Born In Light, Forged In Darkness

by Jest

Trial One: Face Off (R)

The imp was surprisingly cautious, giving the filly a wide berth and nervously glancing up at Cervantes, who still stood nearby. With a wave of his hand, Tirek commanded the greater demon to stand back, bolstering the imp’s resolve and making a cruel grin slip across its features.

Dog tugged nervously at her bandages, her eyes wide as she stared at the increasingly confident creature across from her. The imp could taste her indecision and it lunged at the filly, only to stop and pull back, gauging the reaction of its opponent and the other demons in the room.

Tirek was impassive, seemingly bored with the display, drumming his fingers along his side. Cervantes had not so much as flinched, which was quite the opposite of Dog’s reaction. She jerked back, raising her forehooves and nearly toppling over due to the sudden charge coming to an equally sudden stop.

The imp knew this creature was food, but its primitive consciousness also knew the other demons in the room could easily slay it. Was this a test? Or simply their twisted way of feeding it? Either way, the imp instinctively knew that the soul bound within the flesh of the being before it would more than satiate its hunger and may even allow it to gain the power it needed to grow into a more powerful form of demon.

With its resolve steeled, the imp leaped forward once more, leading with a right leg raised, claws gleaming. Dog reacted the same way she had before, raising up and positioning her forehooves to be brought to bear against her opponent. The imp saw this coming and struck prematurely, its swing not aiming for the base of its opponent's body but rather Dog’s forelegs, testing her speed.

Dog was quick enough to realize her mistake and pushed back and to her right, pulling her left foreleg in close and bringing the other hoof straight forward, pounding the imp in the shoulder. The demon spawn recoiled, surprised by the filly’s strength and swiftness, clearly, this creature was not the easy prey it had thought.

The imp scrambled backward, never losing track of its enemy. When it had neared the edge of the cage, its eyes narrowed and the two opponents slowly began circling one another, both attempting to analyze the other’s weaknesses with varying degrees of success.

Knowing her father was looking on and grading her performance, Dog knew better than to rest on her laurels. She charged forward, a snarl on her lips. The imp was nearly caught unaware by the sudden charge, the filly’s surprising speed leaving confused for a split second. When the filly reared back and launched a right hook, the imp only barely managed to duck out of the way, the swish of wind passing over its head signaling just how close her blow had been.

With her body now exposed, the imp quickly pulled back even more, its back leg brushing the cage as it got just enough room to swipe at the filly’s face. Rather than keeping the same stance, Dog allowed her momentum to carry her to the right, the imp’s claws swinging through now empty air. Holding the motion, the filly turned all the way around and delivered a devastating buck to the imp’s exposed midsection, sending it flying against the bars where it impacted with a heavy thump, slightly rocking the cage.

Not letting her opponent a single second to rest, the filly charged and kicked the imp in the chest as it tried to rise, driving it back to the ground, where it lay, wheezing for breath. Pulling her hoof back for another punch, the filly hesitated. She could see the creature's fear in its eyes and knew it was not the fear of a lost meal, but rather the fear all mortal beings held for their very life.

The imp had no such reservations however and as soon as it noticed Dog’s moment of hesitation, it slashed her hard across the barrel, its claws easily piercing Dog’s bandages and the flesh underneath, but somehow not going nearly as deep as they should.

“Ah!” Dog cried, stumbling back as she clutched the wound with a forehoof.

Thick blackened blood poured from the gaping wound and the filly looked down, noticing that it didn't feel that deep, little more than a centimeter or two in depth and twice that in length. With the filly reeling and distracted once again, the imp launched into another offensive, aiming to end this fight quickly lest the strange creature gather its bearings and beat the imp to a pulp.

The imp’s sharp claws whistled through the air, carving deep gouges in Dog’s face and causing another gout of blackened blood to spray the cage. Dog abandoned her midsection, using the now free hoof to deflect the next strike before it could connect with her neck.

Outside of the cage, Tirek frowned deeply, his fists clenched at his sides. What in Tartarus is that filly doing? She is better than this! Such a test was meant to give confidence, not put her in danger!

Beside him, Cervantes stood seemingly impassive, but a careful observer could tell he had grown nervous, his hand tightening around the blade at his side. He glanced over at his master as if asking silent permission for what they both knew he wanted to ask.

Tirek’s frown deepened and he shook his head. She needs to learn this, ruthlessness is not just a good tactic to sow fear, but how one stays alive in a fight to the death. Hard though the lesson may be, it is necessary. Turning away from Cervantes, Tirek glanced down at the cage where Dog had her back pressed against the steel bars and a wide, terrified expression on her face.

Still, she did not call out, beg, or ask for relief but neither did she strike back, even when given the chance. Tirek’s knuckles grew white as his patience began to run out.

“Do not fail me, child, strike back and end this whelp!” he commanded.

Dog knocked aside another wild blow of the imp with relative ease. The imp itself had realized by now that it was outmatched even when its opponent was wounded and with desperation added speed to its blows, but it still wasn't enough. Dog gritted her teeth and knocked aside another clumsy hit, then, utilizing the opening it granted, delivered a blow to the imp’s chin, sending it reeling backward.

Her resolve steeled, the filly leaped forward, intent on ending the fight here and now, only for the imp to glance up at her once more, that same fear in its all too mortal eyes. Dog pulled her hoof back and put a little distance between her and her target, her hoof nearly slipping on her own blackened blood that stained the impromptu arena.

Tirek sighed and turned away.

“What a disappointment,” he muttered.

Dog deflected a rising strike from the imp, the din of the fight suddenly fading away, replaced by the solemn hoof steps of her father as he walked away in utter disappointment. She had failed the one person who cared for her, failed so utterly that he couldn't bear to even look at her.

Something snapped within Dog and the next time the imp threw another wild slash, it found its leg suddenly twisting painfully, a powerful blow impacting its elbow and rendering the limb numb. It had mere milliseconds before it felt a second hit impact its ribs, cracking something beneath its leathery skin and sending it tumbling back to the ground in a broken heap.

The imp looked up at the filly, summoning those same tearful eyes as before, inwardly grinning maliciously as it knew what was going to happen. Or at least it thought it did, but its assumptions and jaw were shattered by a jab so powerful that it knocked the imp into the air and onto its back.

It couldn't even raise its clawed feet in defense before it felt the full weight of its opponent land directly on its midsection, shattering its ribs and pulping its internal organs in one vicious strike. A pathetic wheeze was all it was capable of before its opponent used its shattered midsection as a springboard, jumping into the air and landing with an audible squelch in the imp’s destroyed stomach. The filly’s hooves crushed bone and organ alike with impunity as Dog’s weight slammed into the imp’s body over and over.

The imp managed a few weak slashes but they were ignored completely despite the now numerous cuts that covered its opponent’s body. Dog didn't care that she was bleeding, that the world was growing distant, or even the pain that wracked her body, all she cared about were those three words. What a disappointment. They rang through her head endlessly and only after she felt her opponent grow still did the words cease and reality began to assert itself once more.

The filly wheezed, falling to her knees amidst the scattering of gore that was the imp’s body. Its eyes were open wide, but they saw nothing, and its mouth hung open but it did not breathe. Shattered rib bones poked up through its devastated chest, spilling blood and eviscerated organs across the cage and intermingling with the already copious amount of blood that had spilled forth from Dog’s own wounds.

Dog turned, glancing over at her father with wide, hopeful eyes.

Tirek seemed impassive, his gaze distant and unreadable, only when the filly felt despair begin to swallow her did a small smile spread across her father’s face.

“Good job, quickly now, consume its soul before you succumb to your injuries," Tirek ordered.

“How do-” The filly began, only to be interrupted by a fit of coughing during which a wad of congealed blood shot from her mouth.

“Focus your will, remember your lessons. Will is the absolute power in Tartarus, merely will your body to consume it and its soul will be yours," Tirek answered.

Dog looked back down, only to find that there were now two imps, both of which were spinning, along with the rest of the world. Swallowing her trepidation, Dog focused. She imagined the imp’s soul lay below her, small and afraid, and above it stood the brave and powerful Dog. Pushing aside the last remaining bit of her indecision, Dog took a breath and consumed.

She could hardly see what was happening, too focused on the strange feeling of her body pulling at the imp’s very soul, but Tirek and Cervantes could see clearly the bloody form of Dog with her mouth open wide. Thin black tendrils slowly extended from the imp’s body, reluctant to leave its mortal form even after it had expired. The filly wavered for a moment, the black tendrils pulling back a few inches and drawing a surprised breath from the old centaur.

Dog shook her head and breathed deeply, steadying herself and focusing utterly on the task at hoof. With power she didn't know she had, the filly tore away at the strings binding the imp’s spirit to its body, causing the black tendrils to extend completely from the imp and slip past Dog’s lips. As the soul entered her body, Dog could feel every moment of the imp’s short and brutal existence flash through her mind.

It had been cruel, sadistic, and torturous with the few meager scraps of essence it had managed to find amidst the dregs of Tartarus. It had toyed with the corrupted souls and delivered great suffering to the beings trapped in the lowest levels of Tartarus. At the same time as the memories flowed through her mind, Dog also felt a strange vitality begin to fill her.

Her world stopped spinning as her less serious wounds began to close and a new, altogether different purpose filled her. No longer was she only appeasing her father, but now she was striking down and consuming a cruel and sadistic bully, just like the kind of bully that put her father in this prison.

The filly’s eyes filled with magenta light and suddenly the black tendrils began to writhe with panic, feeling their very essence torn from existence itself. Despite its own imminent demise helping to fuel its desperate flailing, the imp knew its fate was sealed and there was nothing it could do. It was now utterly broken and in the face of such raw power, it could do little but submit.

The tendrils grew slack and thicker, eventually revealing the very core of the imp’s soul that rose up and out of its body. It was a great writhing mass of pain, agony, and despair the likes of which would shatter the mind of any normal being. Thankfully Dog could no longer be described as such a creature. The demonic essence of the imp filled and fueled her, changing her body even more than Tirek’s magic and medicine had, twisting her form while also healing all but the worst of the damage wrought on her and imbuing her with strength she had never dreamed of.

The soul vanished into the filly’s mouth, every last trace of its lingering, inky corruption gone completely. With the soul consumed, Dog’s mouth snapped shut and though there was nothing left of the imp’s soul, the flaring magenta light did not fade. The light twisted, becoming darker by the second until it was nearly black, only containing the faintest trace of the vibrant purple it had started as.

When the light inside her began to dull and Dog’s eyes flickered open, she found herself floating several inches above the ground before suddenly gravity decided to reassert itself and she landed in a heap on the ground. “Oof,” she muttered, rubbing her head with a no longer bandaged hoof. “Augh, what happened?”

Tirek threw open the cage and pulled the stunned filly out and into a sudden and brief hug.

“You have succeeded in your first test and taken the first step on the path to power!” Tirek proclaimed.

The filly beamed up at her father, her eyes going comically wide as she realized just what he was doing. Before he could let go of the filly, she had wrapped all four of her legs around his midsection and squeezed him back, nearly knocking the wind out of the surprised centaur.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so happy!” Dog squealed in delight.

Tirek grabbed the filly’s midsection and pulled her off of him, the tiniest of blushes crossing his face.

“Yes, well, we have much to discuss now that you have achieved your first real milestone,” Tirek muttered.

The centaur placed the filly back on the ground where she squealed and did a little dance, hopping around in a circle.

“I did it! I can't believe I did it! I’m so happy I could explode!” Dog proclaimed.

The filly suddenly turned around, her wide eyes staring up at her father’s.

“Oh no, that's quite enough hugs for today, young lady," Tirek interrupted.

The filly wilted, making his heart nearly skip a beat. The centaur sighed and bent down, reaching the filly’s level.

“Maybe just a head pat," Tirek reluctantly agreed.

“Yay!” the filly squealed before standing perfectly straight and grinning madly, her sharp white teeth reflecting the dim glow of the arena.

Tirek sighed and gently patted the filly’s head, hoping it didn't feel as awkward for Dog as it did for him. Judging by the expression of sheer joy and the happy little growling thing Dog did with her throat, Tirek knew his fears were baseless.

A small, serene smile spread across the centaur’s face and he even gave the filly a small scratch behind the ear before realizing once more what he was doing and quickly stood up.

“Ahem, now then for a quick pop quiz," Tirek began.

“But I didn't have time to study!” Dog proclaimed, spinning in a slow circle. “There isn't even anything to write with, how can I-”

Tirek gave the filly a firm glare, silencing her panicked line of questions. “You cannot fail this quiz. Now, what did you learn after you consumed the soul, and what differences have you noticed about yourself?”

“Um, well…” The filly muttered, tapping her chin.

Dog tried to recall all the chaotic feelings and sensations that had all assaulted her at the same time. Though she was fairly certain she was forgetting something, she had at least been able to remember most of what had happened.

“It tasted funny, really spicy, but also really really bad," Dog began.

Tirek chuckled. “What else did you feel when you consumed it?”

“I felt like… it was guilty, that it deserved its fate and then all its memories flashed before my eyes, I was the imp as it crawled around on the lower circles, hunting and scrounging for scrap essence," Dog remarked, a scowl crossing her face and she couldn't help but bare her teeth. “It was a big nasty bully, like that Celestia lady! After I knew that, I had to eat it all. So I just… did.”

She blinked and looked up at her father.

“Is that a good answer?” She asked.

“It is very good. The ability to see the memories of the soul is a rare one for demons to have and it will serve you well if you remember to use it. Even more impressive was your consumption of the entire thing. I never though-” he stopped, rephrasing the sentence, “I knew you could do it.”

The filly beamed, grinning from ear to ear, only to suddenly look down at the end of her muzzle.

“Look, father! My bandages fell off! Does this mean they can stay off forever?” Dog asked.

Tirek grinned, magically brushing off the few strands of bandage still clinging to the filly, their enchantment broken under the imp’s assault. The filly unaware that those same bandages had softened the blow and likely saved her life only saw them as an obstacle.

“First, tell me what you feel has changed since you consumed the soul," Tirek stated.

“Right,” Dog muttered.

The filly inspected every inch of her body that she could see before running her tongue over her teeth and gently touching the end of her muzzle.

“It seems as though my skin has grown harder, though not quite as leathery as the imp’s," Dog began, lifting a leg in emphasis and showing it to her father. “The flesh feels soft but when I touch it, it seems to harden a little. It’s also a very deep purple color.”

“All very good answers so far, keep going.” Tirek beckoned.

The filly pulled open her lips, revealing her now longer and somehow even sharper teeth.

“My teeth got bigger and sharper, but they don't seem to cut my mouth or my tongue. There is also a pressure, right here,” Dog explained, pointing to the spot on her forehead a few inches above and between her eyes. “It feels kinda funny and hurts to touch. Other than that the scratch on my nose didn't heal completely and I can feel a lump under my tongue.”

“Right here," Dog continued.

The filly opened her jaws wide and pressed her tongue against the base of her mouth, causing a small greenish jet of liquid to shoot several feet before landing on the arena floor and beginning to sizzle.

Tirek blinked.

“Well, that's interesting. You seem to have the ability to spit acid," Tirek remarked.

Probably a side effect of her proximity to that damnable entropy demon residing in her cleaver. Tirek thought.

“Is that… is that bad?” Dog muttered.

Tirek shook his head.

“Unexpected, but not unappreciated. Make sure to use your new power sparingly and carefully. Don't want to accidentally melt a book," Tirek warned.

Dog gasped, taking a step further away from her father and covering her mouth with a hoof.

“That can happen?!” She muttered in fear.

The centaur chuckled.

“No, it looks like it has to be triggered, still. Do be careful when you are in the library," Tirek exclaimed. "The enchantments I placed on the books should protect them from most damage, but if I find a single drop of acid on any of my books…”

He let the threat hang, knowing full well that Dog would automatically assume the worst possible punishment.

Sure enough the filly gasped.

“You might take away my books! I promise I won't spit any acid while in the library!” Dog proclaimed.

“Good. Now were there any other changes? Do you perhaps feel a little strange, or maybe a crawling beneath your skin?” Tirek pressed.

Dog shook her head.

“My tummy is all rumbly and I can still taste the ickiness, but other than that, I just feel like I just had a full night’s sleep," Dog murmured, only to pause and shoot her father a wide, confident grin. “What's next, father?”

Tirek shrugged his massive shoulders.

“Now you get to do whatever you want," Tirek answered. "Do you wish to train more with Cervantes, or would you prefer to read? I might have some new books to add to your shelf.”

The filly’s eyes went wide and she bounced in place.

“Oh, that sounds fun," Dog exclaimed, only to stop. “But I got so much energy… Can I read after more training?”

“Of course you can, in fact, starting now, you will have two hours a day to do whatever you want. You will also have your own worker golem who can help you study and train,” Tirek declared.

The centaur gestured towards the entrance to the arena where a small two-foot-tall bipedal golem stood, its arms at its side and its relatively plain and expressionless face staring forward. Its body was of a simple grey stone that Dog didn't recognize and it lacked any of the detail or enchantment that Tirek had done for the rest of his inorganic servants.

“It's really plain-looking.”

“Are you insulting my present?” Tirek gasped, placing a hand over his heart and making a dramatic expression of pain.

“N-n-no! I was just wondering if I was allowed to change it," Dog hastily replied.

"Of course you can, just ask me before you do so," Tirek remarked with a chuckle.

“Absolutely!” Dog announced.

“One last thing, before I let you train. Do not forget that you are only allowed to go from your room to the gym or library. The golem will remind you if you are wandering somewhere you shouldn't,” Tirek stated, the centaur turning to leave only to stop suddenly. “Oh, and Dog?”

“Yes, father?”

“I'm proud of you," Tirek proclaimed.

The centaur quickly left, beating a hasty retreat and leaving a grinning Dog dancing in circles and making more of those strange growling happy noises.

“Yes yes yes! Did you hear that, Cervantes? Father is proud of me!” Dog shouted.

The filly spun around and grinned up at the armor demon, whose eyes seemed larger, containing an almost palpable sense of joy just beneath his obscured features.

He looked down at the filly and pointed to his sword, then his fist, a questioning expression on his unmoving features.

Dog shook her head.

“Fists please!" Dog replied. "I need to train more just in case Father tests me again like this.”

Cervantes nodded once before striking a battle-ready pose and waiting for Dog to do the same. Which Dog promptly did, leaping into her preferred stance the same way they always did when they sparred, only this time she wore a wide, confident grin.

---

Tirek had stopped just outside the arena, his breathing unnaturally heavy and his brow weighted with worry. What had happened back there? First, he was actually worried, then he even hugged her? The centaur shook his head vigorously before starting to make his way toward his war room, pointedly ignoring the odd look his seer gave him as they passed each other in the hall.

The centaur brushed past his guards and walked through the intricate, winding halls of his tower, hardly noticing his passing servants, his mind consumed by the worry brought about by his moments of weakness. What were these strange feelings brewing within him? They brought up long-dead memories and the centaur grit his teeth at the sudden surge of images. Waving a hand over his face, he used his magic to rid himself of the incessant thoughts, allowing him to focus entirely on the task at hand.

That task would take all his cunning and a significant amount of favors to accomplish and would demand every ounce of will he could bring to bear. Even with such a multifaceted plan it had had to start somewhere, and that somewhere was meeting with his general and receiving her full report. Tirek pushed past one last set of guards and down one last narrow hall bereft of doors save for a single one at the very end.

The centaur effortlessly glided through the numerous protection charms, wards, and enchantments, every spell recognizing him as the lord of the tower. He brushed aside the heavy iron doors, pushing the massive metal objects aside as if they weighed next to nothing.

The room he stepped into was not overly large, little more than an above-average meeting room with a round table in the center of the circular domed room. A single red crystal hung from the middle of the ceiling, adding a sparse amount of light that neither of the room’s occupants needed to see. The table was large, enough to seat ten individuals of Tirek’s size with ease, its usual polished obsidian top replaced by a bird’s eye view of what looked like a castle, deep within the hellmarshes of Tartarus.

Peering over the map was a large pony-like creature, though even then it carried only a passing resemblance to the ponies of Equestria. She was easily as large as Tirek, her entire body bearing thick orangish gold scales, a serpentine tail nearly as long as her entire body twitched this way and that, displaying its owner’s intense concentration. Her head bore similar draconic attributes, her large teal eyes had the slitted pupils of a dragon, and her mouth was filled to the brim with serrated, dagger-like teeth that were so large that several poked out from her mouth at odd angles. Brighter orange spines cascaded from her forehead down along her back, ending at the point of her tail. The only parts of the draconic pony’s body that truly stuck out were her lack of claws, replaced by brass-colored hooves, and two large ram-like horns that grew from both sides of her head, with their ends pointing forward.

The draconic pony opened and closed her mouth periodically, so focused on the picture that she hardly even noticed the entry of her master. Tirek closed the door behind him, causing the large pony-like creature to jump several inches and spin around, fixing Tirek with a glare until she realized just who she was glaring at.

She instantly sunk into a low bow.

“Sorry ‘bout that master, just startled me, is all," the demon remarked, slowly rising back to her hooves. “Please, forgive me.”

Tirek waved his hand dismissively and made his way over to the table.

“You are forgiven. This time," he remarked.

The draconic pony breathed a sigh of relief and waved a massive hooved limb over the table, causing the picture of the castle to encompass the entire top of the table.

“Right, well, boss, what do ya wanna know? Seems like you were right on just ‘bout all accounts," the demon exclaimed.

“Go over everything. I don't want a single thing left to chance,” Tirek ordered.

“Right," the golden demon muttered.

The draconic pony nodded before placing her hoof near the center of the castle, where a beam of red emerged from a tower before growing into a shield that encompassed nearly the entire castle, save for a small guard house that was left outside.

“The shield-generating matrix isn't actually in that tower, but rather a sub-basement hidden away at the south side," she began. "The guards are lazy, their patrols so irregular that it could only be the result of poor discipline. Sometimes they leave the walls unguarded for almost an entire day.”

“Good, they are mostly pride demons, correct?” Tirek knowingly inquired.

The large pony demon nodded.

“Looks like it, some are wearing glamours that make them look like other demons, which would be a good strategy. Unfortunately for them, they keep forgetting to apply them until they are outside, or they just take them off whenever they get bored. Buncha amateurs, boss,” the draconic pony added with a snort.

Tirek smirked. “Even better, and the shield?”

The other being frowned.

“It's just as you feared, covers every nook and cranny, and is strong enough to keep out a demon lord, if only for a while,” she muttered, her frown deepening. “I don't think we should take his word for it though, boss, there is no way that shield covers every inch of that castle. The dirty little rat is probably lyin’ to us, hoping to get something out of ya by holding onto that bit of information.”

The centaur chuckled and shook his head.

“If you trust your spymaster, then you don't have a very good spymaster. But seriously, he will do his job, he knows what's at stake if he fails," Tirek declared.

The other demon gulped and looked back down at the castle.

“Right, boss. So uh…” the demon pony muttered while scratching her head. “How we gonna get in there? Don't tell me you tricked that overblown bag of wind into inviting you in?”

“Ha, no. Not even he is that foolhardy,” the centaur remarked, gesturing towards the other demon’s horns. “First, tell me how are your magic lessons coming.”

The other demon gulped and pawed the ground nervously.

“I, er, well.” She sighed. “Not good, boss.”

“No matter. Tell me what you know of demonic spells," Tirek pressed.

She blinked.

“Uh, they were made by demons?” She answered, scratching her head awkwardly. “They also usually use pain and suffering as a catalyst and are one of the strongest types of magic, trumping even holy and dark magic and rivaled only by celestial magic.”

Tirek nodded slowly.

“Do you know of the weaknesses of demonic spells?” He continued.

The demon scratched her frilled chin awkwardly before shaking her head.

“I don't know, boss," the other demon admitted.

Tirek waved his hand over the table, creating two beings, one was a large bipedal demon, the other a small, innocent-looking pony filly. Snapping his fingers, the two shapes were suddenly engulfed in black hellfire.

“Demonic magic was created to fight demons and celestials," Tirek began. "Those creatures either blackened by sin or untouched by even the temptation of sin, unlike mortals who can feel the temptation but have the will to turn away.”

Eventually, the flames died down, revealing a blackened pile of bones and dust where the demon had stood and a relatively unharmed filly.

“It was never meant to target mortals but it worked well because most of their kind have succumbed to the temptation of sin at least once, enabling them to be affected by our magic. But there exist beings out there that have committed no great crimes, nor succumbed to the sway of sin. To them, hellfire is a summer breeze, and it is with one such individual that we shall slip inside that fool’s tower and bring him ruin!” Tirek proclaimed.

The other demon’s scaley brow furrowed and she looked down at the table thoughtfully.

“You aren't thinking of sending her in there now, right, boss?” the pony-like demon murmured.

Tirek shook her head.

“She is still too weak, but soon, very soon, she will not be," Tirek answered.

“Right, pardon my words, master. I should not have assumed," murmured the other demon.

Tirek growled and gestured to the door.

“Remember to watch your tone next time. Now go," ordered the centaur. "Seek out the rat and tell him to maintain watch of the fool’s castle. I want to know the instant something changes and especially if he moves her. I expect you to be ready at a moment’s notice. Is that clear, Pear Butter?”

“Like crystal, master,” the other demon growled.

“Good, now leave me. I require solitude to think of my next step," Tirek proclaimed.

The draconic demon bowed briefly before ducking out the door, her heavy hoof falls trailing down the hall and out of earshot, leaving Tirek alone in the war room, gazing down at the still image thoughtfully.

“Soon your innocence will be removed, but not before we get a little use out of it first,” Tirek muttered to himself.

A frown suddenly creased his face and a hint of doubt wormed its way into his thoughts. Is this truly necessary? I could use… He shook his head and clenched his fists. No, this is completely necessary.

Now, to begin the next phase of the plan.

Author's Note:

Edited by the Everwonderful, EverFreePony!
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Comments

[Anachronon]

So Applejack's mom didn't die, but was abducted by Tirek, too? Interesting, though what about Bright Mac?

And it is kind of warming to see how the big bad Lord Tirek develops fatherly feelings for the one Pony he originally abducted for his own purposes as a slave.

Wonder at one point he will let her change her name from "Dog" to "Midnight".

[Lanigiro]

Huh... So Dog's not the only 'experiment' of Tirek's...

[Quillamore]

I was expecting the draconic pony to be Adagio at first...then Applejack when she talked, but I was not expecting this. Amazing plot twist, and amazing work!

[Thorai]

Can't wait to see where this is going!

[Makuta]

Good chapter. Looking forward to the next one .

[Warrior Kitten]

Hah! So he’s going to use Twilight because he thinks she’s immune to demonic magic because of her lack of sin. But he’s literally just made her absorb a demonic soul, forced her to kill a living (albeit demonic) being and is actively exposing her to sin 24/7. Sure she’s still “innocent” by certain definitions, but she sure as hell ain’t pure.

[Violet Sky]

PEAR BUTTER!?

[Undead Equestrian Writer]

Wait... Pear Butter... Isn't that AJ's Ma?

[Wishesshecouldwritegood]

This Tirek & Twilight dynamic makes me think of Silco and Jinx.