Born In Light, Forged In Darkness

by Jest


Trial One: A New Face (R)

Tirek sighed and drummed his fingers on the large, round table that dominated his war room. The floating image of the pride demon who had been a constant thorn in his side for months now was looking down at him with a smirk on its smug face. Normally the demon lord wouldn't show such weakness in the presence of another, but the image was just a recording and Pear Butter knew better than to view an annoyed grunt as true weakness.

The draconic demon across from him stiffened slightly. “Should I continue, boss?”

The centaur’s brow creased and he gently massaged his temples, preparing for the inevitable.

“Let's get this over with," Tirek muttered.

“R-right,” Pear murmured, lowering her head, her horns glowing a bright gold.

The image began to move once more, a harsh cackling laugh instantly audible before slowly fading.

“I must admit," remarked the pride demon. "Your offers were tempting, but it seems as though there is someone even more interested in the Equestrian than even you.”

The already smug face somehow managed to become even smugger.

“To think you would try and bribe me with chocolate and baubles while he offers me so much more," the pride demon continued. "I would be offended if it wasn't so amusing.”

The image strutted towards some unseen goal but never moved from the center of the table.

“Now I know what you're probably saying and I want you to know that it was a good attempt and you shouldn't feel bad. You could never truly compete with a superiority demon, after all, you're a what, fear demon?” Th holographic image remarked, rolling his hand as it searched for the word. “Or whatever.”

The image laughed heartily, nearly doubling over. He slowly calmed and wiped a non-existent tear from the corner of one eye.

“Pardon me, but I just now realized how funny this is. Two former Equestrians bargaining for a third former Equestrian and in the end the superior one, won!” the pride demon exclaimed.

Tirek’s eyes narrowed and he made a mental note of doing more research on superiority demons, as none came to mind. Other than someone he had not thought of in centuries, but that was incredibly unlikely.

The pride demon smirked down at Tirek.

“I suppose I should expect some sort of attack from you soon, shouldn't I?" he mused. "They don't call you Tirek the Slighted for nothing.”

“Should I stop it, boss?” Pear Butter asked.

“No, let it go,” Tirek commanded.

The other demon nodded, glancing worriedly at her master, whose fists were clenched tightly at his sides, while he slowly ground his teeth together. She then looked to the door, briefly considering fleeing and making some excuse, but ultimately knowing better than to try.

She turned back to the image of the pride demon just as it finished walking over to something.

“As an apology for my rather rude remarks, I figured I’d show you something interesting," he continued.

Curiosity slowly replaced rage and Tirek could hear the faint sounds of whimpering coming from the object the pride demon was standing next to. It sounded childish, young, and faintly familiar… His eyes went wide and for a second panic gripped him, a sudden urge to seek out his favorite imp filling his mind before being quashed. It couldn't be her, but if not her, then…

The pride demon flipped open the lid of what looked like a small cage and instantly the whimpering was gone, replaced by a high-pitched growl that was only occasionally punctuated by a half-suppressed sob. The demon extended his hand into the mostly unseen cage and deftly scooped up whatever was being held within.

“As you can see, this strange little thing is not quite so innocent," he remarked. "Why she just might be the only Equestrian I’ve heard of to arrive here naturally.”

Tirek stared in shocked awe as the demon displayed the rainbow-maned imp who had two short horns sprouting from each side of its head which curled in on themselves before pointing forward. The demon’s hand gripped the imp tightly, pinning the imp’s tiny leathery wings against its back. They fluttered occasionally as if trying to break free of the demon’s iron grip. The imp’s face was covered with bloody tears and despite its apparent pain, it struggled with all its tiny might, gnashing its small sharp teeth and flailing its hooved limbs to little effect.

“A curious little creature, isn't she?” The pride demon asked, slowly spinning the imp around like he was showing off a prized dog and not a sapient creature. “She has all the hallmarks of an imp and yet her form remains relatively intact from what she had in life, instead of it being discarded like most souls that find themselves here. It seems as though Tartarus doesn't know what to do with this thing.”

The filly’s fur was gone, replaced by a thick, leathery hide of blue. Her mane was clearly falling out and large chunks were already missing from her head. As Tirek looked, he noticed various bruises and cuts sporadically covering the filly’s body as if she had been experimented on tortured, or both. Still, though the injuries looked painful, the filly struggled regardless, headless to several cuts reopening and dripping thick, blackened blood.

“Let me go, you big stupid jerkface!” she yelled in the same warbly, reverberating tone of an imp.

The pride demon rolled its eyes, more amused than insulted.

“Though a little on the young side, it's got quite the fight in it. Don't you, my little Rainbow Splash?” The Pride Demon teased.

“It's Rainbow Dash, you big doo doo head!” The imp yelled, thrashing to minimal effect in the demon’s hand.

“Yes, well, strange though it may be, I never would have thought it would be worth as much as old Star- yowch!” The demon looked down at the imp, whose teeth had sunken into the soft flesh of an errant finger. “You vile cur!”

The demon pulled back its hand and whipped the imp into the cage before slamming the lid shut and shouting at an attendant just outside of the frame.

“You, send this miserable wretch back into the pits where it belongs!” he yelled before turning to a second attendant, one that was assumably behind whatever he had used to record this message. “Cut the recording and remove everything after I said ‘The cat’s out of the bag’.”

The image flickered out, leaving a giggling Pear Butter and curious, but amused Tirek sitting in the dark room. Once she saw the faintly entertained expression on her master’s face Pear Butter burst into laughter, her deep reverberating voice filling the room as she pounded her hoof against the table. Tirek let out a slight chuckle of his own, which was only partly due to the apparent stupidity of his rival’s minions and mostly due to the infectious nature of his own minion’s laughter.

Pear Butter wheezed and toppled off her chair, falling to the ground with a heavy thump that shook the floor. Tirek withheld the most of his laughter and with all the seriousness he had left, he commanded his minion,

“Stand!” Tirek ordered.

Pear Butter hopped to her hooves, her panicked expression melting as she noted the faint smile constantly trying to creep across her master’s face.

“Yeah, boss?” Pear Butter replied.

“As… entertaining as that was, I want you to remember the implications of this," Tirek remarked.

She cocked her head.

“Implications?” She inquired.

“Yes," Tirek stated simply. "If he has another buyer secured and it is who I think it is, then we will have to move quicker than anticipated.”

“Right,” she exclaimed before ducking into a slight bow. “What do you need me to do, boss?”

“Gather Dog and Cervantes and meet me in the training room, we will need to redouble our efforts to get her in fighting shape.”

Tirek could sense a sliver of doubt in his minion, but she did her best to keep it from showing on her face.

“Right, boss. Is that all?” Pear Butter pressed.

“Yes, in the meantime I need to find my seer and discover the identity of this superiority demon.” Tirek muttered, already deep in thought.

Pear Butter nodded.

“As you command, my master,” she muttered.

The demon then obediently did as she was told, leaving the aged centaur alone with his thoughts.

The fear demon let out a deep breath, deflating slightly now that he did not have to appear strong before one of his servants.

“Just what I needed, another wrench in my plans," he muttered.

He settled into the pillows he had set aside before the recording and gently began massaging his temples in slow, methodical movements.

“This is such a mess,” he lamented quietly.

His goal had been nebulous at best, acquire another Equestrian or an innocent-looking creature, make Dog kill and eat it, in order to break her of her naivete. It had numerous problems but wasn't wholly impossible or unnecessary. Then when he had discovered that there was indeed another Equestrian down here, he had entertained thoughts of making another soldier like Dog. Said plan had even more holes than the first as he knew nothing of this Rainbow Dash creature or her capabilities.

All of his plans and ideas had been wiped away the moment the pride demon turned his back on the centaur and chose to cross him. Then, plans were irrelevant, his goals for the Equestrian rendered moot, for his pride had been sullied. The centaur snarled and slammed his hand against the table.

No one fucks with me, no one! he thought to himself before surging up to his hooves and making for the door.

He pushed his way through the portal, a smile slowly crossing his face. He may know I’m coming, but he has no idea what I will bring to bear against him. The fool has slighted me for the last time. A cruel smile spread across his lips as his imagination whirled with images of his revenge.

Yes, this was a perfect opportunity, he reasoned.

He had weapons to test, servants to train and it didn't even matter what he got out of it, so long as that fool suffered for his arrogance. He rubbed his hands together and smiled. Contracts between greater demons were a complicated process even when both parties were already in agreement, which meant he would have time to set up something truly fitting for the arrogant prick who had wronged him.

I know just the thing to put him in his place, Tirek thought with a cruel smile.


Now in a significantly better mood, Tirek pushed open the doors to the training room. There he stood for a moment, taking in the sight of Dog and Cervantes sparring while Pear Butter stood off to the side, a pensive look on her face. In the center of the room Dog had launched into a series of blows, her hooves striking in rapid succession. Despite her speed, Cervantes easily deflected or blocked them and danced around the filly before launching a foot straight towards the filly’s unprotected midsection.

Dog was narrowly able to roll out of the way, opening herself up to a second kick which knocked her airborne. Pear Butter winced slightly, only to catch a glimpse of Tirek and instantly straighten, wiping her expression clean. Cervantes noticed Pear’s expression and followed her gaze, instantly snapping to attention, with his hands at his waist.

Dog landed in a heap but quickly leaped back up and was ready to launch into another attack before she noticed Cervantes’ expression and followed his gaze as well. When the pair’s eyes met, Dog squealed excitedly before sprinting over to her father and grinning up at him.

“Hello, father!” She proclaimed.

Tirek smiled faintly.

“Hello Dog. How goes your training?” He asked.

The filly winced, rubbing the side that had recently been kicked.

“Not great," she admitted. "Cervantes says he's going to have to be tougher on me and he's just too fast.”

Tirek chuckled.

“Yes, Cervantes is quite the quick opponent, but I’m sure you will figure it out, in time," Tirek proclaimed.

Pear Butter cleared her throat suddenly, grabbing the attention of the two demons.

“I, uh, was hoping to talk to you about that, boss," Pear Butter exclaimed.

Tirek raised an eyebrow.

“And what, exactly were you hoping to talk to me about?” Tirek replied.

The gold and yellow demon pressed her hoof into the ground and twisted it awkwardly.

“Not to say you don't know what you are doing or nothin’, but I was gonna suggest maybe having Dog here spar with someone with four legs?” Pear Butter answered.

“And why, exactly, should we do that?” Tirek asked simply, already catching onto the wrath demon’s intentions.

The demon gulped and glanced down at the filly, who in turn looked up at her with a mixture of curiosity and wonder.

“Well, learnin’ how to fight two leggers is all well and good, but little Dog here has to figure out most stuff through trial and error," Pear Butter began, the demon rubbed the back of her neck, finally mustering the courage to look Tirek in the eye. “I just figured I could probably show her a thing or two without having to do things the slow way, is all.”

Tirek tapped his chin, looking from Pear Butter to Cervantes slowly. The armor demon betrayed no emotion at first, but Tirek’s perceptive eye picked up the smallest amount of relaxation coming from the armor demon’s loose arms.

“That is a decent suggestion, why would you make a better teacher than my other quadruped servants?" Tirek asked.

Pear Butter gulped once more.

“Well, I have experience fighting all sorts of things," Pear Butter answered.

Tirek tapped his chin thoughtfully, considering his servant’s words carefully and easily catching the unspoken suggestion. She will have to learn how to fight other quadrupeds as well.

“I had hoped to work on fundamentals a little more before we launched into the real training, but I suppose we no longer have the leisure of time,” Tirek began, turning to the gold demon and nodding. “You may take over her training until the operation, but, you will be working with Cervantes. Hopefully, you can teach him some things about fighting as a quadruped, in case he has to do so again in the future.”

“I won't let you down,” the wrath demon said with a smile

Tirek nodded simply.

“See to it that you don't," Tirek declared.

Though a warning, it lacked any of the venom or will that such a statement would usually have.

Dog nervously glanced at the wrath demon before turning to her father.

“Do I have to?" She whispered. "I like Cervantes…”

For a second Tirek could have sworn the armor demon smiled, despite the obvious impossibility of such an act.

“Don't worry, Cervantes will be with you the whole time," Tirek stated.

“Still…” The filly muttered.

Dog gulped, looking nervously up at the much larger, wider, and far more intimidating gold demon.

Pear Butter grinned, unaware that the act exposed even more of her many, many teeth.

“Aww shucks, lil filly, ya got nothin’ to worry ‘bout from me. Now, why don't we launch into our first lesson and show yer old pa a thing or two," Pear Butter offered.

Dog nodded slowly, following the four-legged demon towards the center of the gym. The two turned and faced one another, while Cervantes and Tirek took positions outside the ring, both looking in with varied degrees of interest. Pear Butter flashed the filly another disarming smile.

“Now, I want ya to hit me," Pear Butter declared.

“Hit you? Why?” Dog asked in confusion.

“Just do it little one, don't worry, you won't hurt me,” Pear Butter replied.

Dog’s eyes narrowed and just as Pear Butter hoped, the imp took the bait. The filly’s form lowered and she suddenly surged forward, her lightning-fast speed carrying her over to the demon in a blink of an eye. The filly pulled back a hoof and slammed into the larger demon’s chest with all her might.

“OW!” Dog recoiled in pain, cradling her bruised and bloody hoof.

The larger demon snorted and shook her head.

“Girl, you just tried punching a wrath demon in the chest, there was no way your little imp hooves were gonna do much. Try again," Pear Butter offered.

Dog looked down cautiously, fearing the worst. Her hoof was in bad shape, but surprisingly wasn't cracked, the blood had come from a small cut on her leg where she had brushed against the underside of one of the wrath demon’s scales by accident. The filly backed up slowly, keeping her injured hoof up and taking extra care not to accidentally use it.

This time the tiny demon eyed her opponent carefully, studying her closely. Her thick scales covered nearly every inch of her body with only small gaps near where her limbs bent and even then, the space not covered by scales was protected by thick leathery hide. Her eyes were large, almost as large as Dog’s own, but even there the demon’s protection did not seem to end as whenever she blinked, the lid that covered the vulnerable orb appeared to be made of the same thick leather that linked her joints.

“Good, that's what I like to see,” Pear Butter remarked.

“But I didn't even hit you yet?” Dog muttered.

“Exactly, you took the time and analyzed the situation.” Pear Butter began, tapping her head. “You’re using that noggin’ of yours. Tell me filly, where would you have struck next?”

“Well I was thinking your eyes or something, but that sounds kinda mean,” Dog murmured with a blush that lit up her lavender cheeks.

“You were spot on, little one!" Pear Butter declared. "I mean you don't hit hard enough for that to matter much, but the eye woulda been your best shot.”

Dog nodded slowly, taking her new teacher’s lesson to heart.

“How will I know where to hit though? Not every demon has eyes," Dog inquired.

The golden demon’s smile grew and a spark of pride ignited in her chest.

“Now see, there's the problem. Whatcha gotta do is-” Pear Butter began.

Tirek tuned out the conversation and turned to leave, trusting that his general could handle things from here. As he left the gym behind him, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of jealousness and he glanced over his shoulder at the smiling faces of Pear Butter and Dog who were eagerly discussing some facet of Pear’s lesson. The pair stopped and both laughed, causing that spark of jealousy to burn hot in Tirek’s chest.

With a shake of his head, he pushed the feeling away, there were enough things to worry about without making up more. Besides, though they may have both come from Equestria, that didn't matter anymore and beyond that, Pear Butter was nothing if not loyal. No harm could come from allowing the pair to get familiar, right?

Tirek brushed aside any such trivial thoughts and trotted down the hall, intent on resuming his attempt to find out the identity of his newest rival. As well as replaying that crystal a few times, he needed a good laugh.


Dog panted hard, glaring up at the unphased form of her newest teacher. The wrath demon grinned wickedly at the imp, showing off her sharp teeth.

“Don't tell me you are giving up already, why that last punch couldn't hurt a fly," Pear Butter remarked.

“Stupid scales!” Dog shouted bitterly.

The filly then collapsed to the floor in a heap, her limbs splaying in all directions and her forked tongue lolling from her mouth.

Pear Butter shook her head and slowly sunk to the floor, curling her legs up under her.

“You did good, little one," she whispered in a soft tone.

Dog shot her a dirty look, but she was too tired to actually put any effort into the act.

“But I didn't even manage to do anything!” Dog exclaimed.

Pear shrugged.

“True, but ya did better than most, ‘sides, you got most of the techniques down pretty good, ya just gotta get stronger and practice more. You’ll beat me in no time," Pear Butter replied.

Dog frowned, staring at the ground.

“Still…” She muttered.

Pear Butter’s hearts felt heavy in her chest, the filly’s moping reminding her of a distant memory from another life.

“Hey there, little one, don't be down,” Pear Butter whispered, lifting the filly’s head until their eyes met. “Ya just gotta practice and you’ll be fine.”

“I guess, but Father wants me ready faster, and I…” Dog began, stopping to sigh and look down at the floor. “I don't know if I can do it."

Poor little thing, boss sure does put a lot of pressure on her… Pear Butter thought to herself.

“He wouldn't do that unless he knew you could handle it, or unless you think he's wrong?” Pear Butter prompted, raising an eyebrow at the filly, who instantly leaped up.

“No way! Father is smart and strong and super-duper wise. If he says I can do it, then I can!” Dog proclaimed.

The filly’s expression could have been described as fierce if she wasn't so darn adorable.

Pear Butter laughed heartily, a deep and powerful sound that rattled Dog’s very bones.

“Exactly!" declared the wrath demon. "So keep your chin up, little one!”

“Yeah!” Dog announced, raising her hoof triumphantly, only to wince when an overtired muscle in her leg was accidentally pulled. “Yowch.”

Instantly the older demon was next to the filly, a concerned look on her face.

“Are you alright?” Pear Butter asked.

She reached down and gently brushed the filly’s other leg out of the way in order to get a better look.

“Hurts,” Dog whimpered.

Pear Butter frowned.

“Does it hurt to move or just all the time?” Pear Butter pressed.

Dog paused and moved the limb only to instantly wince.

“When it moves," answered the filly.

“Looks like you did manage to pull something after all," Pear Butter exclaimed. “I told you not to try such a risky move.”

Dog looked down, shame weighing her down. The sight pulled at her heartstrings and Pear rolled her eyes, lying down fully next to the filly.

“Well, hop on," Pear Butter prompted. "We’ll go get ya some ointment for that and take ya back to yer room.”

The filly blinked, looking over to the other demon cautiously, eyebrow raised.

“Really?” Dog whispered.

Pear chuckled.

“Of course! Don't you worry about fallin’, I used to do this plenty of times," Pear Butter replied.

Dog’s smile spread to encompass nearly her entire face.

“Okay!” The Imp declared excitedly.

Her injury forgotten and joy found, Dog leaped onto the demon’s back and settled into a nice spot while still cradling her injured leg. The larger demon cast a glance over her shoulder, inspecting her charge.

“Y’all set back there?” Pear Butter asked.

Dog nodded eagerly.

“Yup!” Answered the filly.

“Alright then, hang on," Pear Butter replied.

The well-muscled demon slowly rose to her full height, careful not to unsettle her injured passenger.

Dog’s smile wavered when she glanced at the ground, only now realizing just how high up she was. The filly gulped, her ears pinning to the back of her head and her three good legs squeezing the larger demon’s midsection tightly.

“Ya’ll right?” Pear asked, concern worming its way into her voice.

Dog nodded.

“You’re really tall," Dog muttered.

Pear Butter smirked.

“Don't you worry now, I’ll go nice and slow for ya," Pear Butter replied.

Dog sighed.

“Thank you," muttered the imp.

As she rode on the wrath demon’s back, Dog slowly relaxed. Every time it felt as though she might fall, Pear Butter shifted her weight slightly and Dog was secure once more.

Dog’s nervousness slowly bled away, replaced by an intense curiosity. When the large golden demon had first appeared, Dog had been scared and intrigued in equal measure, her questions stuffed away amidst her fear of a new face. Now that those fears had been laid to rest, Dog couldn't help but wonder about the strange demon.

Pear had been withdrawn and quiet at first, but during the middle of their training, the wrath demon seemed to open up, as if Dog had passed some unseen test. Now she was openly humming a tune that Dog didn't know the name of as she trotted down the hall.

Dog’s ears twitched and she looked back to see her personal golem following diligently behind them, its stone eyes fixed on Dog’s own eyes. Dog made a note of painting an iris or something on the golem’s eyes as it was difficult to tell where it was looking.

They passed by several other servants of Tirek, all going about their duties in near silence. Though Dog had always been a little intimidated by the motley assortment of demons that served her father, now that she sat astride a wrath demon, they all seemed so much smaller. She giggled as they passed by a bronze golem that Dog had been forced to look up to until now.

Her grip on the gold demon’s back lightened and Dog grinned.

“Pear Butter?” Dog asked.

Pear Butter’s mind was elsewhere, in another place and time where she had known peace, and only after Dog repeated herself did the wrath demon truly hear her. Pear Butter shook her head, freeing herself from the rather potent, cloying memory.

“Hmmm? Yes, little one?” Pear Butter replied.

“What do you do for my father? Surely if you were a trainer like Cervantes I would have seen you by now," Dog asked.

The former pony hummed thoughtfully, wondering how exactly she could put her position tactfully.

“I’m a uh... planner," Pear Butter answered.

Dog cocked her head. “A planner? Of what?”

“Well, sometimes when yer pops wants something, I get to help him get it and sometimes that thing is tricky to get, so we need a whole lotta demons to work together. Which, let me tell you, isn't easy," Pear Butter exclaimed.

Dog giggled, trying to imagine a bunch of demons to work together but failing utterly.

“What kind of things?” Asked the filly.

The demon shrugged its massive shoulders.

“All kindsa stuff. It would be easier to tell ya what I don't get, but even then, that's a long list,” Pear Butter remarked, chuckling darkly.

The filly on her back cocked her head and was about to ask another question when they rounded a corner and her golem suddenly spoke up in a strangely boyish voice.

“You are entering a restricted area, please leave or I will contact Lord Tirek," it stated.

Pear Butter stopped and rolled her eyes before taking a step back and kneeling low to the ground.

“You just wait here little one, Mama Pear is gonna get ya the ointment and be back in a jiffy," Pear Butter offered.

Dog nodded and then slipped off the surprisingly slippery demon’s back and stumbled to the floor. She then shuffled off to the side of the hall, stepping next to her golem.

Pear Butter gave her a brief look before proceeding down the hall, her heavy hoofsteps disappearing into the labyrinth that was their home. Left alone with only her golem for company, Dog inspected the animated statue closely.

Its limbs were blocky, its fingers barely defined enough to enable it to manipulate things. An idea leaped into her mind and already Dog had something to add to her list of improvements.

  1. Paint eyes.
  2. Carve fingers.

She tapped her chin thoughtfully while giving the impassive golem a once over. Despite its plain exterior, Dog could see something amazing hiding just beneath the surface. Her recent ride on the back of her new friend had given her a burst of inspiration and though it would take some study and practice, her little golem would become way more useful and, more importantly, way cooler.

The filly plopped down on her butt and rubbed her hooves together and laughed as deeply as she could, trying in vain to mimic the grandiose laughter of her father. Only for it to come out somewhere between a squeak and a giggle.

“-Haha-owch!” Dog winced, hugging her injured leg to her chest, grumbling to herself.

“Ya hurt yourself again, little one?” Came a voice from down the hall.

Dog leaned around the corner to see the smiling face of Pear Butter approaching her, some gauze and a bottle of ointment clutched in one hoof. Dog shook her head.

“No, just forgot about it,” she replied sheepishly.

The demon trotted over and lay down next to Dog.

“Well, hop on," Pear Butter offered. "We’ll get ya fixed up once yer back in yer room.”

The filly nodded and eagerly hopped onto the larger demon’s back, being careful not to use her damaged muscles. Now secure once more, Dog let out a giggle as the demon stood up. Then, a sudden idea filled the filly’s head and she couldn't help but wonder if it might be true.

Tirek was her father, that much she knew, but the centaur had never told her who her mother was, could it be…

“Um, Pear Butter…” Dog muttered.

“Yeah?”

“Do you know who my mom is?” Dog asked hesitantly.

“Err, I don't know. Maybe you should ask your pa that one,” Pear Butter replied.

Dog’s face fell, a frown creasing her lips. She may not be my mom, but there was something in the way she said that makes me think she knows who is. Dog silently thanked her father for all the lessons on social manipulation and made a note to pay attention more next time. Apparently, they were more useful than she believed.

“Are you sure you don't know?” Dog pressed, trying to put as much cuteness as she could into the question.

The larger demon gulped awkwardly and took the next turn a little too quickly.

“You should really ask Lord Tirek, I think he’d like to be the one ta tell ya," Pear Butter replied.

Resorting to titles, that's not good. She must have been told not to tell me. Dog made a note of asking her father the same question later, evidently, it was something he wanted to reveal. With one question down, she launched into her next one.

“Why do you look like me?” Dog questioned.

The earth demon stopped and glanced over her shoulder at the filly.

“You mean the fact that we’re both four-leggers, right?” Pear Butter replied.

“You mean quadrupeds,” Dog corrected.

“Yeah, what you said,” the wrath demon replied, turning back around, and continuing the long walk back to the filly’s room.

Dog frowned, she was obviously avoiding the question again, and the imp could feel the tenseness in the demon’s back muscles.

“Is that something else you are not allowed to tell me?” Dog asked.

The larger demon sighed. “Yeah…”

For a long time, the pair were silent, with Dog trying to figure out some way to weasel the answers she wanted out of the wrath demon, while said demon tried desperately to think of a convenient lie that the clever filly wouldn't instantly see through. In the end, they both gave up, Dog deciding to respect her father’s wishes and Pear Butter realizing there was no conceivable perfect answer she could give.

Striking that question from her mental list as well, Dog launched into her next question.

“How did you end up working for my father?” Dog asked.

“I don't work for him, I serve him," Pear Butter corrected.

Dog cocked her head.

“What's the difference?” She asked.

“You really don't know?” Pear Butter asked, glancing over her shoulder.

Dog shrugged.

“I know father has lots of demons working for him, some under contract and stuff," Dog replied.

The larger demon turned back around and continued walking.

“Well, for one, your father is my master, he holds my very soul. Even if he didn't though, I’d still follow him,” Pear Butter stated.

“Really, whysat? Also, how does he have your soul? You look fine…” Dog muttered in confusion.

Pear butter chuckled darkly.

“I signed it over to him after he saved me, which answers both yer questions, I think," Pear Butter stated.

“Saved you? From what?” Dog asked, her eyes lighting up. “Was it a greed demon? Those things look scary…”

“Nah, nothing like that," Pear Butter began. "When I got here I didn't know what was going on or where I could find food or shelter. So when this nice-looking pony came up and offered to feed me and take care of me, I was ready to sign on the dotted line but then yer father came bursting in and told me what that contract really entailed.”

Dog’s eyes sparkled and she leaned even closer.

“Like what?” Dog pressed.

Pear grimaced.

“Something terrible, something so bad I gave my soul to your pa as thanks for savin’ me from it," Pear Butter remarked.

The filly frowned and crossed her hooves, and though she was tempted to push her line of questions, something about the finality in the demon’s voice made Dog reconsider. She fell back into her spot, hardly noticing as they passed through another checkpoint and neared her room.

“What happened before that?” Dog inquired.

“Before what?” Pear Butter replied.

“Before you came here? Where were you before?” Dog continued to question.

Dog knew there were other planes, but she had never met anyone who claimed to have traveled to one, the topic was a strangely sore one for Tirek and Dog had only managed to get vague responses from the centaur.

The larger demon stiffened and her voice lost some of its relaxing charm.

“What's the most valuable thing in the whole world?” Pear Butter asked back.

“Uhh…” Dog scratched her head. “My father?”

“Family is about the most important thing there is," Pear Butter agreed. "Sometimes ya gotta do the unthinkable for family, sometimes ya even gotta burn for ‘em.”

Pear Butter shook her head, the somber cloud hanging over them vanishing in an instant.

“Enough of that hooey, we’re almost there," the wrath demon offered suddenly.

As if on cue, they walked into the prison and were instantly assaulted by the sound of screaming. Dog relaxed at the sound, having grown strangely used to it over time, Pear Butter, however, stiffened, her jaw clenching tightly. The wrath demon muttered under her breath before briskly trotting over to the door to Dog’s room pulling it open and slipping inside.

The screams dulled slightly but were still clearly audible through the steel. Pear Butter winced.

“Is there any way to make it quieter?” Pear Butter asked.

Dog pointed to a small rune next to the door.

“Over there. Father installed a rune that makes them quiet for a while," Dog answered. "He put it there ‘cause there was one really loud demon who wouldn't let me get any sleep.”

Pear Butter eagerly pressed her hoof against the rune and sighed audibly when the screams dulled until they were barely perceptible.

“Oh, thank the stars,” Pear Butter muttered before kneeling down and allowing the filly to slip off her back.

Dog hopped off and gave her carrier a quizzical look.

“Why thank the stars? There are no stars in Tartarus," Dog pointed out.

“It's just an old saying where I come from. Now then, let's see that leg of yours," Pear Butter ordered.

Dog nodded and lay down on her now blanketed bed of stone. Pear Butter pushed down a smirk at the sight of the blankets. They were either red or black and one even had a smiling face of a demon in the middle. Though a little morbid, the picture was so cartoony that it was almost cute.

Dog followed the other demon’s eyes and smiled brightly when she noticed what Pear Butter was looking at.

“Oh, do you like Mister Scarlet too? I think he's cute, but don't tell Father," Dog exclaimed. "Cervantes had to sneak it back into my room after I got caught sleeping with it in the library again.”

Pear Butter giggled at the sight.

“He's very cute," Pear Butter agreed.

“He's super soft too! Here, touch him!” The filly eagerly proclaimed, pushing the warm blanket towards the wrath demon, who brushed her hoof against it.

“Oh wow, that is soft. What is it made of?” Pear Butter asked, genuinely curious.

Dog shrugged.

“I dunno, it's comfy though.” The filly tucked the blanket back under her, making sure to obscure the face of the grinning cartoon demon.

“Now then, let's see that leg.” Pear Butter knelt a little closer to the filly and gently lifted the injured leg, being careful not to accidentally pull it. “Now this might sting a bit, but don't move. Can ya do that fer me?”

Dog nodded slowly.

“Alright, now hold still," Pear Butter ordered sternly.

The wrath demon pulled the limb as straight as it would go before she felt Dog begin to tense. Then, utilizing her golden magic, she reached out and took the small bottle of ointment and gently began to spread it out over the imp’s leathery skin in slow, methodical circles. Once done, she tucked the bottle away and while keeping the filly’s limb as straight as possible, gently applied the tensor bandage.

“There, all done. How does it feel?” Pear Butter asked.

Dog wiped away a stray tear and gently pulled her injured leg against her chest.

“Better now, thank you," murmured the filly.

Pear Butter smiled warmly.

“Aww shucks, ain’t nothing. Now, ya gonna ask me any more questions before I go?” Pear Butter inquired, stretching her legs.

“Who says I even have any?” Dog replied, pouting.

“Ya ain't foolin' nobody there little one. I can almost see all those questions swirling behind your eyes," Pear Butter retorted.

Dog’s face scrunched up and she briefly wondered if wrath demons could actually do that, only to realize that the older demon had been joking with her. The filly sat up and folded her tiny hooves over her equally tiny chest.

“What’s the next lesson going to be about?” Dog asked.

“Oh uh…” Pear Butter muttered, scratching her head. “I noticed your form needs improvin’, so we gotta get you working on a style that works for your body type.”

“But Cervantes says my stance is good!” Dog proclaimed.

“He said what now?” Pear Butter muttered, shaking her head. “Nah, that ain't what I mean, I think. Your stance is good, but it mimics the fighting style of a two legger. Something you ain't.”

Dog grumbled, but admitted defeat.

“Alright, then what?” Dog asked.

The large demon shrugged.

“Dunno yet, we’ll have to see," she admitted.

Dog gasped.

“You don't have a lesson plan?” The filly exclaimed in shock.

“Lesson plan?” Pear Butter waved her hoof dismissively. “Nah, I just gotta wait and see where ya need improvement, then go from there.”

“I suppose that makes sense…” Dog reluctantly admitted, still a little baffled that her new teacher didn't have a plan.

The pair continued to chat for a considerable length of time. Though chatting may be a stretch as most of the ‘conversation’ was Dog asking a seemingly endless stream of questions. Most of which Pear Butter either wasn't allowed to answer, didn't know the answer to, or generally wasn't sure how to put the answer into words the filly would understand.

Time flew by as both demons conversed, and as the minutes passed the older demon couldn't help but be amazed at the little imp. Despite her size, she was fast and strong, but most importantly, she was intelligent. Pear Butter had heard the accounts of the filly’s intellect when she had first arrived and had been amazed. Now, she was absolutely blown away.

The wrath demon had always known Tirek was brilliant, the dumb don't survive in Tartarus for long and only the most intelligent make something out of such a miserable existence. Even with knowing just how brilliant her master was, she would have never have guessed that his brilliance extended to the field of teaching and yet here the filly sat, as brilliant as her ‘father’.

She wasn't quite as good when it came to social cues, but that seemed to be her own disinterest, though Dog had casually lamented the fact that she had not paid attention to her father’s teachings in that regard.

More than that, she was also well-learned in demonology, contracts, and dozens of other subjects. By the time Pear Butter left much later, she would remark to a fellow servant that she felt as though her mind was a sponge to the filly, to be squeezed of every drop of knowledge and added to her own. Now though, there was a comfortable silence as the wrath demon lay on the ground, her hoof extended while the imp pored over it, poking and prodding the limb.

“Does it hurt when I do this?” the imp asked, applying a little force to the bottom of the scale.

“Nah," Pear Butter replied. "My scales are pretty tough, so long as you ain't trying to peel em off me there ain't much that could hurt me.”

The filly’s face tightened and she stared at the scaled limb, her questions finally silenced. The larger demon’s eyebrow raised and when she reached the count of ten in her head, her smile widened.

“Wow, you went ten seconds without asking a question. Did you finally run out of ‘em?” Pear Butter replied.

“Kinda, I was just thinking…” Dog murmured.

Pear Butter raised an eyebrow.

“Watcha thinking of?” Pear Butter inquired.

“Well…” Dog began.

The imp tapped her hooves together nervously, her gaze lingering on the floor betwixt her hooved limbs.

“Promise you won't get mad?” Dog asked.

The wrath demon cocked her head.

“Why do you say that?” Pear Butter replied.

“Just promise, please?” Dog asked.

The filly looked up at the older demon with the wide, watery eyes of a doe.

Pear Butter’s lips moved before her mind could even catch up with her.

“Of course, little one, go on," Pear Butter encouraged.

“Well… I remember you calling yourself ‘Mama Pear’ earlier and that got me wondering. Do you have any imps of your own?” The filly asked, wide-eyed and curious.

Pear Butter’s face scrunched up for a second before she exploded with laughter.

“Of all the ways to ask that question," Pear Butter exclaimed in amusement.

She laughed deeply and slapped her hoof into the floor hard enough to send the filly airborne for a moment.

Dog remained silent, curiously watching the larger demon’s face. Emotions of joy were the most obvious, but there was a small hint of something darker lurking at the edge of her features. The way her forehead remained tight as if her laughter didn't reach that far, the way her jaw remained clenched, some unseen emotion keeping her muscles coiled. The filly couldn't help but wonder what could have caused such a conflicting state to occur.

Eventually, the demon’s laughter died down and she wiped a non-existent tear from her eye.

“To answer your question. Yes, I have little ones of my own. Though I’ll never see ‘em again," Pear Butter answered with a snort. “And I’m thankful for that.”

“But why?” Dog demanded to know.

The filly hopped to her hooves, striking a determined expression.

“I’m sure you’ll see your family one day, Pear Butter!” Dog proclaimed.

The demon shook her head slowly.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I know in my heart I will never see them again,” Pear Butter muttered. “Which is for the best.”

“No!” The filly declared, stomping her comparatively tiny hoof. “I know you want to see them again.”

Pear Butter chuckled and placed her hoof on the imp’s withers.

“Calm down, little one," Pear Butter warned.

“You said it yourself, family is the most important thing!" Dog all but shouted.

The wrath demon sighed and slowly shook her head.

“Alright alright, you got me. I do want to see them again, even if it's just to sing my little ones to sleep one last time," Pear Butter tiredly admitted.

Dog’s victorious smile faltered somewhat.

“What does sing mean?” Dog asked.

Pear blinked, only to laugh.

“He teaches you how to bend the fabric of reality, but not what a song is!” Pear Butter exclaimed.

Dog cocked her head.

“It's nothing, child," Pear Butter replied. "You sing songs, and a song is just a bunch of words spoken in a way that sounds…”

She scratched her head awkwardly, searching for a word.

“Musical," Pear Butter concluded.

“Can you sing me a song?” Dog asked.

The imp looked up at the wrath demon, her already large eyes seemingly growing even larger.

Pear Butter scratched her hoof awardly, tearing her eyes from the filly’s nearly hypnotic stare.

“I don't know, the boss might not like…” Pear Butter began.

She glanced over at the filly once more and instantly felt her resistance melt away when she noticed the filly’s eyes had begun to water.

“Alright," Pear Butter muttered in defeat. "But then you gotta lay down and get some sleep. You had a long day.”

The filly nodded, squirming under her covers and looking over at the wrath demon with wide inquisitive eyes.

“I’m ready," Dog declared.

The wrath demon smiled faintly, breathed deeply and began to sing.

Lullaby, and good night, in the skies stars are bright.
May the moon's silvery beams bring you sweet dreams.
Close your eyes now and rest, may these hours be blessed.
'Til the sky's bright with dawn, when you wake with a yawn.
Lullaby, and goodnight, you are mother's delight.
I'll protect you from harm, and you'll wake in my arms.
Sleepyhead, close your eyes, for I'm right beside you.
Guardian angels are near, so sleep without fear.
Lullaby, and good night, with roses bedight.
Lilies o'er head, lay thee down in thy bed.
Lullaby, and goodnight, you are mother's delight.
I'll protect you from harm, and you'll wake in my arms.
Lullaby, and sleep tight, my darling sleeping.
On sheets white as cream, with a head full of dreams.
Sleepyhead, close your eyes, I'm right beside you.
Lay thee down now and rest, may your slumber be blessed.

Pear Butter smiled faintly, noticing the filly was already fast asleep, her chest rising and falling peacefully. The wrath demon remained sitting for several long seconds, merely watching the imp as she slumbered before remembering her many duties and slowly rising from the cold stone floor.

She sighed, wanting nothing more than to have kept sitting there, watching the filly as she slumbered.

The demon turned to the door and glanced at the rune next to it. She could tell the array was already beginning to lose its charge and though she was bound to respect her master, she couldn't help but mutter her disapproval under her breath. She angled her head towards the rune and channeled what little magical might she had left at her disposal, feeding all she had into the rune.

Though her breathing became ragged due to the magical exhaustion, Pear Butter’s head was held high, a proud smile on her face. She may have wasted all the mana she had before her daily magic lesson, but it was well worth it.

She cast one last glance over her shoulder and smiled faintly.

Very well worth it. She thought.