The story of how Brightsmile got her demon was told… But what about the demon’s tale?
It’s time to reveal the past of a shadow.
To see how Crimson the witch became a demonic parasite inside a foal of pure innocence…
"Wake up! Hurry up and come down to eat!" The not so loving father hollered from downstairs. The sweet little Brightsmlie woke up with a start and nearly fell out of her bed. The sun was barely peeking from the mountain tops... A typical morning at her little home.
"Hurry up or else you don't get breakfast!" Yet another rude awakening, filled with a pile of chores. Her bed was a modified cradle minus, the bars, and her room was almost completely void of anything except for her last homemade doll on top of her dresser.
Bright and her parents lived on a farm, not really the ideal home for a family of unicorns, but her parents were conned out of every bit years ago and in turn they got a smelly old home in some smelly old farm. They used to be kind folks and very loving to the little filly until it happened...
Now when they weren't too tired to even care about her they'd yell at her from some little thing she didn't even do. Their main source of income was doing an odd job with selling dead animal pelts... To whom? Her mother and father only knows.
Her father was a thin black colt with an unkempt main and a cutiemark of a sheriff badge; he was a sheriff but was fired for abusing his power of the law... He also had a scratchy voice, most likely caused from his constant yelling.
Her mother on the other hoof was a pretty purple mare with a wavy main, but she doesn't speak very often. When she did it was just a sentence, max. Her mark was a pile of bits; she was great with keeping track of her bits when she had it...
The tiny unicorn rushed downstairs, eager to get out of here and get to school. Yesterday the teacher said that there was going to be a special lesson held today!
"You need to learn how to skin off pelts..." Her father grunted; his attention on today’s newspaper, “It’s time to pull some more weight to help keep food on this table”. The now not so cheery Brightsmile cringed at the idea of it.
Last time her father tried to show her she fainted just at the blade sunk into a bunny's skin. She’s just a filly for Celestia's sake! "Maybe after school...?" She said, trying to sound a bit more excited about it than she actually was...
A rough grunt came from the father's throat, that’s probably a yes. Once her mother set down some hay and oats on the table the bright white unicorn began eating as quickly as she can so she could get to her chores sooner. They consisted in gathering all of the rope laying around, feeding the pigs, watering the crops, and the horrid job of cleaning up animal droppings... Yuck!
Once those were done it was off to a very special day at school...
Ah... Another bully free day... Ever since that shadow became Bright's friend those 3 horrid foals have been gone for weeks! None of the other foals know what happened to them, and if any student asked a teacher the reply was always the same.
"Fist, Shake, and Tiny had an accident and won't be back for a while."
Oh well! All that really matters is that Nightmare Night was creeping up in a few days. Filled with its wonderful traditions, making huge spider webs with rope, and the dentist's office being turned into a haunted house!
Not to mention... Free toothbrushes and dental floss! Of course the little filly would be so excited about that, since her dream would be to work there one day. A clean, healthy smile was one of the most important things in her life, nearly more than life itself!
*Scraaaaaaaaatch!*
Equestria's most evil teacher, Mr. Tale, slowly dragged his hoof against the chalkboard to gain the class' attention every day. This time he did it extra-long to make sure each foal was begging to stop it before he spoke. "Today you all will listen to the dark history of our fair little town..." Doors were locked, the blinds were dropped, and a single candle was lit.
"This town has plenty of dark secrets. I wonder which one he means." The shadow took its chance to whisper in Brightsmile's ear, as it does whenever she was alone. "Some of them only a few ponies know about..." Maybe the shadow should start teaching. She doesn't have the ability to scratch the chalkboard at least.
"This is the story, of "The Crimson Witch." It is a true story and I believe as your teacher I should let you know this important history..." Every little foal was huddled up and shaking as he blew out the candle, swallowing the room with almost utter darkness. This time, her dark friend went silent...
"It all started exactly a hundred years ago on this day, when a pile of animal bones were found on the mayor's doorstep..."
~ 6:24 A.M. Mareana, 100 years in the past. ~
“Somepony please explain why there is a bunch of chewed up bones are in front of my home!” The mayor glared and yelled at the growing crowd of curious townsfolk as if each one of them did this. “And who would dare make this message out of them?!”
The bones of several little animals that lived in the vast desert were arranged to leave one, just one, dark message... “The town’s flesh will cook nicely in my cauldron” Only one type of pony would dare do this... "A witch!" The entire town became alive with panic. Those who were cowardly went to board up their windows and doors, while the braver ponies stayed to receive orders to search for this witch.
Including hunting down and killing those who used witchcraft...
This situation should be under control now. A witch was never hard to find before. Sadly they had no idea what they were facing... Until the mayor's wife went to see if their son is ok, and then her screams shook the little town... "It has my son! The witch has my son!!!" Their dog's body was in the son's room... Throat cut open wide and its blood was used to bring another message.
"Starting with his..."
In a lovely little home a beautiful mare earth pony with a crimson coat began walking down to basement, humming a sweet and mysterious tune to herself. "Ah, you're awake I see. I hope you're comfortable~" She was speaking to a smaller earth pony, the mayor’s son... He was tied to a table and only had the ability to lift his head and see the horrid smile the mare had of her face.
"P-Please just let me go!" The little brown pony whimpered. He was so young, maybe just in kindergarten and he didn't have his cutiemark yet. The mare giggled to herself and made her way to an old cauldron, ignoring the foal's plea. "What is your name, little one?" She asked as she began lighting the wood under it on fire. It was time for a potion...
"Ink Well... I just want to see my mommy and daddy again... *Sniff* If you let me go I promise I won’t tell anypony!" Little Ink begged once more, we was beginning to sound like a broken record by now... The crimson witch just gave a dark cackle and began adding ingredients to the hot water in the cauldron. Eyes, bones, and jars filled with blood were dropped in...
"What a lovely little name... Mine is Crimson Blessing... But the fools in this town only know me by Heart Song... Disgusting Filth is the true name of this town and it's people!"
A knife went across the room and the blade stuck into Ink Well's right front leg, which he managed to get free from the rope binding it. The poor brown foal's scream was cut short by Crimson holding it shut. She smiled savagely at Ink and dug the knife in deeper and wiggled it about. "I once had a sister..." She cooed in his ear, deep rage that was bottled up for so many years were finally surfacing... "Do you know what happened to her?"
The mayor's son was crying, shaking, and tried to scream out in pain even though it was being held shut by a hoof. There was no possible way to answer... "Your father burned her alive for witchcraft! She was only a year older than you were!!!" The witch screamed in his ear, but she finally gained some control of herself and continued in a calmer but still furious voice.
"It is time he felt the loss of something he holds so dear... I lost my sister... He will lose a son... His town... And then himself for last!"
The knife was taken out, and she gave the blade a long lick, tasting the sweet taste of Ink Well's blood. "A foal's blood tastes amazing... I only had the chance to try my own throughout the years so why not take the chance to try somepony else's?" The cut the little brown pony's throat wide open and the blood loving mare began drinking down his blood that gushed out.
His vision began fading fast; the liquid that keeps him alive was flowing freely out of him. The pain faded away and during his final seconds he heard some of the witch's chanting... "I began my monsterous deed to make sure that my plan shall succeed..." Blood from her muzzle dripped into the cauldron as she sung it all... So were her tears...
"I gave you all the blood you need. Now I will offer souls for the gates of tartarus as was part of your deadly decreed... When I drink this I shall shed this body and plague this vile planet for eternity. And when I must to will latch to innocence till they reach the peak of insanity... So let this vile potion of blood enter my soul and cast a dark shadow across the land, and hope that my wretched reign will be so grand!"
The world went dark for Ink Well... But for a passing colt that heard the chants through a small window it was beginning to bring light to the witches home... Blazing light from twenty or so torches that were thrown onto the roof... Every pony from the little town stood around Crimson's home, watching the house as it began burning. It wasn't long until she will be forced to come out...
The sound of laughter rose over the crackle of flames and shouting townsfolk... The bloody witch of the desert began walking into the open, began transforming laughter into wicked cackles as the town tried swarming in on top of her. Only to be pushed back with a strange force... "What has started will never be undone. So I sacrifice this flesh prison for a new one. This body was destined to burn for all to see... But I shall make sure that you all will come to tartarus with me!
Fire... The fire moved like a living beast, a beast that engulfed most of the town... Ponies began screaming as the blaze covered them and traveled inside their bodies. But some strange force, stranger than what gave the flames life, stopped it and snuffed it out as quickly as it began spreading... Some ponies were saved but the numbers that weren't were so great...
"What life that remained in the ruined town decided to never speak of what horrors one day had brought. What they couldn't imagine was that the witch's spirit still wandered through the deserts in a search. A search for a pony with an innocent heart to corrupt and recreate such a horrible tragedy throughout the land once again... The... End..."
Blinding sunlight was allowed to enter the classroom once again, and the door was opened wide to let the children out. "Class is dismissed children; you can go home early today." Mr. Tales had a strange smile on him... Maybe he got a sick kick out of watching the children run out, trying to get home as quickly as they can and hide under their covers until the end of the day. He defiantly had some urine to clean up today because of his story.
Brightsmile was walking home slowly... Staring at her shadow behind her as she walked... The witch did latch to an innocent pony... The host was just a little filly that was at her greatest time of need... It rose and walked beside her as she was out of the sight of anypony else and began speaking in a gentle tone... "That was an interesting story... But he wasn't spot on..."
The shadow gave her a soft nudge and managed to spit open a mouth to show a soft smile... "I wasn't a witch... And I didn't do those things... You can thank the villagers that didn't burn themselves for such a cruel story... I would never do such an evil thing! I never found a way to leave because I was looking for a friend that could understand me..."
Just the words that the tiny white unicorn wanted to here... Of course that had to be it! If she was so evil why would she help Bright with her bully troubles? "I believe you, Crimson. I'd be a bad friend if I didn't! Let’s get home quickly and see if we can play in my room!" The silly little filly began running home and left her shadow to catch up...
It's smile slowly began to bare sharp, bloody teeth, and blood oozed from her eyes and mouth... Stupid little Brightsmile... You will help create not just a horror that will be grander than what happened a hundred years ago... It was bloody the entire land of Equestria itself...