Flash's Demon

by Nicktendonick

Chapter 6 - Laplace, part 2

Shit shit shit shit!

Bon Bon flailed as she fell into the darkness.

I have to break this illusion!

She clasped her hooves to gather her magic.

Come-on Bon Bon! Right now!

Sparks of magic began to form between the pony’s hooves. “Dispel!” Bon Bon shouted.

The sparks died, and nothing happened. Failure and fear struck her at the same time.

“Dispel!”

Nothing happened. Oh no.

“D-dispel Illusion!”

Nothing again. What if I can’t - no! I can’t give up! Try again!

“Celestia, grant us clarity, remove the lies so that our eyes may see! Dispel Illusion!”

Still, nothing happened. Shit! Come-on!

“Celestia, grant us clarity, eternal-

“Celestia this, Celestia that. Your god’s not here, Bonny.”

A red claw shot out of the darkness and snatched Bon Bon by the throat, dragging her into the inky void; her descent into the darkness jerked to a halt. The claw squeezed her throat.

“Just you… just us. Ahahahahahaha.”

Bon Bon began to grow dizzy as she flailed, her eyes glued to the pair of red eyes shining from the darkness.

The demon chuckled. “Yes. we can tell what you’re thinking, Bonny!” said the demon.

“‘This is bad. Really, really, bad!’ is what you’re currently thinking right now. And yes, we really can trap you that fast. You see Bonny, when you’re trapped in a cage like a rat for YEARS, you have a lot of time to practice and hone your technique… but you wouldn’t know that, would you?! You’re out there, enjoying Luna’s moon and that worthless sun. How does it feel to have sunlight grace your coat? Warm? We’ve pretty much forgotten how it feels. But you wouldn’t know that, WOULD YOU?!”

The claw wound up and threw Bon Bon like a living baseball. Bon Bon gasped, air returning to her lungs. After regaining her breath, she saw where she was headed.

A large bed of spikes.

“No no no!”

Bon Bon needed to escape. Now. With the threat of death imminent, she redoubled her effort to cast the dispel illusion spell she needed to escape what was coming her way. But like every other time, nothing happened.

“Oh yes, a dispel illusions spell, it didn’t work the last time but you’re doing it again thinking it’d work this time! And they call us insane.”

She closed her eyes as she hit the spikes, and phased right through them and found herself flailing back through more darkness.

All she could hear was the laugh of a demon.

“See how it feels when it happens to you! Oh my, you really looked like a fool!”

The demon just laughed. “You see Bonny, you’re not in an illusion, you’re stuck in hypnosis, our hypnosis. We’re in absolute control here Bonny, and you’re just stuck in our fake little world until we see fit to let you go... which is until you pay for making a fool of us, of course.”

Bon Bon saw four chains emerge from the darkness coming down on her. She tried to move, but to no avail. Her eyes widened as the descending chains formed into blades and impaled each of her legs.

Bon Bon screamed as she felt cold steel pierce her flesh. Bloody chains broke through her limbs, the chains then tightened and bound Bon Bon in place. From the darkness, a white figure emerged. A demon unicorn of white with lavender eyes, a lion’s tail, and draconic wings approached Bon Bon, grinning ear to ear. Literally. The edges of her mouth curled up to barely touch her optic cavities.

“Oh, don’t worry Bonny,” The demon-winged unicorn began “We’re not really impaling you. We’re actually just standing at our cell doors, our eyes locking, our daywatch doesn’t even realize we’re doing anything to you at all! He could end this in a second if he noticed… but we all know he won’t... heh-heh…”

”Sucks you ponies didn’t give me a more interesting dayguard. Maybe he’d notice me. Your loss. hHow do they say it? Hmmm...yes… “ the demon floated in close to her, and whispered in her ear “...between you and me Bonny, we think you’re gonna be here for a while.”

The demon watched Bon Bon’s attempts to escape the chains that bound her. “My my, you really are regretting dropping your guard around us, eh? Now you’re stuck here, just a rat in a cage.”

She laughed, the demon gently touched her cheek with her hoof.

“Such an unfortunate turn of events for you. But, it doesn’t have to be bad...if you did give us an apology we might be willing to show mercy and let you go...but believe us, you really should. We mean if we were friends…”

Behind the demon, a white stallion poofed into existence. His hooves slipped around the demon’s neck.

“Captain?” Bon Bon questioned.

Shining Armor nuzzled the demon and gently planted a kiss on the demon’s cheek.

“We could have so much fun… don’t forget, we can do whatever we desire… or should we say, whomever?”

The imitation Shining Armor walked past the demon and walked up to Bon Bon. Bound by the chains, she had little choice as the fake violated her personal space. She reeled her head back in disgust as it slid its hooves across Bon Bon’s face.

“A mare like you...haven’t you ever wondered, what it’d be to-” Bon Bon abruptly shot her head forward.

The demon winced as the imitation’s head cracked against Bon Bon’s skull bash. He stood there, motionless as she pulled her head back. The impact on his cranium left a massive crack on the fake’s form as if it were glass.

“That, that hurt…” The fake shattered into pieces. His shards evaporated into specks of sickly light as they hit the floor.

The demon ran her hoof over the dissipating remains and let out a sigh. “You broke my favorite toy… well, his illusion anyway. We-”

The demon stopped, something wet had hit the side of her face.

...Spit...

“I’m not playing your bucking games.”

Muscles tightened. The Demon snarled under her breath. Bon Bon heard the clatter of chains, then felt them as a new set of chains wrapped around her head like a tiara, pulling her head back as the chains transformed into a bridle, sliding right into her mouth.

Bon Bon could no longer speak. She was now completely bound.

“Fine! If you’re not gonna play ball, then we might as well mine your brain for all it’s worth while we got ya. Maybe we’ll find something useful, or maybe we won’t. Maybe it’ll put you in a coma, or maybe it’ll kill ya. Don’t know, and you know what, we don’t really care anymore. So be a dear and try not to bore me.”

Bon Bon could only watch as the demon placed her left hoof on the paladin’s forehead.

“So let’s start with the basics, shall we?”

It was like a nail, hammered in by Mjolnir itself.

The hoof of the demon slowly sank inside her brain. Bon Bon could feel each press of the demon trying to seep into her mind. Bon Bon wanted to scream but fought the feeling. She would not let the demon in. Her eyes shut from distractions, every ounce of her brainpower channeled to fight off the invasion.

“Tell me, who’s your first favorite whore? eh?”

Bon Bon instinctively came to anger, her mind snapping to exactly who the demon had called such a name... before realizing that it was exactly what the vile demon wanted.

“No…”

The hoof retreated. The pain went away. She felt the soft coat of a pony against her sides. She knew exactly who this was, and it struck fear into her heart.

“Honey, relax. It’s been so long since we last had a good snuggle.”

When Bon Bon’s eyes reopened, she was no longer chained in darkness, she was no longer in pain. She was on a bed, in a bright room with Celestia’s sun shining through. A mint green unicorn was cuddling up beside her.

Bon Bon’s eyes went wide with fear. The demon was getting in.

“Did you have a nightmare? Don’t be scared, Bonny.” Spoke the imitation of Bon Bon’s marefriend, “Just try to relax for me, ok?”

This isn’t real. This isn’t Lyra.

Bon Bon felt the imitation peck her on the cheek. It felt nothing like her marefriend’s. She kissed her cheek a second time, and it felt exactly like her marefriend’s...

“You’re not here...” Bon Bon said.

“Why would you think that? I’m your one true girl. I love you Sweetie Drops… tell me you-”

Before she could even finish her sentence, Bon Bon pushed the mint green imitation off the bed. It didn’t make a sound hitting the ground below them. Bon Bon looked to see where the fake mare went, and saw nothing below. There was nothing but an abyss below the bed.

“That wasn’t very nice…” The voice came from above.

Fear was the first thing that appeared in her mind as she saw a new form of her marefriend. Or rather, a twisted version of her. Coated around her forehooves was what looked like a pair of dragon’s claws, made from solid blood, claws that pinned Bon Bon down on the bed, her horn was distorted, smooth, curved, and red. But it was her lover’s eyes that disturbed Bon Bon the most. Her eyes shone like rubies, blood dripping from them, and onto her.

This isn’t real! This isn’t Lyra! It’s just a fake! Bon Bon screamed in her own head as she tried to overpower and push the monster off her. Bon Bon pushed her front half free for a single moment. The mint green monster re-pinned the paladin again, laughing as both mares struggled for control.

“So this is it… this is what you fear… your head’s an interesting place Bon Bon, or should we call you, Sweetie Drops?”

Get out.

The monster leaned in, getting closer to the paladin. Nearly face to face, the monster chuckled.

“You’re scared! You’re not scared for your own well being, you’re scared about her… what is it about this image that terrifies you to your core?”

This is not my Lyra! She’s better than that!

“I see… you fear what she will become…”

“Get out…”

“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you Sweetie-”

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD!” Bon Bon screamed as she finally overpowered the fake. With the force of five stallions, Bon Bon pushed the mockery off her. Bon Bon pulled her hind legs free and coiled, with a mighty grunt she bucked the imposter at full force in the stomach, knocking her off the bed and into a wooden wall that shattered like glass.

The fake, monstrous Lyra screamed as the fake world around Bon Bon fell apart. Within a single blink, Bon Bon found herself back in darkness, her limbs all tied up in chains, instead of being impaled like before.

The white demon mare with bat wings reappeared, floating close to the bound paladin.

“We have to commend you,” She a familiar demonic voice. “You put up quite a fight paladin. We’re able to keep your mind locked in hypnosis, but we can’t break into that juicy mind of yours. Either we’re slipping or you solar paladins are much tougher than we give you credit for. It’s not everyday you meet ponies who can fight off violations of the mind so well. We barely scratched the surface of your noggin, Sweetie Drops. I mean, pretty much what you saw is all we got. The names of you and your lover, what she looks like, and what you fear the most... But we can’t take the credit for that, no sir. You’re the one to thank for letting us see that, you did a wonderful job of letting your mind wander as we poked it, you really can learn so much when one pushes the right buttons and let the instinctive mind tell you the rest...”

Bon Bon said nothing. Not a single thought of hers flooded into the demon.

“Oh please, quit with the quiet act. We’re in no mood to deal with a mime. Granted, we’ve never seen one before, but that’s not the point.”

She’s getting better at pushing me out. Thought the demon. Go back to her marefriend, that’s where she’s vulnerable.

“But we must say, having a girl like her as a marefriend, you picked yourself one fine screw-up.”

The thoughts returned. Intentional or not, it worked.

“Oh, ‘Don’t you dare call her that?!’” Isn’t that what you’re thinking? See, this is exactly how we figured out everything else about you.

That worked perfectly. Success.
Yes, let’s dive into that weakness of yours…

“We normally don’t pry, but we’re quite curious why you chose her out of all the ponies out there in the world. Out of all the mares in the world, a dark, filthy necromancer. Why Sweetie Drops, what made you choose her?”

"...I knew her, as a child. I've seen the good in her; there is a kindness within her that the dark magic she uses can't hope to taint. She is wonderful and kind and as good a pony as I could ever hope to meet. Something YOU would never understand, Demon."

“Oh, but we do understand Sweetie Drops, much more than you think. ‘Oh, the darkness won’t corrupt me.’ We’ve heard it a thousand times, and we’ve seen what happens to the ponies who use the darkness... and let us tell you: they all fall. Every. Last. One. If you truly believe that the darkness won’t corrupt her, then why do you fear it? Why do you fear it so badly? More than any other phobia, more than any other threat. If you're so confident in her, why do you fear her falling so much?"

Bon Bon said nothing.

“‘I’ll always worry for her well being, I love her,’ you’re thinking right now. ‘Asshole, stop listening into my head you piece of diamond do-’ oh...wow, that’s just crude Sweetie Drops, what would the children think?”

The demon flapped her wings and hovered closer to her.

“Your cute little insults aside, you still haven’t answered our question, Sweetie Drops. What makes your Lyra so different, that unlike every other soul who's touched dark magic, that it won't corrupt her? What makes her so different?"

It flapped around the imprisoned paladin as it talked.

“I see, you don’t have an answer. You don’t have one at all.”
“Yes, I can’t hear a single thought, simply because there isn’t one.”
“Lyra will fall to the darkness, and nothing will-.”

“I don’t need to think about it. I know it. Lyra will never fall. She will rise above it. She rises above it now. Ponies greater than us have fallen to half the darkness that she’s been exposed too. No matter the temptations she always comes out, each time stronger than before. My Lyra won't fall. Not now, not ever. ”

The demon scoffed.

“That's such a deluded answer! I thought you were smart!”
“You should know that will change, why do you think that won't change? Tell us, why?”

The answer had gotten her attention, more than Bon Bon thought it would.

“Faith.”

“Faith? How is faith an answer? That’s not proof!”

“You’re right I don’t have any logic or proof. I suppose, in the end, it’s as simple as that.”

The demon lowered her head and closed her eyes. Her hold unable to be broken, the demon scoured through the paladin's heart and found the answer that brought fear to her own heart.

Bon Bon wasn't lying. She was telling the truth.

“You… you really do...”

She sounded, like him...

“There’s your answer, though I don’t think you’ll ever understand it. You don’t have faith in anything.”

...and it terrified her.

“Faith… huh…” The twisted, demonic echo was gone. Her bluster and bravado no more. When Bon Bon looked in her eyes they were not the fierce eyes of a demon, but the dull eyes of a weary mare. “I do understand it… more than you will ever know.”

“You really do believe in Celestia, don’t you? Yes... You could have left and abandoned the royal guard, you had the chance, you made the plan… but you didn’t. You have faith, faith that the great sun Celestia will see you through the tough times, faith in the virtues of the paladins is true, and faith that you and your Lyra will be happy together for all of your days. To fight for what princess Celestia fought for, for a better Equestria. It’s genuine, completely genuine...just like...”

The demon broke eye contact. She turned away, shook off the thoughts in her head, and then turned back around.

“Sweetie Drops, let me be honest with you for a minute. I know things you do not, things you could not possibly fathom. Do not ask me how. And I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that all of your faith in her, all your faith in that worthless sun Celestia, is misguided. She is not your god, not your ally, and not your friend. And when it comes down to it, when it comes down to that single moment where you need her the most when you extend your hoof pleading for her to take it, she will say “no” and abandon you, like she did to me. What she did to me, she will to you… it’s just… how long will you suffer until you realize that? Until you liberate yourself from such notions like trust, fellowships, and faith.”

The demon closed her eyes again and thought more.

“I see… and yet your conviction stands, I can hear your thoughts, Sweetie Drops,” the demon’s ears drooped “You believe in her, as I once did. You put her on that pedestal and treat her as a goddess. It is a mistake that will cost you dearly.”

Bon Bon watched as the demon faintly cracked a smile.

“I remember when I used to. Those were good times. Great times, perfect times. But… but I was ignorant to the truth. I was young and foolish and I greatly suffered for it, a fate which you will suffer too. I know you don’t believe me. I wish you would. I’m really not lying to you here. I’m telling you the honest truth. Faith is worthless, Sweetie Drops. Faith in family, faith in friends, faith in those you love… it’s all worthless. They all will betray you in the end, you can only trust yourself. Your precious Lyra, it’s only a matter of time before she betrays you and becomes exactly what you fear. You fear it because you know it’s true. They betrayed us, they all betrayed us, and they will betray you too. Spare yourself what I went through, what we went through, and break these worthless bonds before they break you.”

There was a minute of silence before Bon Bon spoke. “Is that so?” Bon Bon asked. “I really have a tough time believing that. If you think everypony will betray you, tell me, did they betray you? Or is it because you betrayed them first?”

There was an audible stomp in the darkness.

“I didn’t betray anyone, Sweetie Drops! I was the one betrayed! I’m the victim here!”

“Of course you are. Everyone else is the bad guy, and you’re the only good person in this whole world. You’re so pure that all the bad ponies had to lock you-”

“Don’t mock me! I’m trying to help you!”

The help was unwanted. “Demons only hold true to themselves. They are selfish creatures who forsake all others for their own gain. To be frank, you got it the other way around. ”

The memories were coming back.

“You’re not a victim, you’re anything but a victim. They turned on you, because you, like all demons, turned on us first.”

Those memories were coming back.

“Am I right?”

“Who did you betray, demon?”

Those cursed, celestia-forsaken memories returned.

“...Shut up...”

“Tell me, demon. Who?”

And with them, came rage.

“I SAID SHUT UP!”

The demon roared, rushing Bon Bon and swung her hoof.

“YOU BITCH! YOU DON’T FUCKING KNOW ANYTHING!”

Every ounce of restraint came undone, the demon screamed as she slugged the Paladin with all her erupting rage, over and over.

“HE LIED TO YOU!”

Punch.

“SHE LIED TO YOU!”

Punch.

“YOU PAWN!”

Punch.

“YOU KNOW NOTHING!”

As the next punch came, the paladin flinched, and as she reopened her eyes she saw the hoof in front of her face had stopped. The empty demon pulled her hoof back, the anger and rage in her eyes replaced with despair.

“This is pointless. Nothing I can say can save you. We’re wasting our time...”

Bon Bon blinked and found herself back next to the demon’s cell. She felt the steel of her armor against her coat, the weight of her hammer on her back.

Bon Bon was free.

The moment she regained control of her own devices, she pulled away from the demon and broke eye contact. Bon Bon wondered how much time had she been there? Hours, Minutes, seconds?

She looked to the demon. All she looked like was a simple white mare with dull red eyes of defeat, sinking lower and lower.

“We were forgetting just fine until you made us remember why I hate her so much. Take your list, fill it out, and then shove it up your ass.” She told Bon Bon.

With a flash of her horn, the list was thrown in Bon Bon’s face as the demon unicorn turned around. “We’re going back to Flash. He’s fun to be around, you’re not.”

Before the demon walked back into the darkness, she turned her head around.

“And one last thing Sweetie Drops... for what you did to me, it hurt us, it hurt us a lot. And for what you did to us, I make you a promise, If we get out of here, I will hunt down and find your Lyra, and I will make your Lyra scream… and when I am done with her, I will twist her into the very monster you fear. And I will see to it that it is you who will have to kill your own beloved. Pray to your worthless Celestia that we never leave our cage… because the day we get out Sweetie Drops… you and I will find out together if your faith means anything… ”

“So, how was that?”

“Fantastic,” Flash said back.

Laplace smiled, which made Flash smile in turn. “Thanks, Flash. I really needed this.”

“You and me both,” he replied. “I’d rather focus on this than being hungry. Anyway, you’re definitely getting better. You’re really picking this up fast.”

Laplace’s tail swished in happiness. “Well, I did say I have a little practice. Although, my hoof hurts a bit.yes”

“It is?” replied Flash. “Well, let’s take a break for now, then. That was a lot for one session. Give your hoof some rest.”

And so, Flash and Laplace finished another music session. As Flash put the guitar against the corner wall Laplace sprung up behind Flash, and asked “So… Flash… do you have a marefriend?”

Flash nearly choked on his own breath. Out of the things to expect, Flash was not ready for that question.

“I uh… “ Honestly, the question had a simple answer, ‘no’. A little over a month ago Flash broke up with his marefriend, June. The only actual marefriend he’d ever had. Granted, this wasn’t the first time they had broken up, and it happened for the same reason as before as well.

June’s brother and Flash’s mother both described it as an “on again off again” relationship.

But currently, as it seemed, their relationship was for the moment off on a, very solid note. Being turned into stone can do that. Part of Flash was wondering what June was going to do the first thing she got out. Part of it hoped it’d be her ‘thanking’ him, which in turn would probably mean they’d get back together again as soon as they get out of this situation. Maybe.

Maybe the answer was a little more complicated than a yes or no. But for now, he answered quickly.

Flash cleared his throat to cover his delay before answering “I uh, No. I’m single. I broke up with my marefriend a month ago.” You’re saying too much! What are you thinking, Flash? That’s too much information, she’ll-

“What? She dumped you?”

Flash felt Laplace right behind him. Laplace crossed her arms and started to poke more with that unicorn horn of hers… metaphorically. Not actually with her horn… though he wouldn’t mind if she- No no no. Don’t you dare finish that thought. Sure she’s a tease but she’s still a guard, a co-worker, and… and... Stop thinking this way right now about that you pervert!

And so, he told more of the truth. “I well, dumped her.”

“It’s… um… complicated,” lied Flash. Yes I was busy that night, and yes those two stallions really didn’t mean anything but that’s not the point. June, I know you talked me into agreeing to an open relationship, but I thought this time that... damn it, I shouldn’t even be thinking about...aw crap. Laplace wants to know.

Laplace looked at him eagerly for Flash to open up and explain every single intimate and private detail about him and his previous (and only) marefriend.

For Laplace’s efforts, she got a “No, not at all. I’m not telling.”

“Aww, come on, why?” Laplace whined back.

Flash’s head turned to the side, “Be-because it’s very personal between us and I don’t like talking about it, ” Flash spoke, then finished in his own safe thoughts and I don’t want to have to explain anything either…

“Come on, Flashy,” whined Laplace, “We’re gonna be stuck here for a long time, we might as well...”

Flash Sentry responded by shaking his head no. It only made Laplace want to know even more.

“Please? Pretty pretty pleeeeeee-”

She kept saying "please", even resorting to poking Flash until he budged. She hadn’t heard these sorts of stories in forever. So as she said before, strike while the Iron’s hot. The only problem with that…

“NO!”

...is that sometimes you get burned.

Laplace recoiled back in shock, the mare landing on her flank. Flash turned after his outburst, and saw her face. She looked like a terrified child.

“Look, uh, Laplace…”

He extended his hoof towards her.

Damn it, you idiot. You messed it up again. Fix this, Flash told himself.

He wasn’t sure what he could to do undo the damage, but he had to try.

“Laplace, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to startle you… It’s… just, just a really touchy subject, ok? I… really liked her and… it really hurt. I really don’t want to talk about it.”

Laplace still looked at Flash, her nerves finally calming down. Flash extended his hoof to Laplace to help her back up.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Laplace took the hoof, and Flash pulled her back up.

“Apology accepted, Flash.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

It was at that moment Flash’s stomach decided to grumble.

Flash clutched at his stomach as it rumbled. “I’m starved… Forgot I haven’t eaten all day.”

“Don’t we have any sandwiches left?” Laplace asked. “I thought we had at least something.”

Flash shook his head. “There wasn’t any left from yesterday.”

The hungry royal guard looked around the room. “What else do we have here?” he muttered to himself, in the stray chance of any leftover food.

Books, the guitar, a plate, empty save for a few food crumbs, and Laplace’s helmet. With nothing else to do, Flash scooped up the helmet with his one unbroken wing, and grabbed it in his hooves. If anything, the helmet might buy him a few minutes of distraction from his hunger.

Laplace noticed, and with a grin said, “As much as I’d let you, I don’t think we can eat my helmet.”

They both laughed.

“I don’t think I’d like the metallic aftertaste,” Flash said with a chuckle.

“True,” Laplace said, “Plus, I don’t think Shining would want us eating his helmets. Besides, I owe it for saving me. That was a nasty landing on my head I had, it sucked up the whole impact. Thank goodness I didn’t lose it.”

Sucked up? Weird way of putting it. Flash replied with, “Yeah, thank...”

...wait...

Winds of the world, to me thou attend!
To the corners of earth, my enemies to send!
Whirlwind!

Flash flapped his wings to try to counter or stop the wind, but it was to no avail. The wind swept up Flash, as well as his red comrade. In the corner of his eyes, he saw her helm falling off her head as she spun in the air helplessly. She screamed, and she left his view, as Flash felt himself launched by the spell.

“...Hey, how’d you still have it? I swore I saw you lose it when she blew us all away.”

“Oh, that.” Laplace chuckled it off, her eyes looking to her helmet. “It almost did. Just before it did, I grabbed it and kept the thing on my noggin as I went flying. And boy am I glad I did. If I didn’t my head would have splattered all over.”

As much as he did believe her, the itch remained in Flash’s head, and refused to leave him. How in the world was the helmet undented, if she landed on her head? This was an itch he knew he had to scratch. He had to look inside the helmet. Maybe she fixed it with magic?

Flash examined the helmet. It didn’t seem very damaged, a scratch or two, and a whole thing looked like it hadn’t been polished in a while. No massive dent on it, as Flash would assume would come from landing on your head. He looked inside the helmet, and-

S.W.

The initials ‘S.W.’ were engraved into the inside of the helmet.

He knew this helmet. The rune engravings around the inside base of the helmet, with the initials SW made on the very top. It was Steel Wing’s, and only his.

Flash turned away from Laplace. “And you said this is yours, right?”

“Of course it’s mine,” She replied.

“But that’s a lie…”

Flash turned around, holding a straight face as he asked her. “You didn’t lose track of it at all, right?”

“Yea, um... I just said that, didn’t I?” Laplace sighed, having to repeat herself “Don’t think too hard about it Junior, it’s just a helmet.”

“Junior?” Flash stopped again. “I stopped telling people that years ago. I didn’t think I told you I was.”

Laplace double blinked, and replied. “Yeah... yeah you did.”

“I did? When?”

Flash wasn’t sure what to expect. Another lie? Maybe he did say it. He searched his brain as he heard Laplace’s answer.

“Uh, yeah,” said Laplace. “Yea, you did earlier. You muttered it in your sleep earlier, so I, um, took a lucky guess.”

A lucky guess huh? I know I didn’t. The last time I said that it was in front of the…

Flash went silent. His face dropped, he turned around, away from Laplace’s eyes.

It made sense. He didn’t want it to make sense. He had to know and make sure.

“Say, Laplace,” Flash asked ‘innocently’, “What division did you say you were a part of?”

Laplace retracted her hoof, “Oh? Um…” Flash heard her mutter as she began to think of an answer.

Before she could answer, Flash answered the question for her. “Oh I know, E-Division, isn’t it? It’d explain why I haven’t really met you before this.”

Laplace nodded in response. “Right, that was it! Division ‘E’! Sorry, just got in, didn’t memorize it, heh.”

“Ah, that makes sense.” Flash turned back around to Laplace “I have one more question to ask you.”

Laplace smiled. “Sure Flash, shoot. What do you want to know?”

Flash steeled his gaze on Laplace, his eyes locking with her own. He then spoke.

“Where’s Laplace?”

“Uh...what?” She asked.

“Where’s the real Laplace? Because you’re not her.”

Flash heard a few nervous hoofsteps, the mare fidgeted.

“Of course I’m me!” She said to Flash “I told you exactly who I am. Private, Royal guard, recruit division E”

Flash showed no expression. “E, right. That’s funny, because there’s no such thing as division E.”

“But you said-” Laplace was cut off by Flash.

“All graduates are assigned to one of four divisions,” He interrupted. “A through D where they do roles from all of the other divisions and after a year transferred to the division that suits them the best. Anypony who’s part of the guard would know that. Laplace would have known that. You didn’t.”

When Laplace stood back, Flash stepped forward and spoke again.

“So, Demon, answer me again. Where is the real Laplace?”

“Wh-what? Me? The demon? I’m not the demon! Don’t accuse me of things like that! You could be the demon for all I know, you could...” Laplace’s stopped talked when she saw that Flash’s menacing glare did not sway.

Laplace sighed, closing her eyes. She pondered and tried to think of another way, but couldn’t. There was no way out but this.

Laplace’s eyes opened. They were glowing red.

“...Shiny was right, we really couldn’t hide this from you after all…”

The mare’s coat began to lose its color, its velvet red fading into a snowy white, she crossed her forelegs and began to float into the air.

Flash cursed under his breath.

He was right. She was the demon. For once, his usual luck of being wrong failed him. Sometime when he wasn’t taking notice, the demon had replaced herself with Laplace. The question was, to Flash, where was Laplace now?

“… you know, we really wanted to keep this up for a few more days… we really were enjoying our time around you. You’re fun to be around”

Flash stood still. He closed his eyes, and thought of what was going to happen next. He knew, he’d have a few minutes left. She’d boast, she’d say some things, and when she was finished, he would be dead. But even knowing, anger swelled inside him. He had been lied to, used, hurt, and manipulated by the mare that stood in front of him. He wanted to lash out. His hoof scraped against the carpet as he knew he couldn’t. He knew, this entire situation was out of his hand. He had no power.

All he had was Steel’s helmet. Enchanted yes, but still not something he could win a fight with. Flash closed his eyes, there was nothing he could do. Just sit there, and let whatever happen, happen. But he wouldn’t go down like a coward. Whatever she wanted, he wasn’t going to just give it to her.

“What? No reaction? Is our voice scaring you?” said the demon, unaware of Flash’s inner thoughts.

The demon landed on all hooves and spoke once more, but this time without her demonic echo.

“We don’t have to use that. It’s a nice trick, really easy spell. You’d be surprised how many ponies quiver in fear and obey just at the sound of it.” The demon chuckled at her own words.

Flash on the other hand, would have none of it. If there was something he could do, he could learn something.

“Where is she?” he demanded.

“Come again?” The demon said back.

“Where’s Laplace? What did you do with her?”

The demon chuckled, her hoof to her mouth.

“Oh, that, that’s silly.”
“Quite silly. You mean that red guardmare, huh?”

“You know exactly who. What did you do to her?” Flash asked again.

“Oh. That answer is simple. Heh-heh.”

Steel Wings collapsed on the floor, his helmet fell off his head and bounced across the ground. Bruises across his body, his armor tattered and ruined, his body finally succumbed to the punishment, and he collapsed on the carpet below, falling almost inches from the red velvet pony that had fought alongside him.

The white demon mare, to this just looked flatly at him. None of that was necessary. He lost, his final ally passed out from fear, yet he didn’t give up. She could never understand why they always did that. It was a bother. She trotted up to the ponies, and with the single zap from her horn, Steel Wings turned into stone. With a second zap, the red velvet pony joined him.

She looked around to scout the room and see if anyone had broken her petrification hex. Looking and seeing that the Five stone ponies that surrounded her weren’t shaking, she smiled.

Darkness formed around the demon, and a shadow imitation of a mare came out from it. The shadow gave a grin that equaled the demon’s. The shadow and the demon raised their forehooves, and their hooves met.

The demon high-hoofed herself at a job well done.

“Great job!” The shadow said, the demon’s voice coming out of it.
“Thank you me.” Said the demon said back to her shadow puppet.

The shadow turned around, grabbing the helmet of the fallen pegasus guard to place it on the demon’s head.

“For protecting the library and giving Condi the asskicking he deserves, I dub thee, the queen of asskickery!” The demon said through her shadow. “Take this with honor and respect, as you so deserve!”

The demon’s eyes were closed and her smiled wide as she finished sliding on Steel Wing’s helmet, fitting the little too big helmet on her smaller noggin. After basking in her victory for a few minutes, she turned towards the ceiling and knew her job was not done. The shadow mare dissipated and returned to the darkness from whence she came.

“Alright, enough playing around. Time to find that hot guitar guy.” The white demon mare elevated herself off the floor and above the incredibly large bookshelves, to scan for her final target. A loud scream twenty minutes later narrowed down the location, and the broken chandelier a short distance away became a great starting point for her search. While it was still fresh in her mind, she made a mental note to put a new chandelier on the list of demands she was going to make.

The orange pegasus was found in short order, and she took to staying out of his line of vision. floating down to ground level and hiding between bookshelves, the demon sent out another shadow to be her eyes, scanning Flash as he walked around aimlessly.

She pondered what to do with him. The moment they made contact a fight would ensue. While she expected to win that fight easily, unknown ponies were always an unknown variable. For all she knew, he had some sort of ability that’d make her life a living hell. Or he’d do as Conduct tried to do earlier and set fire or bleed on her glorious library. No book casualties would be tolerated. She needed a way around this. A tinge of guilt passed over her. She was about to attack this pony for no reason but he was there. The others had attacked her, been rude to her, or in the case of Condi, set fire to her romantic novels.

The thought “Maybe he could be friendly if she wasn’t mean first,” passed through her head. She lavished the thought. That maybe, just maybe she could make a friend, they could do friend stuff, and heck, maybe he could help her escape.

“Yeah right,” she said to herself, “ Like that could ever hap-...”

In that moment, her mind lit up.

“...or maybe…”

A plan was now in her head. Halfway, incomplete, almost by the seat of her pants, but the thought was there, and the idea was golden.

“Why should we fight this guy?”
“There’s so many more things he could do for us…”
“But we can’t do it as us, not yet…”

She rubbed her forehooves together as her smile grew a mile wide.

“This… is going to be just perfect…”

Her horn lit up, and a guitar came into view gripped in a red telekinetic aura. The mare closed her eyes, and soon her coat began to change. Her white coat and mane began to change, slowly shifting from snow to a crimson color.

She darted in front of the bookshelf in front of the orange pegasus, just out of his line of sight.
She then ruffled up her hair, stepped into the path of the oncoming orange pegasus...

“What happened to her?” said the demon. “We turned her into stone just like the rest of those ponies that attacked us. That pony you knew, It was us, the entire time.”

“Honestly, we don’t even know the girl’s name.” She rose up on her hindlegs, pointing a forehoof at herself. “My name is my own, my appearance was not.”

“We are Laplace, or as Equestria calls us, the Demon of Canterlot.” Spoke Laplace the demon.

It made sense.
Celestia-damn it.

“You’ve been lying to me from the start, then?” Flash sighed. “So all this time you’ve been tricking me into being a better prisoner. To stay put, to be your little guitar instructor, you probably haven't even healed my wing, haven't you?”

“W-what? No!” Exclaimed Laplace. “That's not true at all. Well, we didn't tell you a lot of the truth, but we weren’t lying to you.”

Flash just glared at her.

“Look, we weren’t lying to you. We were....speaking around things… like the fact that we’re not a pony anymore. But we said, we use to be a pony. Those things we told you about ourselves were the truth. My father actually was a paladin,” She said. She took a step forward, and continued.

“And my mother actually did start my training in the ways of magic,” Laplace said to flash. “We really were healing your wing, And we actually do think that you are a very nice stallion, Flash. Every stallion except for Shiny has been a jerk to us. You on the other hoof have been nothing but an absolute gentlecolt to us.”

“So please, why don't we actually try to be friendly towards each other? I mean, eventually Shiny is going to take you away, so we ought to have as much fun as we can in the time that we have. We don’t want to fight and hurt you. We want to have fun with our friend!”

“Seriously?”

The sarcasm was lost on Laplace.

“You know what, yeah!” Laplace said to herself as she floated in a circle in joy. “We so could have fun together!”

Laplace giggled as she made a twirl as she floated just off the carpet.

“I mean, now that you know who we are, we don’t need to keep this disguise anymore and pretend that we’re still stuck in this room with nothing to do. We have tons of things we can do, board games, cards, you name it! The library is all ours! We’re going to have so much fun!”

Flash did not move. Is she? Serious?

“Come-on, let’s have fun, we can spend the night together, play games and oh! We could turn it into a whole slumber party! We even have a book about slumber parties we can use!”

Oh Celestia, she really is serious.

“Uh..um, Flash?”

“No.”

“Come on, it sounds like fun. You know what they say, ‘Once you get to know me, we’re not that bad’. You totally know me, you know we’re not that bad.”

“Know that you’re not bad? You’re not bad, you’re a monster!”

“I am not a monster!” The demon slammed her hoof on the floor. “You take that back!”

“You’ve hurt my fellow soldiers, you hurt the people I cared about, you’ve lied and deceived me doing Celestia knows what to me with your magic, then act like we’re friends? No Laplace, we are not going to be friends.”

“What? What’s so different? There’s no difference between who I am right now and who I was pretending to be ten minutes ago. Was Laplace the guardmare a monster? She isn’t, and neither are we! She was your friend, and so are we! There is absolutely no change.”

“There is absolutely a whole world of change! You’re the demon who’s kept me locked in this tiny little room, you broke my wing, you’ve done Celestia knows what to my friends, and you’ve been manipulating me from the very moment you ran into me, so I do what you want me to do. This isn’t friendship! This is enslavement!”

“You’re wrong! This is friendship! I am an expert in friendship!” She declared. “Let me tell you all about friendship. You see friendship works when two people have something that pulls them together, be it attraction, be it situation, be it ideology, be it whatever. Then, eventually, they will find something different in common they stop being friends, and when the time comes right you break them in half to achieve your goal works and crush theirs. That is how friendship works, it is something temporary, something that doesn’t last. And Flash, I want this to last longer than my previous friendships, we’ve only just gotten to known eachother! Don’t you want to know more about me?”

“No.” Flash’s answer was sharp as it was quick.

Laplace leaned back on her hindlegs, floating back into the air just an inch. She crossed her forehooves again and turned to her side, in frustration and thought.

She was expecting a yes.

She leaned in towards Flash and spoke.“You’ve been friendly to me this whole time, unlike all those other assholes, I don’t see any reason why we should break our friendship now. We should break it when we have something that’s actually worth breaking it over, not something like this.”

Laplace extended her hoof to Flash, confident he would agree with her logic and take her hoof. He did not.

“If you intend to break a friendship from the moment you meet somepony,” said Flash “Then you’re never really their friend. You’re a viper, taking advantage of someone until they’re no longer of use. That’s not friendship, it’s anything but friendship. You and I were never friends.”

“Yes we were, we were friends. You were friends with that guardmare, so be friends with me too.” Laplace held out hope, keeping her hoof out for Flash, she knew when he saw the light, he’d take it, and all would be forgiven, just like before.

Flash did not reach out.

“No. No, we weren’t friends back then, and we aren’t friends now.”

Still nothing.

“Really, you and I were never friends? You were never friends with that guardmare? Never at all?”

He took her hoof. Laplace became ecstatic… until he spoke.

“I was friends with her, until she told me that she wasn’t anything that she said she was.”

He brought their hooves down, and pulled away.

“We, Laplace, are not friends.”

“...Flash…” her ears drooped. She looked at him. He stared at her.

He meant it.

He really meant it.

Her head dropped. She ran her hoof through her hair, consoling her head. She knew, there was nothing that she could say to sway him.

Silently, the Demon of Canterlot walked past Flash. The demon said nothing, hollow steps across the carpet. She walked up until she reached the door. She stood there for a minute, before she opened the door with her hoof.

“You know what…” she said. “Fine.”

Flash said nothing as he watched her turn around towards him.

“Fine, whatever, you may not want to be my friend now, but you’ll get to know me in some time and then you’ll change your mind. You’re just grumpy. Yes, yes, you’re just being grumpy because you haven’t eaten in a while. I’ve gone hungry down here a lot too, I completely understand why you’re like this. I’ll go get you some more sandwiches tomorrow, we actually had a bunch more, but we’ve been eating them all” Laplace had a little chuckle. “Yeah, sorry about that. You just need something to eat, then you’ll be all better and then you’ll see things my way and we’ll become friends again.”

Flash shook his head no. “That’s not going to happen. We’re not going to be friends.”

Laplace brought her hoof to her mouth and chuckled.

“Oh Flash, we are going to be friends. Because deep down, you want us to be your friend. Because we can do things to you that’d you never believe... things that’d you kill for. Just, when we start showing you, you’ll soon learn to love us, for exactly the mare that we are.”

The Demon of Canterlot walked out of the room, she turned around and gripped the door with her magic. She had one more thing to say before she closed the door.

“So, why don’t you go get some sleep, and we think we’re going to get some sleep too. We think we’re going to have a very good night tonight, Flash. And in the morning, something tells us that we’re going to be the best of friends.”