//------------------------------// // Chapter Three: Awaken, The Demoness (Lisa) // Story: A Displaced Chaos // by Prince_Zodiac //------------------------------// Chapter Three: Awaken, the Demoness She rapidly sat up when her dream ended. She was slightly shivering, and covered in sweat. What the hell had that been? Why did that dream scare her so much? Sure, that voice had been unnerving, but it didn't seem like anything to be scared of. “Ugh, I think being a scary demon has turned me into a coward.” She fell back on the bed, lost in thought. She didn't know why, but that dream seemed important. She'd never had a premonition but, well, there were still some things she was discovering about herself, despite being over a hundred years old. But no matter how long she thought, she couldn't make heads or tails of what she had just experienced. And so she did the only thing she could do. She got out of bed. “Come on Lisa, time to start the day.” Lisa sat back up in her bed. Unwillingly leaving the covers, Lisa walked to her wardrobe and changed out of her creamy yellow pajamas, and into her standard, black, business suit. Why did she wear a business suit? Because she was a demon. And a demon was all about business. Her white shirt on, her red tie secured, and her black coat buttoned up, with a pencil skirt to match, Lisa stepped into her kitchen and started making breakfast. “What should I have today?” she wondered as she approached the pantry. Opening it she found that it was… empty. “Eggs it is then.” Lisa walked to her fridge and grabbed the carton where the white, oval shaped hen products that would soon become scrambled eggs were stashed. Grabbing a few, she set the carton back in its place and turned on the stove. She cracked the eggs against the side of a pan that she had set on the fire, and let the yoke spill in. A tendril whipped out of her back, phasing through her suit, and opened a drawer containing her cooking utensils. Wrapping around the handle of the spatula, the tendril quickly returned and handed it to Lisa, which she then took and began to scramble the eggs as the tendril sank back into her back. Two more came out and started making coffee, turning on the machine and crushing up some bean from a small bag on the counter. Another raced out of the house, going who knows where. Lisa barely paid any attention as her tendrils worked. Using them was second nature by now, and they were incredibly useful tools, both for utility and intimidation. They acted automatically, only obeying her thoughts directly when she took manual control of them. But otherwise, she could simply issue an order, and they would get it done. Soon breakfast was served to the lone occupant of the house, and Lisa sat down at the table, plate of eggs in hand, and a pair of tendrils carrying her coffee behind her. Setting the items down, her last tendril went into her office and retrieved her reading glasses as the third tendril finally returned, a newspaper in its grasp. Taking both items, she put on her glasses and read the paper as she ate. How does she eat without a face you ask? Well… I don't actually know. And neither does Lisa for that matter. She stopped questioning it ages ago. Anyways, she skimmed through the articles as she searched for something interesting to read. “Hmm, Filthy Rich attempting to raise prices on Apple family products? Yeah, because Granny Smith would let him do that. What else is new?” Unfortunately she didn't find anything too interesting. At least, nothing that concerned her. Though, nothing really ever concerned her. Now finished with breakfast, Lisa stood, cleaned her plate, and set everything back to where it was. “Alright, time to be creepy in the forest.” Lisa headed out her door, walking into the small field that surrounded her home. Her house was a small log cabin in a clearing that rested deep in the Everfree Forest. So deep in fact, that no sentient creature would ever venture here. And if they did, Lisa would be able to take her time stopping them, and forcing them to turn around. She headed into the forest, wondering just who it was that she'd be scaring from the forest today. You might think it mean of her to do that, but in all actuality she was saving the lives of any who encountered her. Being the strongest thing that lived in this forest, Lisa took it upon herself to keep the peace, which meant she had to keep ponies, or any other sentient creatures, away from the wildlife that would most likely kill them. She wasn't able to save every single person that wandered into her forest, she was only one demoness after all, but she did try to save as many as possible. And wouldn't you know it, her heightened senses immediately picked up on three adventurous fillies. “Seriously?” Lisa said to herself. “How many times are those three gonna walk in here?” Stealthily walking through the trees, Lisa eventually encountered her quarry. The three young ponies known only as the CMC. “C’mon girls!” the lead filly, Apple Bloom, said. “We're almost to Zecora’s!” “We're coming just calm down,” the second filly, Sweetie Belle, replied. “Why are we going to Zecora’s again?” the third filly, Scootaloo, asked. “Because Zecora said she was finished with that new potion she’s been working on! Apparently it's supposed to give anypony who drinks it a temporary immunity to poison!” “Any poison?” Sweetie asked. “Is that even possible?” “Y'all just don't understand what kinda skill Zecora has. She's the best darn potion maker in all of Equestria! Maybe the world!” Lisa sighed. So they were headed to Zecora’s this time, which was good. Lisa had become good friends with the zebra, and had worked with her to enchant the path to her house to keep the monsters away, so she knew they would be safe. Still, it didn't hurt to make sure they got there safely. And so she followed from a distance, keeping out of their sight, but keeping them in hers. It didn't take long for the girls to reach the alchemist’s hut, and knock on the door. And soon, Zecora answered them. “Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo. It is so good to see the three of you.” “Hey Zecora!” Apple Bloom greeted. “You said you were finished with that potion right?” “I did, it's true. Would you like to see it too?” “Yeah!” “Then come into this little hut of mine, the potion I've made is truly divine.” The girls went inside, and Zecora was about to shut the door when she saw Lisa. Lisa gave a nod, which Zecora smiled and returned before closing the door. Knowing they were safe, Lisa was about to head back when she had the sudden urge to sneeze. ‘Must be talking about me,’ she thought. And sure enough, they were. “Hey miss Zecora?” Scootaloo asked. “Have you ever seen that demon in the forest?” “Which one do you speak of little one? The demons number far more than one.” “The one they call, the Demon of the Everfree.” “Ah, that demon, yes I have seen her. I once met her when I was quite hurt.” “You did?” Sweetie said shocked. “Did she attack you?” “No, in fact she helped me out. She defended me against Timberwolf snouts. And once the wooden beasts were gone, she healed my leg, and helped me move on.” “But aren't demons evil?” Apple Bloom asked. “Some for sure, are a horrible fright. But there are others that try to be creatures of the light.” Lisa smiled at her rhyming dialect. Lisa always appreciated it when Zecora defended her. She never asked her to, but nonetheless the zebra took it upon herself to correct anyone she found to be misinformed, even if telling them the truth didn't do much to change what they thought. Not needing to worry any longer, Lisa walked back into the forest. She took in a deep breath and sighed as she wandered through the foliage, the scent of the forest filling her non existent nose, and smiled, even though she had no mouth. “It's so nice to be free.”