Moments have passed since the group safely secured Heat Blitz, saved a Drakai from death and continued their search for Eternal Flames. With Fluttershy and Twilight busy looking after an Equestrian-style hellhound and a slightly injured boy, the other girls and Shadow searched high and low for any trace of the heart-broken prince.
So far, none of the girls had any luck in their searches. Shadow also felt like he wasn't getting anywhere, but then suddenly, he noticed flashing red and blue lights in the distance. "The hell's going on over there?" he asked.
He jogged over to see what had happened. From what his eyes can tell, it looked like there was an attempted robbery and there were cracks on the ground and a shooken up crook. The police were checking on the crook's mental conditions as well as his minor injuries. Whoever roughed him up, he left him bleeding a bit.
"T-T-Those eyes… those horrible red eyes," the crook said, shaking in fear. "H-He's… he's still out there… you… you gotta help me, man!" he clinged to the police's shirt, begging on bended knees, which the cop could tell he was genuinely spooked.
"Easy there. Though you're likely to face charges for attempted robbery, we'll find this… red-eyed monster you describe," the cop said. Just then, the cop's attention was brought over towards Shadow. "Can I help you, sir?"
"What happened here?" Shadow asked.
"Just a simple robbery gone wrong. Alright, now in you go," the cop said, putting the crook in the back seat of the car before driving him off to the station. Shadow took this chance to finally talk to the jeweler.
"What a night. I need a vacation after this whole mess," the jeweler said. He sees Shadow and starts to wonder what he's here for. "Uh… is there something I can help you with… sir?"
“That guy over there… did he really see a creature with “red eyes”?” Shadow asked. “Like in the color of ‘blood’.”
"I dunno, I was too far away to see it. Plus, he looked pretty human to me. On top of that, I think it was just his long red hair that made him think he had red eyes. Of course, he was wearing a hoodie, so I couldn't see his face. And when he gave me the jewels that crook stole, I could tell he had blue eyes, but he looked so… cold… and sad." the jeweler explained. "I guess the poor boy was down on his luck."
"Wait… did you say sad? How would you describe it?” Shadow asked.
"I'm not sure. Maybe… "I've lost everything and don't care anymore" kind of sad. Why, do you know the guy?" the jeweler asked.
“You can say that. Thank you for your time.” Shadow replied as he turned and walked away.
"If you're gonna find him, I'd be careful. I saw him heading towards the West district of the city. That's what we call the bad side of town!" the jeweler called out.
Shadow halted where he stood after hearing what the jeweler said and the directions that he gave him. He turned his head nearly halfway, staying silent for a minute until he finally replied with an answer: “I’ve spent years hunting the Devil himself; I can handle any danger that is thrown at me.”
"Alright, but just remember. I did try to warn you," the jeweler said as he watched Shadow head out into the danger zone. "I gotta give him props for being brave enough to go down that road." he says to himself.
When he said the West district of Canterlot City was the bad side, he wasn't joking around. There were a few worn-out buildings and old train tracks leading to places outside the city and beyond, but weren't operational for what seemed like decades. But what set him off was the neighborhood he was in. It looked like gang territory and it looked like there was a struggle of some kind.
Guys with guns were either waking up or were still unconscious. Inferno had never seen anything like this. Anyone in this district who was gang was roughed up, but it doesn't look like there were any casualties.
"Hey…" one of the gang members said, getting up, beaten and battered. "...you'd better scam, kid and I mean now. I ain't threatening you, even if I want to."
"What thrashed you up?" Shadow asked.
"Trust me… that thing that attacked me and my gang, it… it wasn't human. I ain't gonna… forget eyes as bloodthirsty as those," he said, limping over to the sidewalk. "That cold stare… and… blood red hair…" After saying that, the man collapsed, unconscious.
"Looks like I'm on my own or now," Shadow said before hearing a noise in the distance. Shadow quickly turned to see a man in a grey hoodie with another gang member in his hand, dragging him into the streets where he tossed him aside.
Shadow then draws out his twin revolvers and points them towards the mysterious figure out in the streets. “Hey!” He calls out to them. “Halt right there!”
The hooded figure slowly turns his head towards Shadow and lowers his stance as if getting into position to fight.
“If I were you…. I would stand down!” Shadow sternly said, as a warning to the person in front of him.
As the two were locked in their stances, thunder soon roared in the sky as rain fell hard onto the streets of the town. The hooded man didn't heed his warning and slowly approached him. Shadow could sense his hostility, but he was well-armed and loaded, ready for whatever this man had planned for him.
"Fine, but just remember… you brought this upon yourself," Shadow said, aiming carefully before firing at him. But somehow, the man dodged that shot with precision. He even quickened his pace a little. "Not bad, but it ain't gonna help you. I'm a lot stronger if you think I'm just all guns and no punch."
Right away, Shadow fired some more shots at the man, but he dodged those just as easily and picked up his pace until he was up close with Shadow. Just as he did, the hooded man then ran up to the assassin and landed a high jump kick into his gut. Shadow fell to the ground with a hard thud, losing grip of his pistols in the process. The hooded man stood over as if he took pride in his action, but soon it was short-lived as Shadow quickly recovered and swept his legs, throwing him off-balance.
The hooded man fell to the ground just as quick as Shadow got up to grab his pistols and fire some more shots at him. But even when grounded, the hooded man still dodged his shots at a quick pace.
Shadow's barrels soon ran on empty and quickly reloaded. The hooded man jumped to his feet and threw some swift, hard punch towards Shadow's face, but was quickly dodged and blocked by the experienced assassin; who returns the favor with a quick headbutt to the face, causing the hooded figure to stumble back. Giving Shadow the advantage as he took the opportunity to land a roundhouse kick onto his foe, which forces them to the ground.
The hooded man sprang up using his hands and leaped over Shadow, throwing a triple spin kick to the face. Shadow blocked two of them, but took the last one in order to catch him and slam him back to the ground with him. Shadow crawled up to him and grabbed him by the throat and then repeatedly slammed his fist into the face of the hooded man–which remained hidden under his hood–4 times until the figure managed to catch Shadow’s fist before he could land a 5th blow and threw him off of him.
He sprang back up to his feet, then grabbed Shadow by the throat, got behind him and tightened his grip on him, trying to choke him. The assassin quickly retaliates, in order to save his skin, by taking out his Karambit knife and then with one swift move, stabs it into his enemy’s thigh and then twisting it to cause more pain.
"GAAAAH!!!!" the hooded man shouted, causing him to pull on the assassin’s mask and remove it as he let him go. Shadow's eyes widen upon hearing the man's voice. As the hooded man let go, he stumbled down on one knee, panting heavily. "Damn it… should've known… that was a bad idea…"
Shadow instantly turns around to meet the hooded man face-to-face once more, and to his shock, the hood of the man was removed during their struggle; revealing that Shadow/Inferno's combatant was none other than… Eternal Flames!
As for Eternal, he looks up to the mercenary and becomes shocked as well, when he finally gets a look at Shadow’s real face; which turned out to be the face of the guy who aided him when he first came to this world. And that’s when Eternal realizes that the Shadow Knight is actually the Equestrian counterpart of Inferno Blaze.
"You… You're the Shadow Knight?" Eternal asked
“Eternal?... Wha-what!?” Inferno tries to process the situation in his mind; for he has been fighting the very pony he was assigned to protect 3 minutes ago, and he just stabbed a knife in his leg. "Oh shit, what the hell have I done? DAMN IT!"
"We're both at fault here!" Eternal grunted, keeping pressure on his stab wound. "I was stupid to use that stranglehold trick knowing you were well-armed. What the hell are you doing out here?"
"Why else do you think I'm here? To find you! Asshole!” Inferno shouted. In fact, everyone is scattered around town looking for you!”
"Looking for me? Please, if I were them, I'd stay out of my business. Why would they go around searching all over for me anyways?" Eternal asked
“CAUSE THEY'RE ALL WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE SON OF A BITCH!!!” Inferno shouted. “ME AND THE OTHERS HAVE BEEN THROUGH CRAP TODAY TRYING TO FIND YOU!! AND ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS PUSH US AWAY!!!!”
"YOU THINK I WANT TO PUSH YOU AWAY?! I DID IT SO I COULD PROTECT YOU GUYS AND SUNSET HAD THE NERVE TO SNAP AT ME!!!" Eternal snapped back.
“You really think that!? Sunset did that because she gives a living shit about you! AND YOU SHOULD BE LUCKY TO HAVE A PERSON LIKE HER IN YOUR LIFE!!!” Inferno rebutted.
“WHAT’S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!!?!?” Eternal shouted back, only to later regret that question.
“BECAUSE I HAD A LIFE LIKE YOU HAD AND THAT WAS ALL TAKEN FROM ME BY A DAMN DEMON!!!!!” Inferno roared out of anger and… sadness, as tears soon began to form in his eyes. “A DEMON MURDERED MY FATHER, A DEMON FRAMED ME OF MURDER, A DEMON CAUSED ME TO NEVER SEE MY MOTHER FOR 10 DAMN YEARS!!!!” He cried out in sorrow.
Eternal's enraged expression quickly changed to a shocked one. "I had no idea. But… Why didn't you tell anyone about this?" Eternal asked, more calm.
“What can I do, huh? No one believed me! I was declared a criminal by the nobles of Canterlot... by your mother! So no one had a clear conscience to even hear my side of the story!” Inferno explained, as he was about to have a mental breakdown.
"...I do. And honestly… Now I'm ashamed of my own heritage… ashamed of my own mother. If I had known what you came to be this way, I would've listened to my younger brother. He's always been the voice of reason for someone his age," Eternal said, looking down at the ground.
“And that’s not the rest of it,” Inferno stated. “After the girls and I were told that Grogar was after you… I… was scared. I was afraid that the bastard would put you through the same shit he put me through… FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS!!!” He cried in anger and depression.
"I'm… sorry for what you went through. But you know… we're sort of the same. I lost my father some time ago. I was only 11 years old when he died. Just like Heat Blitz… he was the definition of a pony you could trust. He kept no secrets from anyone, be they good or bad. Understanding of any situation, always lending his ears and taking everyone's story into account, but then one day… he was killed," Eternal explained.
“That’s what my father was like, he was always willing to help others when they were always in the dumps. He always favored the poor more than the nobles… *chuckle*, I remember the time he scolded Prince Blueblood when he was insulting the Earth ponies and Pegasi. Man, Blueblood remained silent for weeks after that.” Inferno chuckled.
"I always thought my cousin was a mistake. I'm disgusted to think he and I are related. But that's besides the point. The truth for me being distant is… I've already had a bad encounter with a demon at birth. You see… because of that encounter, my time here is running short. It's sort of a… sickness that was placed upon me," Eternal explained, looking down. "And it's all the fault… of Grogar."
“Well… I guess you were right,” Inferno said. “We do have something in common. Look Eternal, I know you wish to see this through, but my life was once screwed over by Grogar and I will not let that happen to you.” Inferno stated as he placed his hand on Eternal’s shoulder. “From this day forth, I swear I will help you find a way to break this curse that the demon bastard placed upon you… even if it kills me.” Inferno said, firmly. “Not for money, not for my freedom… but as a friend.”
"Then it looks like we're stuck with each other. But I've only got until my 18th birthday until everything ends," Eternal said.
“And when is that?” Inferno asked.
"2 weeks and 2 days at precisely 3 AM." Eternal said.
“Well then Eternal, it’s time to nut up or shut up, we have 2 weeks to find a cure for your curse. But first you have more pressing matters to take care of.” he stated.
"If you're talking about Sunset, forget about it. She made it perfectly clear that I'm not welcome in her life if I wasn't gonna tell her why I was being so secretive."
“Well, you might wanna because after your big argument, she’s been extremely heartbroken about what she said and hasn’t spoken to Starlight and the others in a while. None of the others heard from her ever since you went into hiding.” Inferno explained. “Eternal, you may think she doesn’t want you in her life; but truth be told, I believe she needs you more than you ever knew. I never saw my mother for 10 years on the run from Royal Guards, so please Eternal; do not make the same mistake I made.” He said.
Eternal sighs in defeat. "Fine, but just remember. I'm doing this because you asked me to." he said as he tried to get up, but quickly sank back down, grunting in pain. "Okay, I still gotta get used to this new pain." he grunted.
“Shit I forgot about that! Don’t worry I got ya.” Inferno quickly got down beside Eternal and gently got him up to his feet, supporting him so he wouldn’t fall. “Also I gotta hand it to ya; I killed 1,203 demons and 4,034 targets back in Equestria; and you manage to hold your own against me for 1 hour. Not bad, kid.” He said with a grin.
"Not all unicorns are weak snobs," Eternal jokes.
“Amen to that.” Inferno replied, which resulted in the two laughing together as they left the place where their battle once was.
Meanwhile, over at Sunset's apartment, the heartbroken young lady was up in her bedroom, sobbing quietly in her pillow. Her phone was blowing up all day with messages and phone calls from her friends, but she didn't answer. She wasn't sure what she was gonna say after what she did to Eternal. She takes out from under her pillow the necklace she made for Eternal back when they were children.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Eternal," Sunset whispered, holding the broken necklace close to her and sobbing some more. She began to recall the times she and him spent together and how he brought out the best of her.
*Flashback*
Almost 12 years ago, in the golden city of Canterlot. Young Sunset was just an ambitious little filly who had dreams of one day becoming royalty, just like Princess Celestia. Her parents were supportive, but they didn't want to let go of her too soon. They wanted her to enjoy her free time making friends and playing like every other filly and colt.
She was currently spending her time reading some books by the local Canterlot pond with her mother, Morning Sun and father Light Ray. Sunset had some books that had some spells she was anxious to learn and wanted to learn fast.
"Hmm, a shock wave spell. This looks promising," Sunset said. "Let me see if I can actually use this spell." she said. She lit up her horn shortly after looking at the spell. The brighter her horn lit up, the more powerful the spell was becoming. But then, her spell backfired when she charged it a little too much and ended up blasting herself back.
When she landed, she wound up hitting something. "OOF!!" Or someone. "Ow! What'd you have to go and do that for?" A young colt's voice said.
"Sorry, I was just trying to get this shock wave spell done," Sunset said, getting back up. "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" she turned over to the colt she hit. He had a shiny white coat of fur with sparkling sapphire eyes and red mane with strange scars under his eyes. Sunset gasped when she saw those scars. "Oh no! I did hurt you!"
"What are you talking about?" the colt asked.
"Your eyes!" Sunset pointed out.
"Oh, these," he said, smiling and chuckling. "I was born with these things. They're actually my birth marks. My name's Eternal Flames, by the way. Who are you?"
"Sunset Shimmer. I'm sorry for that little accident."
"No worries, but why did you need to learn the shock wave spell? It's a dangerous offensive that can backfire if you're still a beginner."
"I thought I could master it in one go."
"Nah, my mother says nothing can be learned in a day. I wish I could introduce you to her, but she and my dad are always busy with the nobles."
"But if they're busy, how come you're out here all alone?"
"My mom has the Royal Guards watching over me." Sunset blinked in surprise from hearing him say that. "What?"
"Your mom controls the Royal Guard?! Who is she?"
"Her name is Princess Celestia."
Sunset gasped happily. "YOUR MOM IS THE PRINCESS?! OOH!!! Can you ask her if I can get into her school for gifted unicorns? I've been wanting to get into her school for a while!"
"I… I'll try, but she's hardly got any time to spend with me because of all the nobles. If I get lucky enough to catch her before she and dad go to sleep, I'll recommend you to her. But you're gonna need permission from your parents before anything else," Eternal said.
"O-Oh. So much for that," Sunset said. "My mom and dad said I shouldn't rush myself wanting to grow up. Saying I should make my time last before going to that school."
"I think they're right. Besides, you look a little young to go to my mom's school."
"You should talk, you probably go there and don't want me to go because you're scared that I might pass you up!" Sunset said, getting offended.
"What? I don't go there! I'm almost 6!" Eternal replied.
Sunset blinked in surprise. "...oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were the same age as me."
"Well, that's another reason why I can't tell her. You have to be 8 in order to get in and besides, my mom usually home schools me as well as my aunt Luna," Eternal explained.
"Young prince. It's time to go back," one of the Royal Guards called out.
"Okay, coming!" Eternal called out. "Sorry, I gotta go. It was nice meeting you, Sunset."
"You too, Eternal." And as he walked off with his royal escort, Sunset realized just much her parents were right about enjoying her life as a kid. And meeting Eternal changed Sunset's mind. Maybe having a friend won't be such a bad thing after all.
*End of flashback*
"Some friend I turned out to be. It's… it's like the Fall Formal all over again," Sunset said as she reminisced about those days. And while she was sulking, she heard a knock on her door. "Who is it?" she called out.
"Shadow Knight," Inferno called out.
"Go away! I'm not in the mood to talk right now!" Sunset called out.
"I brought someone for you and he’s bleeding out right now, so please let us in!" Inferno shouted behind the door. Sunset jolted up from her bed and quickly ran down and answered the door. To her shock and horror, Eternal was with him and had a nasty gash in his thigh.
"Quick, let's bring him into the living room," Sunset said, helping them bring Eternal in. She quickly set Eternal down on the couch and ran over to the bathroom, getting her first aid kit. "How the hell did he wind up in this condition?!"
"It's all my fault. I… tripped while I was walking and… my thigh crushed a glass bottle and a shard cut deep into my skin," Eternal called out, winking to Shadow and giving him a thumbs up. "I've got you covered." he whispered. Shadow smiled in appreciation.
“Uh yeah, what he said. Lucky for him, I stumbled upon him in the streets and managed to pressure the wound before he could lose too much blood.” Shadow lied.
"Well, you're lucky you got him here just in time," Sunset said, coming out with her kit. She took out some bandages, cotton swab and disinfectant. "Now hold still, this'll sting a bit, but it'll help with your wound." she said, spraying the swab with the disinfectant and dabbing it on his stab wound, making him wince in pain.
"That smarts," Eternal said, gritting his teeth.
"Told you so," Sunset said. "Listen, Eternal. I… I want to say I'm sorry for the way I acted. It wasn't right for me to snap at you when you said that you were sick. I got so caught up with finding out what you were keeping from me, that… I didn't take into account your reasons. Can you ever forgive me?"
"I… I suppose," Eternal said, still unsure. Though, Shadow can tell from his facial expression and sends him an expression that says “Really dude.”
"It's okay if you don't forgive me right away. I did say those hurtful things to you. If you're okay with it, maybe we can start over," Sunset said.
"Hmm… well… I guess I can give you another chance," Eternal sighs. "You are patching up my wound, so I might as well."
'It's a start, so I should be grateful about that," Sunset thought to herself before reaching for the disinfectant, but then felt something off with it. "Uh-oh, this stuff is empty. Wait right there, I'll be back with some more disinfectant." She then leaves the living room and heads over to another room to get the medicine. With the boys alone again, Inferno decided to talk to Eternal about something that was bothering him.
“Hey Eternal.” Inferno calls to him.
"What's up?" Eternal replies.
“Well… I don’t know if you have any knowledge of this.” Inferno explained. “But ever since I came to this world, I was still in my emotionless state after your mother bailed me out of the slammer to protect you. But during the past few days here, spending time with Starlight Glimmer, I suddenly forget to never feel any emotions. Soon I began to feel joy, rage, fear, sadness… emotions that I never felt before… well, since the day my father died. And whenever I'm with Starlight… I-I don’t know what… but she… somehow makes me feel… like me again.” Inferno explained his thoughts to the young prince. “But I don’t know exactly what is causing it?”
"You're falling in love with Starlight Glimmer," Eternal said plainly. "It's similar to how I was starting to have feelings with Sunset Shimmer."
“Wha-What!? No, no, no… NO! There’s no way I’m falling in… love.” Inferno panicked, refusing to believe Eternal’s words.
"I thought the same thing when I was younger, but when I--" Eternal paused when Sunset came back with some more disinfectant and had a small smile on her face.
"Did I just hear Shadow's got a crush on Starlight?" Sunset asked.
“I… DO… NOT!” Shadow denies, yet again.
“Yep, he does.” Eternal states as Shadow glares at him for his betrayal.
"Shadow, there's nothing to be ashamed of when you're in love. In fact, you having feelings for Starlight is actually kinda cute. She's a really good friend and she's good at lending a hand. I remember when I was teased back at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns for having this silly kid crush on… some random colt, but that's all behind me," Sunset said, blushing a bit.
'Was she always this cute?' Eternal thought to himself, not realizing he was blushing, too.
“I still don’t believe it! I’m an outlaw assassin and she’s a student of an alicorn princess; that doesn’t make any sense!?!” Shadow said.
"What about the goddess Harmony and her lover, Death? It's rumored they're lovers, but then again, I've never seen it with my own eyes. Plus, Starlight once tried to take away other ponies cutie marks and rewrite history," Eternal said.
“Oh yeah I heard that rumor, and I also heard that our ancestors separated them. So how’s that supposed to be helpful!?!” Shadow replied.
"You and Starlight might be different, but it's up to you to set aside your differences and accept each other, just like any other couple should out there," Eternal said.
“But… but… how can I show her my feelings without her rejecting me for who I am? You got an answer for that?” Shadow asked. “What can I do for her… what can I give her?!”
"For starters, you can try to be her friend. Friends are good listeners and they hang out and do stuff, but it can't always be about yourself.”
“I know I'm not selfish!” Shadow stated.
"Okay. Well, if you really want to get her attention, maybe start things off by taking her to the park. I heard from Twilight she loves kites," Eternal said. "Albeit, she does tend to nerd out when she flies kites, but trust me, she really loves kites. Though, I gotta ask you something, too."
"Like what?"
"Are you sure we're not related? Because according to my father, he says our ancestors have a soft spot for cute, smart, nerdy girls," Eternal said. "At least that's how he put it."
“If I were related to you, then I would hang myself if I find out Blueblood is also my cousin.” Shadow replied.
"Eh, he's a skipped generation and a lost cause. But I will tell you, my brother Heat Blitz is dating Princess Twilight. Those two are major eggheads," Eternal said.
"Speaking of Twilight, where is she? Is she and Timber still…" Sunset asked.
“Nah, she told me that she dumped him… and also your friend Fluttershy has brought in a new pet demon now.” Shadow explained.
"What?! What demons are you talking about? Did something happen?!" Sunset panicked.
“Well your friends along with Heat were attacked by 5 Drakais; I killed 3 of them and I believed Heat fried one of them. As for the fifth, it was wounded by your farmgirl friend and I was about to end its life until Fluttershy got in the way and willingly aided the creature. So we now have a friendly Drakai named ‘Daris’.” Shadow explained again.
"Heat Blitz?! What's he doing here and why did he get involved?!" Eternal asked, growing protective as he tried to get up. But the sharp jolt of pain coursed through his thigh, making him fall back on the couch.
“Whoa easy man, you’re gonna reopen the wound. Also it's not actually your brother, it’s his human counterpart.” Shadow stated.
"He's right. Just like how there's a Twilight in Equestria, there's a Twilight in this dimension, too. So, Shadow, what's happened to Heat? Is he alright?" Sunset asked.
"Not to worry, he's a little bruised up and shaken, but he's still in one piece. His injuries are only minor so he'll live," Inferno said.
"Why was he involved in the first place?" Eternal asked.
"Because… Grogar sent out the drakai to capture him. I don't know why, but he's certain to try and come after him again. Sunset, can you make sure Eternal doesn't go anywhere? And can you make sure not to pry in his business?" Inferno asked.
"You have my word. But, where are you going?" Sunset asks.
"I need to let the girls know that Eternal's back. Also, I need time to myself. And don't worry, I'll make sure to tell them not to bother either of you,” Shadow said and soon he was out the door and left the apartment. Their privacy was now theirs and Sunset looked down at her injured friend, still saddened from earlier.
"Eternal… I really am sorry for driving you away like that," she said softly, sitting on the couch next to him.
"I know, Sunset. I know. To be honest, I was acting rather unreasonable myself. I'll only tell you the fact that… my time is running out. Can't tell you what it is, so I'll just call it… a rare disease that can't be cured completely," Eternal said.
"You serious?!" she asked, worried.
"Afraid so. But I appreciate your concern about this. I haven't told anyone else this secret aside from you and Shadow. Perhaps it's best that I keep it that way," Eternal said, looking away, ashamed that he's keeping a far darker secret from Sunset. But then, he feels her wrap her arms around him, sitting next to him. Eternal was taken aback by her actions, but chose to hug her back. Sunset and Eternal never let go of each other, wanting to feel the warm embrace of each other.
Meanwhile, in the dark realm of the Shadow World where the castle was hidden, Grogar was not too happy with the results left by his drakai. Growling, the fumed demon ram slammed his fist on the table. "Those wretched beasts are USELESS!!! No matter, I'll see to it that the little boy is brought to me sooner or later." Grogar said.
"What should our next plan be, master?" one of his mages asked. But as he asked him, a strangle rumble echoed throughout the castle.
"Check on our recent missing one and make sure that seal isn't broken. His anger's far too unstable to be let out." Grogar ordered.
"As you wish." The mage then used his staff to teleport out of his master's room and arrived in the catacombs of the castle with the other mage. Inside it was a dark violet crystal floating in the center of the room. It was chained up from every side and inside the crystal was a human being surrounded in a dark aura.
Clashing their staffs together, they aimed for the dark crystal and aimed a large dark beam at it, making it glow as bright as daylight.
"Sorry, but master forbids you from losing your temper," Mage 1 says. "And we will not allow you to interfere with the master's plans for the passing of the crown."
"It's a shame this mortal is a lost cause," Mage 2 adds. The mages continue to use their magic until the rumbling in the castle stopped entirely. "We can't keep containing him much longer. Sooner or later, his anger will be too strong even for our magic."
"Then we'll just have to improvise if it comes to that," Mage 1 replies. The two elite mages then stare at the human trapped inside his crystal prison, slightly trembling as his power grows in his dormant state.
Meanwhile, over at Fluttershy's house, the sweet caretaker was humming a sweet tune while putting bandages over Daris' injuries. Surprisingly, the demonic creature was never hostile towards her; willingly, allowing her to tend to his wounds. Daris let out soft, low growls, still unfamiliar with how to speak human English.
"It's true that us humans are fragile, my friends and I included. But there's always a bright side to all of this. You get to live to see another day," Fluttershy said. Daris growled again, looking even more sorrow than before. "Don't say that, Daris! You can't give up on life now! Just because you are a slave to a cruel person, doesn’t mean you need to choose to be one. You now have a gift that my friends and I have given you; a freedom to choose for yourself.”
The Drake tilts his head in surprise, never in his life has he chosen for himself. In his beginnings, he has been caged, tormented, and forced to obey the command of the master. But to choose for himself… to be free; that was never on his mind.
While they conversed, Fluttershy's pet bunny, Angel, disturbed them by kicking Daris' legs, but the demon didn't feel any pain. Angel continues to kick at the demon with all his effort, soon Fluttershy begins to notice the bunny’s behavior.
"Angel! Leave him alone! He's hurt and he needs to recover. Now go somewhere else and I'll take care of you later," Fluttershy replies. But Angel didn't listen and continued his kicks, but the bunny had met his match; soon Daris’s tail raised in the air above Angel, the claw on the end lightly grabbed the bunny by his fluffy tail and lifted him 10 inches on the ground. Then the Drakai’s tail moves away from the demons body and then drops Angel back on the ground; 4 feet away from Fluttershy and him.
Daris growled once more. "I'm sorry if he gave you trouble. He's just so uncomfortable around strangers who… look like you," Fluttershy said. Daris lowers his head, and coils back his tail, in sadness. If something so frail and innocent–not really–despises him; then he’ll never find a place in this world. "Daris, listen, I'm not the only one who feels you've got a place here. Heat Blitz thinks so too and you almost succeeded in taking him."
The demon softly growls in agreement, though he wishes not to remember that event; which cost the lives of his fellow members of his pack. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "I'll go get it, you just stay here and rest up some more," Fluttershy then stood up and walked out of her room, heading for the door. She opened it up to see her friends AJ, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.
“Girls? What brings you all here?” Fluttershy asked out of curiosity.
"We came by to see if you were alright. May we come in, darling?" Rarity asked.
“Oh… well, of course. Please come in.” Fluttershy replied as she welcomed her fellow classmates/band members into her humble home.
"By the way, where's that demon you're keeping?" Rainbow asked.
"Yeah, I want to throw him a special party to welcome him in our group!" Pinkie blurted out.
“Why would you want to throw a party for a demon? In case you’ve forgotten Pinkie, that he and his pals nearly… killed us!” Rainbow stated, bluntly.
"Yeah, but that was then, this is now. You heard what Daris said, he was enslaved by that big fat meanie, Grogar," Pinkie replied. "If anything, his so-called "master" should be punished."
“We ain’t arguing with ya, Pinkie. But ah think we should keep an eye on him, in case he tries any funny business.” Applejack suggested, as she wandered into the living room. Only to find Daris lying on the floor, resting as Fluttershy told him to.
But Applejack’s presence awoke the crippled demon; now opening his eyes to see the farm girl staring at him. In a quick flash, the Drakai jumped from his resting spot and ran behind Fluttershy, growling in anger at Applejack as he hides himself behind his caretaker.
"It's okay, Daris, they're not going to harm you, right girls?" Fluttershy asked sternly.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," Pinkie said, doing her ritual Pinkie promise bit.
"I won't, but I've got my eye on you, buster," Rainbow warned. Daris growled.
“That’s odd. It’s been a day since after the Drakai attack, but Daris still shows a great deal of resentment towards Applejack? Should he have gotten over the ordeal?” Rarity asked.
“Well…” Fluttershy replied, sheepishly. “Before I had welcomed Daris into my home, I asked Shadow about what I should know about Drakai, but he only gave me one piece of information.” She explained.
“And what’s that, darling?” Rarity asked once again in curiosity.
“Drakais tend to hold a grudge for centuries.” Fluttershy stated.
"Makes sense. But I know I can win Daris over with the party I have in store for him. Have you ever eaten pies before?" Pinkie asks, pulling a lemon cream pie out of her hair. "I tried to give some to Rainbow, but then I found out she's been HIDING all of my pies!"
"I thought we settled that problem," Rainbow said.
“Dash… ya’ lied ta her ‘bout liking her pies fer years; what did ya think was gonna happen if she found out!?” Applejack said.
"I screwed up, I get it! Now can we drop the subject and address the ‘demon in the room’.” Rainbow suggest, wanting to avoid guilt and embarrassment.
During their conversation, Pinkie didn’t notice a tail-claw appearing behind her and hovering next to the pie in her hand. Before the girls could notice, the claw immediately grabbed Pinkie's pie and jerked it out of her hands. Pinkie noticed her pie gone, then turned to Rainbow.
"DASHIE!!! Where's my pie?!" Pinkie asked, pissed.
"Don't look at me, I didn't touch it!” Rainbow replies in her defense, with the girls staring at her with suspicion. Until they heard a sound of a wild animal eating something, they all turned towards Fluttershy’s direction, who then turned around to see Daris devouring the pie he snatched from Pinkie’s hand. And from the sound of his hungry growls as he feasts, he seems to very much enjoy the taste of his new snack.
"Daris says he may have found his new favorite snack," Fluttershy translates. At that moment, Pinkie Pie squealed happily before hugging Daris, who continued to chop down on the pie.
"So, have you girls heard from Sunset and Starlight about the boys?" Fluttershy asked her friends.
“Well, Eternal is healing up from a leg wound last night and had to stay at Sunset’s for awhile.” Pinkie explained, then she soon a grin appeared on her face. “And guess what Sunset also told us; it seems Eternal’s big, bad bodyguard has a little soft spot for Starlight.” She chuckled.
"Ooh, Shadow and Starlight sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Rainbow teased.
"Rainbow Dash, it ain't funny to make fun o' someone crushin' on a gal," AJ scolded.
"Oh, that's so touching! The jaded mercenary falling for the sweet, beautiful apprentice of a powerful Princess… Such a wonderful tale to be told.” Rarity said with admiration.
"And let's not forget Eternal staying at Sunset's place. How much do you girls wanna bet they're gonna plan out their honeymoon?" Rainbow asked teasingly.
"They ain't even married yet! Stop jokin' like that or Ah'm gettin' mah rope!" AJ warned.
Rainbow then shows a panicked expression on her face, raising her hands up to wave them around like crazy. “Whoa! Whoa! Ok, I'll quit it.” She said. "So, how did he bust his leg?"
"He said that he lost his footing while he was walking and ended up falling to the ground. When Eternal fell, his leg landed on an empty glass bottle, breaking it. A shard from that bottle pierced his leg, but luckily, it didn't cut him too deep," Fluttershy explained.
"Ouch. I hope he's gonna be okay," Rainbow said. "Why don't we go and see him so we can check up on him?"
"No, Sunset told me to tell you all they need some time alone. Eternal's not ready to face anyone right now," Fluttershy replied.
The girls wanted to discuss that statement; however, they knew Fluttershy was right, they needed to give Sunset and Eternal some space for awhile. After all, the two had a fallout in their friendship and they need to be alone while rekindling their relationship.
“I guess you're right, darling. Best to give them space.” Rarity spoke for the others, who nodded in agreement. Fluttershy smiled for their acceptance of the situation, then she felt something poking at her shoulder.
She turns around to find Daris’s tail poking at her shoulder, wanting to get her attention. The Drakai then raises an empty pie plate in his claws and then gives a soft, quiet growl as he points the plate towards her.
“What’s with him; too lazy to clean his dishes?” Rainbow snickered.
“Actually, Rainbow Dash… He said he wants more ‘sweet snacks’.” Fluttershy translated.
"Really?" Pinkie asked happily. Then reaching behind her back, Pinkie takes out two more pies and gives them to Daris. "Here you go. Eat as much as you want, Daris." she said with a squee. The Drakai immediately lunges at the party girl, grabbing the two pies and chowing down on them like a hungry lion. Causing the girls to laugh at the demon’s acts of hunger.