, Twilight?" Kyra asked. The mare blushed hard, averting her eyes. "Um... It's just... I know we just started going out... and our date was cut short, but... I'm liking this..." Kyra listened before smiling. "I'm liking this, too... Truthfully, I... Well... When I was facing Pumpkin... and her tricks... the thing that got me through it was... you... I didn't want to leave you..." Twilight felt a tear leave her eye before she quickly leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Gasping, she quickly pulled away. "Sorry, I--" She was cut off as Kyra leaned in and kissed her on the lips, holding it. Eyelids fluttering before closing, Twilight melted into the kiss. Before she could get too into it, Kyra pulled away and nuzzled her neck. "So, I guess it's official..." Kyra cooed. "Heh-eh-eh..." Twi muttered, before clearing her throat, looking embarrassed by her reaction. "Um..." Kyra let out a chuckle and pulled back to look her in the eyes. "Not too fast?" Twilight blushed harder and smiled nervously. "Nnnnnnnno?" Letting out a louder chuckle, Kyra pulled her close and hugged her. "Good..." Twilight smiled, too, hugging back. Gumdrop opened her eyes and let out a yawn. After the eventful day, she decided to take a nap under a chocolate tree. Blinking a few times, she started to get up when she noticed a pile of candy in front of her, seemingly placed there on purpose. Gumdrop looked all around, but didn't see any signs of the Candy Mare. Looking back at the pile of candy, she smiled. "Thanks, Pumpkin..." Next Episode: Saturday, June 23 > Liar, Liar > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Two... days..." Deva said as she entered Kyra's room at the top of her tower. The red mare was laying on her bed in the middle of the room, staring up at the ceiling. "You've been seeing this mare for only two days," Deva continued, walking up to the bed. "And, already you're fucking her." Kyra let out a sigh and closed her eyes. "It was just... a kiss..." she said, sounding annoyed. "A heat of the moment thing..." Deva tilted her head and crossed her arms. "Heat of the moment?" "I visited her while she was in bed reading and she asked me to stay the night..." Kyra explained, a smile spreading across her face. "And, it just sort of... happened..." Her smile quickly faded before glaring lightly at the black demon. "And, who are you to tell me what I can and can not do?" "I'm the one trying to keep you out of trouble," Deva said, glaring back. "How do you think this looks to Sera and the rest of the Angels? You're a succubus dating a mortal." Kyra thought for a moment before looking at the ceiling again. "Leave Sera to me..." Deva let out a deep sigh. "Look, you made me your personal adviser... And, I advise you to rethink this." "There's nothing... to rethink..." Shaking her head, Deva turned and began walking away. "Fine... But, don't come crying to me when this blows up in your face..." Kyra's eyes narrowed as she sat up. "Why can't you just be happy for me?" She asked, getting off her bed. Deva stopped at the door and hesitated before she turned around. "Because it's not natural!" The gray demon yelled as she walked towards her master. "A demon should not be in a relationship with a mortal! It should be another demon! It should be m..." Deva said, before cutting herself off with a blush and light gasp Kyra's lips parted in a silent gasp. "What? You?" She asked in disbelief. "What the hell, Deva?" "I can't help it..." Deva muttered, crossing her arms. "And, it doesn't matter now... You have someone..." The red demon shook her head and let out an irritated sigh. "I can't... I can't deal with this shit now..." Kyra said, walking passed Deva and heading for the door. "Have fun..." was all Deva said. Kyra stopped at the door, looking back at her one last time before leaving. A blue mare and an orange stallion were standing in the living room of their house for a party they were hosting, holding each other close. The party was going well when there was a knock at the front door. One of the party members answered the door, before going to find the orange stallion. "Hey, Citrus," he said, getting the orange stallion's attention. "There's... someone at the door for you." Citrus looked at him and his smile faded a little. "Really?" He asked, before moving through the crowd to the front door. "Hello?" He asked, seeing the form of a mare standing outside. Due to it being night, it was hard to see her. He did find it weird that the light of the house didn't illuminate the area around her. Reaching to the wall to try and turn on the front light, nothing happened. "That mare you're with..." the mysterious mare cooed. "Is she your wife?" The question made a few mares and stallions inside the house turn to look at them. Citrus tilted his head as his eyes narrowed. "Of course, she is," he said sternly. The mare hesitated, staring into his eyes for a couple seconds before speaking. "Wrong answer..." Letting out an angry sigh, the stallion closed the door in her face. "Weird bitch..." Later that night, when everyone else had left for the night, Citrus and his partner made their way to the bedroom for some fun. They went at it for about an hour before the mare let out a moan and rolled off the orange stallion. Laying on the bed beside him, she let out a happy sigh. "That was... amazing..." the mare panted, smiling as she closed her eyes. The stallion let out a chuckled and patted her belly. "Sure was," he said, before there was a knock at the front door. The stallion sat up and listened, hearing the knock again. "Who the hell is that now?" He asked, getting out of bed and slipping into his pants. "Is it that mare again?" Asked the mare. "No idea..." the stallion replied, before leaving the bedroom and making his way to the front door. When he got there, he opened the door to see no one. Taking a step outside, he looked around and saw no one. Letting out an angry sigh, he headed back inside and closed the door. When he got back to the bedroom, he stopped in the doorway and stared in horror at the mare's mangled body and blood-stained bed. "Wh-What the f--" he started, before a figure slid in front of him as his stomach was torn open. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he collapsed to the floor. Twilight sat on the rim of the fountain in the center of town, wearing a sweater and long pants. She had been sitting there for about 10 minutes before she saw someone sit beside her. Looking to her left, she saw Kyra. The red demon was looking straight ahead, looking lost in thought for a few seconds before slowly looking at the unicorn. "Hey," she said. Twilight gave her a smile, happy to see her favorite mare again but curious as to why she was acting weird. "Something wrong?" Kyra looked her in the eyes for a couple more seconds before letting out a sigh. "That other demon you saw me with when I first came here... The gray one... Deva... I just found out from her that... she has a crush on me... And, she's against the idea of us being together... I made her my adviser because she's smart, but-- "Are you..." Twilight interrupted, a tear falling from her eye. "b-breaking up with me?" Kyra reached out her left hand and gently placed it on Twi's right cheek. "But, I'm not listening to her," she finished, smiling. "I could never leave you." Twilight sniffled and quickly leaned in, pulling her into a hug. Kyra let out a soft chuckle, wrapping her arms around the mare. "How could you think that?" Kyra asked, nuzzling Twilight's neck. The unicorn sniffled and shook her head. "I don't know... I'm sorry... I guess, because... we haven't been dating long... and, this is new to you... and a fellow demon has feelings for you..." She then pulled back from the hug to look the demon in the eyes. "Wouldn't it make more sense to... date another demon?" Kyra gave her a small smile and leaned in, kissing her cheek. "I don't care about what makes sense... or what others think. What I do care about is how I feel about you..." The purple mare's lip trembled before hugging the demon tighter. They soon heard a new but familiar voice. "Well, this is unexpected..." came a female's voice. The two broke the hug and looked over at their visitor, their eyes red. Twilight's was more noticeable since her normal eye color wasn't actually red. "Luna?" Kyra asked. "What are you doing in Ponyville?" The princess crossed her arms with a sad sigh. "There's... been an attack... in Canterlot..." Kyra raised an eyebrow. "Demon attack?" "We think so..." Luna said. "The victims have huge claw marks across their bodies. They did have a house party about a couple hours before the attack where their guests heard knocking and one saw a mare. Said she asked for Citrus. The male victim." "So?" Asked Kyra. "That sounds like a murder to me. What's this got to do with me?" The princess hesitated, looking around to make sure no one could hear her, before leaning in. "Before she left the bedroom, the mare heard the attacker speak. She said she heard a female's voice say... Wrong answer." Kyra went wide-eyed and stood up. "Hush," she said. "And those two weren't married. Apparently they killed the wife so they could be together. Guess they weren't aware of divorces..." "H-How do you know that?" Asked Twilight. The demon looked down at her. "It's what Hush does. She feeds off of dark secrets and kills anyone who doesn't confess. And, she only does it when others are around making it a win-win for her. You lie, she kills you. You tell the truth... your life is ruined." "Shall I give you time to gather the others?" Asked Luna, looking back and forth between Kyra and Twilight. The demon shook her head, eyeing the alicorn. "The demon is in Canterlot. No need to endanger the others." She then looked at Twilight again. "I need you to stay in Ponyville while I investigate." "What?" Twi asked with a gasp, standing up. "No, I wanna go with you," she said, almost begging. "Our dates are always getting interrupted," she said, taking one of Kyra's hands with both of hers. "I just want one night with you. So, wherever you go, I wanna go." Kyra opened her mouth to say something but ended up sighing instead. Looking at Luna, who had a light smirk on her face, the demon blushed a little. She then looked at Twilight again. "Fine..." Placing her free hand on top of Twilight's hands, she smiled lightly. "I hate it when our dates are cut short, too..." The princess watched with a smirk before she spoke up. "We should get moving." A filly and her mother were headed down the sidewalk, holding hands and laughing about something when a mare hidden by shadow stepped out of an alley. Quickly stopping, their laughing getting cut off, the mother and daughter looked at the mare. "Oh, sorry," the mother said with a smile. "Didn't see you there..." The dark mare didn't say anything for a few seconds, eyeing the filly and then the mother. "Is that your daughter?" She asked. The mother tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, stepping between the child and the mare. "Of course she is. Why would you ask such a rude question?" The mare seemed to grin. "Wrong answer..." Kyra, Twilight, and Luna appeared in the empty, dimly-lit streets of Canterlot. "Right..." the princess said with a light chuckle. "I forgot you could do that." "I keep forgetting she's a demon, too," Twilight said with a smile. The demon ignored the two of them and took a few steps forward. "I can sense her. She's close. And, as long as she doesn't catch wind of a deeper, darker secret somewhere else... she'll stay here..." "Any idea where to start?" Asked Luna. "Not a clue," the demon answered. "So... what's Hush's deal?" Twi asked, wanting more info on the demon they were up against. "Quiet Hush was a young mare who, while she was in school, would gossip to her friends about others' secrets. When those affected found out... they exposed her secret. The embarrassment and torment caused her to take her own life. Now, she's a monster who feeds off of secrets just like she did when she was alive." "Wow..." Twilight said, disturbed by this new knowledge. "So... what was Hush's secret?" Kyra hesitated before smiling lightly. "That she still wet the bed." Gasping, Twilight playfully hit her arm. "Kyra! Don't make fun of her, too. Jeez..." "Come on, it's a tad funny," the demon said with a wider smile. "Evil demon wets the bed. But, you're right, it's not nice to laugh at another for a problem they have. If I was one of those kids in school with her, I probably wouldn't have laughed at her. Though, on the other hand..." she said, tilting her head in thought. "She did ruin a lot of students' lives, so... justified, maybe?" "It is complicated," Luna agreed. "But bullying is bullying. There were better alternatives the affected students could've done to deal with her." "The past is the past," Kyra said with a sigh. "Now, I..." She trailed off as she looked around, her ears twitching a little. "Damn... She's already killed another..." "What?" Luna asked, eyes going wide. "How do you know?" The demon eyed her before walking away. "I hear a child crying." Twilight and Luna looked at each other before following her. The trio kept walking until they saw a foal wandering the streets alone, looking afraid as her face was covered in tears. Twilight and Luna stopped and gasped. "Oh, no..." Twilight gasped softly. Kyra made her way over to the filly and knelt down beside her. "Hey," she said, making the white filly slowly look at her. The poor thing was trembling. "What happened?" The filly sniffled and whimpered. "M-My mommy. S-Someone attacked her... I-I can't find her... P-Please he-elp..." Kyra gently took the filly's hand. "Who attacked her?" The filly shook her head. "I-I don't know... I-I couldn't see her... I only h-heard her..." The red demon exhaled deeply and closed her eyes. "Her? What was the last thing you heard her say?" The filly sniffled again. "Sh... Sh-She said... wrong... a-answer..." Kyra stood up and sighed, turning to look at Luna. "Can you take her for now? Maybe help her sleep with a good dream?" The princess gave her a smile. "Of course." She then walked over to the filly and got to one knee. "Hello, little one." "P-Princess?" The filly asked, letting out a whimper. Kyra left the two and headed back to Twilight. "We have to stop her. Because of my carelessness, not only did one die but now another one's homeless," she said, trying to hold back tears, her lip trembling a little. "That's not your fault," the unicorn said, putting her hand on the demon's shoulder. "The Candy Mare was responsible for the filly's death, you saved Mango, and Hush killed this filly's mother." Kyra shook her head. "That wasn't the filly's mother. The victim killed the mom and stole that filly when she was still a newborn. The child has no idea." Twilight went wide-eyed. "A-Are you sure?" "When Hush killed the mare, I got her soul," Kyra explained. "I now know all about her..." The unicorn let out a sigh and covered her mouth. "How awful." "No matter," Kyra said, walking passed Twilight. "I think she's this way." Twi took one last look at the filly and Luna before following after the demon. Pinkamena sat up in her bed, sweating and panting lightly. Taking a few deep breaths, she got out of bed and walked to her window. Looking out in the direction of the Everfree Forest and Fluttershy's cottage, she let out a sigh. Turning away from the window, she made her way to her closet and got dressed. "What happens when we find her?" Twilight asked, looking at Kyra as they walked. "You got a spell like when you captured the Candy Mare and... tried to capture Silent Night?" The demon nodded and looked at her. "Yes, but... we must find her quick. Right now, she's lurking around here in Canterlot. But, if she senses a deeper, darker secret elsewhere, she'll track it down." "Even outside of Canterlot?" Asked Twilight. "But, you could track her, right?" Kyra shrugged. "I don't know. I only knew she was here because of Luna. If she moved... I don't know if I could track her. All I'd know is she wouldn't be here." "Twilight gave her a nod. "Then, we have to find her fast." Pinkamena stood outside Fluttershy's cottage, hesitating to knock. Deciding not to, she made her way around to the side and looked in the window, seeing Fluttershy sitting on her couch, reading a book. Her back was to the window so she couldn't see Pinks watching her. The pink mare smiled lightly as she watched the pegasus. Feeling like someone was watching her, she turned around and let out a gasp, a mare cloaked in shadow standing a foot away. Fluttershy hummed softly to herself as she turned the page of her book. Due to being wrapped up in the story, her defense was down. So, when the front door burst open, she let out a loud shriek in shock and slammed her book shut. Pinkamena ran inside and slammed the door, locking it before looking over at the pegasus. "Pinkie?" Fluttershy asked, starting to calm down when she realized who it was. She began to get worried, though, by how the pink mare was acting. "What's going on?" "I don't know," Pinks said, quickly walking over to the pegasus and taking her hand, making the mare drop the book. "We have to move. Now." "What?" Asked Shy. "Why?" The two then heard a knock on the front door. Slowly looking over at it, the two stared at it for a few seconds before it blew off the hinges. Fluttershy let out another shriek of fright. Kyra stopped moving suddenly, letting out a soft gasp. "Oh, shit..." Twilight stopped and looked at her. "What?" She asked, sounding concerned. "What's wrong?" The demon eyed her. "The spell I put on your friends to sense when they were in danger..." "The one you cast when the Candy Mare was chasing us?" Asked the unicorn. "You aren't saying..." Kyra nodded and grabbed her hand. "Your friends are in danger." Pinkamena and Fluttershy ran into the pegasus' bedroom and closed the door, locking it and barricading it with a dresser. "Who is that?" Fluttershy asked. The pink mare shook her head. "I-I don't know. She just showed and asked me..." Trailing off, she eyed the pegasus before looking at the door again, not saying a thing. "Asked you what?" Fluttershy asked, looking at her friend questioningly. Pinkamena shook her head. "I-It's nothing..." When Fluttershy was about to say something else, the door and the dresser burst into pieces, sending the two flying backwards into the far wall. Collapsing to the floor, Pinks quickly put an arm around the pegasus and leaned in. "You okay?" She asked, getting a nod from her friend. "Yeah," Shy replied, both looking over at the door. In the doorway stood a mare hidden by darkness, her red eyes staring at them. "You never answered my question..." she cooed darkly. Fluttershy let out a scream of fright as Pinks stared in horror at the mare. "Shit, she's a demon..." the pink mare gasped. "Like Kyra..." "Are you refusing to answer my question?" The dark mare asked. Fluttershy let out a soft whimper. "Wh-What question?" She asked softly. Pinkamena let out a louder gasp and looked down at her. "N-No... D-Don't--" "What question?!" Fluttershy cried out, wanting desperately for this demon to go away. Pinks went wide-eyed and looked over at the mare, who seemed to be smirking. "Who killed Angel?" The demon asked. Fluttershy let out a gasp, going wide-eyed herself. "A-Angel? M-My... l-little... A-Angel?" "We've already went over this," Pinks said as she stared at the demon. "It was timberwolves..." The demon smiled, holding her hands out by her sides, her fingers growing inches longer into sharp claws. "Wrong answer..." Fluttershy let out another scream and covered her mouth. Sensing they were both in danger, Pinkamena let out a gasp and looked down at the trembling and hyperventilating pegasus. Looking back at the demon, she saw her teleport in front of her and raise her right hand. The all black mare went to slash Pinks' face with her claws before the pink mare yelled out a different answer to the question. "It was me!" She yelled, tears falling from her eyes. Fluttershy's eyes shot open, quickly looking up at her friend in shock. The demon's claws stopped mere centimeters from Pinkamena's face. "I-I... k-killed... A-Angel..." Pinks whimpered, knowing how Shy would react but the truth seemed to be keeping them alive. Fluttershy's eyes went wide as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Y-Y... Y-You?" Pinkamena couldn't look her friend in the eyes right now, so she just stared at the demon. "I-I took him out for a walk in the forest... wh-which I didn't want to do... a-and I got angry..." The more she spoke, the more the demon backed away, seemingly hurt by the truth, so Pinks continued. "Wh-When we got back here, I... I-I slammed the door shut behind me, but..." More tears streamed from her eyes as she sniffled. "H-He... He only made it... halfway through..." Fluttershy covered her mouth as she sat up, staring at the earth pony. Meanwhile, the demon glared at her, clutching her chest. "I tried to help him, but... i-it was too late..." The demon suddenly stopped looking like she was in pain as another question popped into her head. "Why were you angry?" She asked with a grin, hoping this question would allow her to kill the mare. Pinkamena let out a silent gasp. "I... I-I..." After inhaling deeply with a heavy shudder, she sighed and looked at Fluttershy. Her eyes quickly focused on the floor n front of Fluttershy, though. "When I was asked to come over... I thought I was going to get to hang out with you... but, then you asked me to babysit Angel so you could take a trip to see this animal habitat you heard about..." Flutters stared at her in shock, before asking, "Wh-Why did that make you so... m-mad?" Pinks closed her eyes and took another deep breath. "I wanted to hang out with you because... I... I-I..." The demon grinned and began to move closer, before Pinks was finally able to say it. "B-Because I... l-love you..." Hush let out a growl of anger and pain, stumbling back again when Kyra and Twilight suddenly appeared in the room. Immediately spotting the demon, Kyra let out a gasp and raised her hand, trapping Hush in a red sphere. Letting out a yell, Hush disappeared along with the red sphere. The room fell quiet as Kyra and Twilight looked over at their friends. Fluttershy backed away from the pink mare, stopping when she hit her bed. "Get out..." "Fluttershy, I..." Pinks began, sniffling as she began to crawl towards her. "Get out!" Flutters yelled, making Twilight gasp. "YOU KILLED ANGEL!!! I HATE YOU!!! GET OUT!!!" Twi went wide-eyed, totally lost at what to do or say. Kyra knew this couldn't go on any longer as she teleported Twilight, Pinkamena, and herself out of the pegasus' bedroom into the Golden Oaks Library. Pinkie was still on the floor, staring ahead with tears falling from her face like a waterfall. Kyra and Twilight looked at each other before looking at their friend again. "Pinks, I..." Twi started. "I don't know what to..." She trailed off as the pink mare got to her feet and quickly walked to the door. Without saying anything, she left the library and headed back to Sugarcube Corner. Twilight stood in the doorway, watching her leave with a saddened expression. "Did Hush make her confess to killing Fluttershy's pet?" Kyra nodded and stepped up behind her, putting her arms around her and rested her chin on the unicorn's shoulder. "It's what she does. Asks you to reveal your deep, dark secret in the company of those who would react the strongest. A win-win for her. You lie, you die. You tell the truth... your life is over..." Twilight gasped and eyed the demon. "That's... evil..." "That's a demon..." Twilight turned around to face her. "But... you're nothing like her..." Kyra smiled lightly. "You don't know me as well as you think..." she said, before her smile faded. "Despite knowing what Pinkamena did, we need to be there for her... If she was upset before, it must be worse for her now..." Pinkamena sat on her bed, knife in hand. Lips trembling, she sniffled and pulled down her pants. Placing the blade of the knife on her leg near her hip, she slowly dragged it across her skin. Blood trickled out of the cut as the pink mare just cried. Next Episode: Sunday, July 8 > ...Deadly Night > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The night was peaceful as Twilight and Kyra sat on a hill just outside Ponyville overlooking a lake, the moon's reflection rippling in the water. Twilight had her head resting on Kyra's shoulder as the red mare had her arm around the unicorn. "I love our nights together," Twilight said softly, feeling relaxed. "I love them, too," Kyra agreed, before looking at the purple mare. "Twilight? I have a... question." Twilight looked at her with a smile. "Yeah? What is it?" "We've been... dating for a week..." Kyra pointed out. "I know that may seem like a short time for you, but... that's a long time for a succubus to go without sex." "O-Oh..." Twilight said with a blush at how blunt her demonic girlfriend was. "I-I, uh..." "It's okay if you're nervous, Twilight," Kyra said with a chuckle. "I was just putting it out there. As an option. I can wait until you're ready." Twilight smiled. "Thank you. I do want to get there with you at some point, but... I'm just not ready yet." "That's fine," the demon cooed, leaning in further to kiss the mare on the lips. "I won't rush you." Twilight leaned in and kissed her back, before the two just decided to keep kissing. Sweetie Belle let out a yawn as she awoke. Looking at the clock on the wall, she let out a groan at seeing that it was still midnight. Throwing the covers off, she got out of bed and let out another yawn. Leaving her room, she walked passed her sister's room and headed down the hall to the kitchen. Heading to the cabinets, she pulled out a glass and closed the cabinet door. Moving to the sink, she filled it with water and took a sip. Letting out a sigh, she was about to turn around when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Letting out a yelp of surprise, she soon calmed down and let out a chuckle. "Oh, Rarity," she said, turning around. "You scared m..." she trailed off, going wide-eyed in horror. Grinning at her was Silent Night. "Oh, no..." Apple Bloom let out groans as she tossed and turned in her bed. Recent events have given her nightmares and she was finding it hard to sleep. Opening her eyes and quickly sitting up, she looked out the window to see that it was still dark outside. Sweat ran down her face as she tried to calm her breathing. “It... It was just a nightmare...” she panted. Feeling a hand on the back of her head rubbing her soothingly, she leaned back against the pony and sighed. “Thanks, Applejack...” The pony said nothing, only continued to gently stroke her hair. “Applejack?” She asked, looking over her shoulder before letting out a shriek of fright. The next morning, Rarity knocked on Sweetie’s door. “Sweetie Belle!” She called, before opening the door. “I’ve been calling and calling. Don’t tell me you’re still a...” She stops when she sees the room empty and the bedsheets thrown about as if there was a struggle. Letting out a gasp, she runs to the bed. “Sweetie Belle?” Silent Night opened the door to the bedroom in which she was keeping the fillies in and dragged a resisting Scootaloo inside. The door slamming shut behind her, she brought the filly over to the bed where Sweetie and Apple Bloom were huddled together in fear. Scoots quickly broke free from the mare and joined her friends on the bed, checking to see if they were okay. "Are you girls okay?" She asked, making them shake their head. "Shhh..." Sweetie urged. "Keep it down," she said in a loud whisper. Scootaloo immediately remembered what she meant and turned around to find Silent Night standing directly behind her. Looking up, she let out a nervous chuckle. "Uh..." The ghostly mare slowly knelt down to be at eye level with her. "Why wouldn't they be okay?" She asked coldly. "I-I, uh..." the filly stammered. Silent Night reached out and slowly ran a finger down Scootaloo's cheek. "What sort of mother would hurt her child?" The filly let out another nervous chuckle. "A-A bad one?" The mare slowly leaned in closer and placed her hand on Scootaloo's cheek. "And, am I a bad mother?" "N-No!" Scootaloo blurted out, making the mare quickly pull back with an angry glare. The filly covered her mouth, going wide-eyed. "S-Sorry..." Silent Night stayed silent for a few seconds, glaring at the filly. Soon, she placed her hand on Scootaloo's head. "You should watch those outbursts. Any more and I may have to punish you..." she cooed darkly, before removing her hand and heading towards the door. "That goes for the other two as well," she said, opening the door and looking back at them. "No loud noises," she added, leaving the room and closing the door. Scootaloo turned back to the others before climbing onto the bed. "Don't worry... Twilight and Kyra will find us..." Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity burst through the door to the library. "Kyra?!" AJ yelled. "Kyra!" Letting out a yawn, Spike slowly walked down the stairs, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on?" "Is Kyra here?" AJ asked. Kyra quickly sat up in Twilight's bed, the unicorn looking confused. "What was that noise?" Asked the mare. Kyra hesitated before eyeing her. "Something's wrong," she said, throwing the covers off and quickly walking to the bedroom door. Opening, she stepped out into the hall as AJ came running up the stairs. "AJ," she said, looking concerned. "What's wrong?" "It's the girls," the farm mare explained. "Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo... They're missing." Kyra went wide-eyed and let out a gasp. "How?" She asked herself aloud. "How could I not sense that?" Silent Night appeared in the room the three fillies were being kept in. “You three behaving?” The fillies nodded shakily, still huddled together on the bed. “Good. I’d hate to have to punish such sweet little fillies.” She then looked at Scootaloo. “What about you? Any more outbursts?” “N-No...” the scared filly whispered. Silent nodded. “Okay... I’ll return later for some mother-daughter bonding. For now, I’ll let you three play with each other.” She then turned around and disappeared in a puff of smoke. "So, who has them?" Asked Rarity. "Another one of those demons?" The group had gathered in the library, apart from Pinkamena and Fluttershy. Kyra shook her head. "I don't know... Their capture was hidden from me," the demon explained, sitting on the couch with Twilight. "Someone didn't want me to see..." "Someone blocked it from you?" Dash asked, sounding confused. "How?" "Another powerful demon..." Kyra said, thinking for a moment before letting out a soft gasp. "The one who let them all out..." Eyeing the others. "I fear that whoever released the demons is trying to hide their presence from me..." "So... who took the girls?" Asked Twilight. Kyra thought for a second before letting out another gasp. "Silent Night... She's back..." Everyone went wide-eyed as AJ took a step towards the couch. "Silent Night?" Asked the earth pony. "Are you sure?" "We used them as bait before..." Kyra explained with a sigh. "She got a taste for them. Now, she has them..." AJ's eyes narrowed into a glare before she looked away. "Well, we know where she brings her victims... Let's get moving..." Kyra nodded and got up, snapping her fingers. In a flash, the group were standing in front of Silent's old home. Reaching out, Kyra grabbed Twilight's arm to keep her from falling and pulled her to her feet. The unicorn was wide-eyed in surprise as she looked at the demon. "Uh... Thanks..." she said. The demon smiled lightly. "No problem..." She then turned to the house and approached it. "I don't... sense anything..." "That's nothing new," AJ spat before taking off into the house, Rarity and Rainbow following close behind. Twilight and Kyra eyed each other before following the others. Running into the bedroom, AJ, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash saw the room was empty. No sign of the girls or Silent Night. "No..." Applejack gasped, staring at the empty bed. "Wh-Where are they?!" Dash yelled, running around the room in hopes of finding a clue. "They're not here," Kyra said, standing in the doorway as she stared at the floor. AJ, Dash, and Rarity all turned to look at her. "She wouldn't bring them back to the same place, knowing I'm after her..." Applejack hesitated before walking up to her. "So, where are they?" She asked, sternly. "I don't know--" Kyra started, before being cut off. "You don't know?" The earth pony asked her in a raised voice, glaring at her. "What do you mean ya don't know?!" Kyra looked up at her and shook her head. "I-I'm sorry, I--" Applejack cut her off again, this time with a hard slap to the face, which made Twilight gasp and cover her mouth. The demon went wide-eyed and held her cheek, seemingly staring off into nothing. "Our sisters are with that monster," AJ said, getting in Kyra's face. "You just gave them to her on a silver platter..." She then left the room, making her way out of the house. As Rarity and Rainbow walked passed her, they, too, shot her a nasty look. When the room was empty, apart from Kyra and Twilight, the unicorn slowly moved around to stand in front of the demon. "So, this is what pain feels like?" The demon asked. "I thought you... couldn't get hurt," Twilight pointed out in almost a whisper. Kyra shook her head. "It's not that kind of pain, Twilight..." she said, before turning and leaving the room. Twilight let out a soft gasp before running after her. When both were outside, Twilight put a hand on Kyra's shoulder. "We'll figure this out," she said with a light smile. Kyra let out a sigh and turned to face her. "I don't know where she is... And, worst of all, she has your friends' sisters..." "They're your friends, too," Twi pointed out. The demon smiled lightly and closed her eyes. "There is... one last thing we can try... but, I promised myself I'd never go through with it..." "What is it?" Twi asked hopefully. "Is it something dangerous?" Kyra shook her head. "Not for us..." She then opened her eyes. "I need to ask for help... from Silent Night's real daughters." Twilight let out a gasp. "Her daughters? They're alive?" Kyra nodded. "She was stopped before she could kill them. I doubt they'd want to see her again, but... they may be able to distract her long enough for me to bring her soul back to the Netherworld." "Then... we should try, right?" The unicorn asked, sounding unsure about the idea. "I don't want to put them in danger again... Not to mention the mental scars they must have..." "How come Silent Night can't find them on her own?" "I cast a spell..." Kyra explained, putting a hand on her forehead. "to shield them from her..." The purple mare hesitated before letting out a gasp. "You could've cast that spell on the girls?" The demon sniffled and nodded. "Then, why didn't you? You knew she knew about them," Twi said in a stern but calm tone. "And, was still out there." "My head was clearer back then," the demon replied. "I could think straight... Now, all I think about is you..." The unicorn took this the wrong way and let out a gasp. "Are... Are you blaming me?!" "No!" Kyra yelled back, her eyes filling with tears. "It's my fault... I'm too focused on getting through the threat so I can spend time with you, that... I-I forget things... and those close to me get hurt... I don't... I..." She then dropped to her knees, her head hung and her hair falling in front of her face as she cried. Twilight stared at her in shock for a moment before getting to her knees in front of her. "I-I'm sorry... I'm just on edge, too... And, we can put safety precautions in place to protect Silent Night's daughters, right?" Upon getting no answer from the mare, she reached out and used her hand to move some of the long black hair out of the demon's face. Her eyes were beet red. Leaning in, Twi placed her hands on the demon's cheeks and made her look at her. "Kyra, say something..." "I-I don't know what to do..." Twilight thought for a moment, before smiling lightly. "Why not start with this?" She asked, before leaning in and kissing her on the lips. Kyra went wide-eyed and tensed up at the sudden kiss. She quickly snapped out of it and kissed back, closing her eyes. After what felt like minutes, Kyra felt the mare pull away. Opening her eyes, she gave a light smile. "Thanks for that..." she said softly. Twi let out a giggle and hugged her. "So, are we going to ask Silent's daughters for help?" Kyra nodded hesitantly before the two of them disappeared in a poof of red smoke. The doorbell rang as a black mare neared the front door. She had short red hair and blue eyes, wearing casual sweats. There were light scars on her lips from having been sewn together as a child. Opening the door, she let out a soft gasp as another mare came up behind her. She was gray, also with short hair and similar clothes and the same scarring. “Well...” the black mare said. “Twenty years... and you haven’t aged a bit...” Kyra smiled lightly as Twilight stepped up beside her. “Hey, girls...” The demon said nervously. “I’m glad to see you two are doing well...” The black mare let out a chuckle. “Doing well? We’ve been living in constant fear ever since you saved us from mother. Not to mention no stallion wants to kiss us due to the scars.” Kyra stepped up to her, her smile not fading. “I’ve actually been practicing a spell... just for the two of you...” The black mare raised an eyebrow. “What?” Kyra tilted her head slightly before raising her right hand to the mare’s mouth. Closing her eyes, she let out painted grunts as her hand glows red. A few seconds later, she pulls her hand away and pants heavily as it had seemingly hurt her. “That hurt?” Asked Twilight, eyeing Kyra’s hand before she noticed the black mare’s mouth. “Healing magic,” Kyra explained as she watched the black mare feel her own lips with a look of both shock and joy. “Extremely painful for a demon... Can even be fatal...” She then looked at the other sister. “Your turn.” The gray mare smiled and stepped up beside her sister. Kyra raised her left hand and did the same thing as before. Once she healed her, too, both her hands were in agony. Noticing her pain, the black mare smiled lightly and stepped aside. “Come in so we can talk.” Kyra nodded and entered the house. As she did, the black mare looked at Twilight. “Who are you? Did Kyra save you, too?” "Uh, well..." Twilight started, looking inside the house at Kyra, who was smiling at her. "We're dating." The black mare stayed silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. "The demon found love before us..." She then motioned with her head for Twilight to enter. "So, who are you?" The purple unicorn entered and joined Kyra. "I'm Twilight? You?" "Moonfall," the black mare replied. "My sister is Smokey." She then closed the door and moved past them, heading into the living room. "We'll talk in here." Kyra eyed Twilight, taking her hand before they entered the room. Moonfall and Smokey took their seat on the couch as the two visitors approached them. "So, what's going on?" Asked Moonfall. The demon hesitated before taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh. "Your mother is back." Moonfall's and Smokey's eyes both went wide. "Mommy?" Smokey asked in a squeaky voice. The black mare put an arm around her sister and held her close. "She can't hurt us, remember? Not with Kyra's spell protecting us." "That's what... I have to talk to you about..." Kyra said nervously. Moonfall stared at her with a look of fright. "Is the spell fading?" "No no... No..." The demon said as she shuffled nervously in place. "Spell's fine... but... she's taken three of my friends' s--" She cut herself off when she noticed Twilight giving her a look. "She's taken three of my friends..." Twilight then gave her a smile. "Three fillies. And, somehow she's hidden from me..." "And, you wanna use us as bait," the black mare said, knowing where this was headed. "I wish I didn't have to ask this of you," Kyra groaned, clearly feeling bad as she hugged herself. It wasn't often Twilight saw her look so vulnerable. "B-But, I'm out of options... I-It's my fault they were taken. I... I didn't even think to use the spell on them... I fucked up bad..." Moonfall watched her stammer until she couldn't form any more words. Looking at Smokey, the two gave each other a smile before the black mare stood up. "You know, it's not every day you see a demon fall to pieces," she said as she approached Kyra. "You really care about them, don't you?" Kyra smiled and sniffled, nodding. "And, I... I wanna make it right..." "W... We'll help," Smokey said softly. Silent Night appeared in the bedroom again, staring at the three fillies. “Ready for some bonding, girls?” She asked, holding up her sewing needle and scissors. The fillies looked at each other before scrambling to get away. Silent hissed and grabbed Scootaloo by the ankle, making her fall face-first into the floor with a grunt. The demon then dragged her closer and rolled her onto her back. “Don’t resist,” Silent cooed darkly, sliding the orange filly up against the side of the bed by the neck before holding up her needle. “This won’t take long,” She said as Scootaloo kept pounding on her hand to let her go. When Silent was about to start sewing the filly’s mouth shut, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both rushed the demon, knocking her off Scootaloo before they all ran to the door. “Oh, no, it’s locked!” Apple Bloom gasped. The demon got back up with a growl, getting the attention of the fillies. “Big mistake...” She said, holding out her scissors as her eyes glowed red. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all screamed in fright, making the demon grin evilly. When Silent Night was about to lunge at the three fillies, she heard familiar voices. “Mom?!” Yelled the voices. “Are you there?!” Silent Night looked up at the door, hesitating, before disappearing in the blink of an eye. Moonfall and Smokey eyed each other nervously before they returned their attention to the front door. They both let out a gasp when they saw the ghostly form of their mother standing there, her hair flowing eerily behind her. She seemed to just be staring at them. “Do you think she... recognizes us?” Smokey asks softly. Before Moonfall could respond, the ghostly mare suddenly appeared before them, making them both squeak. “Still such noisy fillies...” Silent Night cooed darkly, before her sewing needle and scissors appeared in her hands. “Silent, wait!” Kyra yelled, running into view with Twilight close behind. The evil mare slipped behind her daughters, using her left hand to grip Smokey’s neck while placing the open scissors against Moonfall’s neck. “Kyra... Should’ve known you’d use my daughters to lure me out...” “Silent, I want you to think about what you’re doing,” Kyra said, taking a step forward. Silent Night let out an eerie, distorted hiss. “I’m taking my daughters with me.” “No, you’re not,” Kyra corrected. “I can sense their souls... You kill them, they aren’t going to the Nether... and, you aren’t strong enough to take their souls yourself. You’ll lose them forever. I know you don’t want that.” Smokey and Moonfall eyed each other, tears in their eyes as they weren’t sure how this would all play out. Moonfall then reached out to take her sister’s hand, forcing a smile. “You’re lying!” Silent growled, pressing the blades into the mare’s neck, drawing a little blood and making Moonfall whimper. “You know I’m not,” Kyra replied calmly. “You kill them, you lose them. Forever. But, if you let them live and come back with me... I can arrange visits every now and then. You’ll get to see them on a regular basis.” Silent’s eerie breathing seemed to slow down a little. “How do I know you’ll honor this agreement? After all... you’re a demon, too...” “I guess you’ll just have to trust me,” Kyra said with a shrug. “One demon to another. But, the choice is yours. You’ve already proven hard to catch. You’ll have to come back on your own.” Silent Night’s head twitched a little as she was clearly thinking about it. Eyes narrowing, she stared down Kyra. As her grip tightened around Smokey’s neck, Twilight was about to rush to help... but Kyra held out her hand to stop her. Silent continued to stare before she suddenly let her grip on Smokey’s neck loosen. “Damn you, Kyra...” She sighed dejectedly, before lowering her arms. “That was easy,” Twilight muttered. “I was expecting another fight.” “Not every problem can be solved with violence, Twilight,” Kyra pointed out. “Besides, I can sense that, deep down, she regrets what she did when she was alive.” “I have no regrets,” Silent growled. Kyra began walking towards her. “When someone dies the way you did, your spirit feels that emotion for eternity, despite what you may actually feel. You’re cursed to be like this forever, Silent. But, I can feel your true emotions.” The ghostly mare held her head and grunted, like she was trying to remember something. “No... I...” “Don’t fight it,” Kyra continued, getting closer. “Maybe someday you’ll be able to free yourself from the curse, but... for your sake and for the sake of your children...” She then held out her hand. “Come back with me.” Silent grunted before lowering her arms. Looking over at her daughters, who had backed away a couple steps, she tilted her head. Eyeing Kyra, she let out a sigh and started reaching her hand out. When she was about to take Kyra's, she stopped. Twilight took a step forward, her heart rate increasing. Silent seemed to freeze up, as if she were still contemplating her decision. Smokey rubbed her own neck, which still hurt a little, before slowly walking over to her mom. "Smokey..." Moonfall gasped, reaching out to grab her sister's arm, but the gray mare pulled away. As she neared Silent, the demon quickly turned her head to look at her. Smiling, Smokey reached out and took her mother's free hand. "It's okay. We'll come visit you." Everyone stared at her before looking at Silent. The demon seemed like she didn't know what to do. Suddenly, her hand gently took Smokey's, before she looked at Kyra again. Without saying a word, she slowly took Kyra's hand. Nodding, the red demon looked at Moonfall. "Come with us," she said with a smile. "Afterwards, I'll return you and Smokey home." The black mare nodded hesitantly as she approached them. In a flash of red, the four were gone and Twilight found herself back in her library... with some extra company. "Uh..." the unicorn said, surprised. She then heard a noise behind her and turned around, happy to see the three fillies sitting on the floor by the couch. "What... happened?" Sweetie asked. Twilight quickly ran over to them and scooped them up in a big hug. "Oh, your sister's will be so happy you're back!" The three hugged back as Scootaloo said, "I knew you and Kyra would find us." The unicorn smiled and stood up. "Come on. Let's get you girls home." Kyra appeared in a flash of red, standing in front of the library. Letting out a relaxed sigh, she opened the door and stepped inside. She came to a sudden stop when she saw that Twilight had company; Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. "Oh. Hey." "We just wanted to say... thank you," Rarity said with a smile, walking up to her. "And, we're... sorry that we left..." "Yeah..." Rainbow said as she rubbed the back of her neck. "We just sorta... lost hope..." "We lost faith," AJ sighed. "...in you." She then walked over to the red demon with a light smile. "We should've trusted you... A-And, I... shouldn't have... hit you... I'm sorry," she apologized, before hugging her tightly. Kyra tensed up briefly, before smiling and hugging back. "I'm sorry... It's my fault they were taken in the first place." "No," AJ said suddenly, pulling back from the hug and placing a hand on Kyra's shoulder. "No. It wasn't yer fault. It's not yer fault that demon attacked us." "But, I introduced them to her," Kyra sighed. "She wouldn't have known about them if I--" "They volunteered, remember?" AJ interrupted. "Because they wanted to help. Because they trusted you. Just like we should've trusted you." AJ's smile widened. "You brought our sisters back." Kyra smiled back and nodded. "Well, you're... welcome... and... thank you..." AJ gave her one more tight hug before Rarity stepped up to hug her. Afterwards, Dash gave her a hug, the three said their good-byes, and left. Twilight then stepped up to her and took her hand. “Looks like everything is back to normal...” “There’s still one demon unaccounted for,” Kyra sighed. “And, this one’s a sneaky bitch, but... yes, everything seems calm now...” Twilight noticed the demon seemed a little nervous and uncertain about something. Smiling, she reached out and took the red mare's hands. "Remember our recent date?" She asked with a blush. Kyra blinked a few times. seemingly caught off guard by a seemingly random question. She then smiled lightly and nodded, gently pulling out of Twilight's grip to hold her by the waist. "Of course... What bout it?" "Remember... that question you had?" She asked sheepishly, blush deepening as she placed her hands on the mare's shoulders. The demon let out a soft chuckle. "You mean... the question I had about... going further?" The unicorn nodded. "I think I'm... ready..." Kyra gently pulled her closer before moving her right hand up to her cheek. "Are you sure?" The unicorn felt her heart rate quicken. This time, though, it was out of excitement rather than fear. "Our lives are becoming more dangerous and dangerous, with all these demons running around... I'd like to... experience it with you... before..." "Hey," Kyra cooed, leaning in close. "I'll never let that happen. You know that, right?" Twilight gave her a nod. "But... I'd love to go further with you..." Twilight smiled and hugged her. "Let's head upstairs..." To Be Continued in Season 3 Unless you read the upcoming Sex Special