Shadow of Death

by Blackdust

Chapter 1

Author's Note:

If you have a demon that you'd want me to feature, then PM me the name, powers, and how long you think the fight should last based on the number of demons already beaten. If I get 50 likes on this story, at any point, I'll put everything on Hiatus and write the prequel story Sparks of Life. If I get to 100, the first person to let me know will be featured in any other stories that I write. 200, same case with 100, but I'll put them in Sparks of Life if I'm not done with it yet. Otherwise, I'll give them previews of any story and chapter I'm doing.

The encounter

"It's really nice out Sol..." said the pegasus to the unicorn, giving him a slight nudge and giggle.

"It is indeed, Aurana. But not as nice as you." Sol replied giving her a small magical nudge into him.

"Hey now! We aren't even close to the hotel yet!" Aurana said, giggling more.

"Yeah... But you fools chose the wrong night to go for a walk..." said a voice from behind them.

They both jumped and turned around, only to find there was nothing there. Nothing but a shadow under a streetlight. And as the shadow moved out from under the light, it started to have a... thing casting the shadow. It was too fluid to be called anything either of them knew, but it was too solid for it to be a conjuration spell done by a unicorn.

"What are you?!" Aurana shouted in fear at the thing.

"I'm going to be your deaths." the thing said before it opened it's mouth and a black globe launched itself at Aurana. Sol jumped in front of it.

"NO!!" Aurana cried out, grabbing her lovers body and trying to fly away, but the thing released another bolt that completely destroyed her right wing, causing her to fall the few feet she had gained and snap the other wing. "AGHH!!!"

"Don't try to run. It'll only make things... messier..." the thing said, before walking over to her, and pulling her from her lovers body and throwing her far enough for him to have a clear view.

The fact that he was still alive and wasn't bleeding out from the gaping hole in his chest amazed him. But he knew he wasn't breathing and his heart had to have been obliterated. So why was he still alive?

"Just noticing you're not dead yet? Good. It'll make killing her that much better." the thing said, turning enough to see him, but not enough to take its eyes off of Aurana.

"Please... Just leave me alone..." she sobbed.

"But where would the fun in that be?" it said, stepping closer and bit her outstretched hoof clean off.

"AHHH!!!!"

Where was the guard? Why weren't they here already? The guard can't hear or reach us. It's my power." the thing said while chewing on her hoof. "They couldn't reach us even if they wanted to."

Aurana tried to run with her three good hooves, but it pounced on her and started tearing her apart right before Sols eyes. Once it had finished tearing her apart, Sol finally breathed his last, and closed his eyes...

---

...I'm cold. was the first thought that entered Sols mind after he finally died. Why am I so cold?

"Wwwwhhhaaakkkeee uuuupppp..." said a ghostly voice from somewhere in front of him.

Sol opened his eyes and noticed two things. One, he was on his back. Two, there was a skeleton composed of many different species of creatures standing in front of his eyes. Death...

"Yyyyeeesss..." it said in it's ghostly voice. If he still had a spine the voice would send shivers down it.

"What are you?" Sol asked, not a care in the world if he died again.

"Iiii aaaammmmm Deeeaaattthhh..." it said.

Sol flipped himself over and stood up so he could look it in where the eyes should be. "So what? Are you here to take me to the place I died for some kind of acknowledgement that I'm dead? I just saw a thing kill-no. Kill is to gentle a word. That thing fucking tore her apart! So what kind of fucking acknowledgement to I need that I'm dead?" Sol yelled at it in pain filled fury

"Yyyooouuu dooonnnn'ttt wwwaaannnttt tttooo gggooo bbbaaaaccckkk...?" Death said, amazement clear in it's ghostly voice.

Sol stopped and thought for a second. "No. I have nothing to return to. My family all died in a fire, or of old age, and the love of my life just got torn apart in front of my eyes. I have nothing to return to." And with that, Sol flopped on his haunches and hung his head in quiet sorrow.

Death took all this in and decided to give him a 'second chance'. "Ggggoooo aaannnddd kkkiiilll tttthhhhaaaatttt rrreeeevvvveeeennnaaannnttt..." Death said.

Sol looked up quick enough to see Deaths scythe coming down in cutting right into his head...

---

...And wake up back where he died. The hole in his chest gone. Almost like it never happened.

"There's a survivor!" somepony shouted from somewhere farther down the street.

Sol got on his stomach. Then stood and placed a hoof over where the hole was... And felt his heart beat against his hoof.

"What the tartarus..." he said to himself. "Why do I have a heartbeat...? I shouldn't have one after..."

By this time the earth pony that noticed he was... alive? Had gotten to him. "Hey, you ok there?" the stallion in gold and blue armor asked.

Sol felt his whole body pulse as the guard touched him, making sure he was alright. This caused Sol to jump back and away from the guard. "What are you!" he shouted at the guard.

The guard stared at him, then laughed darkly as his eyes turned pure black. No iris, no whites, all black. "So Death was foolish enough to send you back? Well, no matter. I'll just kill you again later. But for right now, you need to get over the shock of your first visit to the underworld, mortal, because it wont' be your last." And with that the guard, no. The thing from last night hit him hard enough to knock him out... Barehoofed.

To be contiued...