Myths and Consequences

Once, a few years back, Twilight had come across a manticore in the woods. On another occasion, a baby Ursa minor. Now faced with not one, but two beings, two demons of another realm, she decided to pattern her own behavior after which had saved her in the aforementioned situations. She froze. In hindsight, it seemed to be a very clear, and logical course of action, sensible if a creature was merely focused upon movement.

One of the demons curled its blackened lips back, revealing double rows of needle sharp teeth.

Twilight considered changing her current course of action. Perhaps feinting.

The other, mimicking its sibling, began to run a red tongue along its own teeth and white lips. Both their bodies seemed to erupt as wings of feathery fire and night like ice unfurled into the air, fanning away the smoke to reveal two giantesses, clad in unknown garbs of armor, golden sun met blackened night in combination as the two reached out with deadly equally deadly sets of claws.

Twilight scuttled along the floor, not with a catlike grace, but with panic. Surprising how fast one moves when properly inspired. Building up a substantial amount of steam, she charged wildly, galloping into a foot stool. With a cry she tumbled front over rear, squealing as her head caught itself in a perfectly placed bucket, then with a crash, she met the oak bookshelf that sat against the wall.

The two things, the two giant demonesses continued with careful, and calculated steps towards her, as she in her stupor laid there, the world twirling about her head before finally giving her focus, and quickly she wished they had not, as those eyes, those slit and horrid eyes regarded her, up close without regard for personal space.

The golden one moved closest, her larger snout nearly rubbing against her own, those white teeth, and that red tongue licking them, teeth of sharpened blades set in a mouth that opened and whispered.

"Boo."

"Aieeeee!..." Twilight threw her forelegs over her face, screaming loudly in a very demeaning way.

At her shrieks, the demons seemed to choke. Several shouts erupted, then they began to laugh. It wasn't menacing, no worse, it was a jovial and uproarious laugh, even musical. The kind of laugh that comes from one who had just seen something extremely hysterical happen.

Twilight found it both extremely disquieting, and amusing. Annoyance weld up within her as she realized that she was the source of the amusement. Disquieting because...their were two demons and demons are...

"Cold, vicious, and blood thirsty," the golden of the two finally gasped out, as though she had read Twilight's mind.

"Dearest Star Swirl was always clever with words, tis it not so dear sister?" said the other.

"I...I beg your pardon?" replied Twilight, her brain currently unable to function properly.

"Hmm, I think thee hard of hearing. My sister said..."

"I heard you! I meant what did you mean?"

"What I meant was that you were scared stiff, by a few well chosen words from our esteemed colleague, I'll wager." She jerked a fore hoof towards Star Swirls body. "I must apology, for my younger sister and I, at such dramatics. I felt some comic relief was necessary to lighten an otherwise very tragic and very depressing moment."

"C-comic relief?" Twilight gaped at the two sisters.

"Oh, honestly I couldn't pass up the opportunity," the elder replied.

"I do agree, the timing was fortuitous, considering," said the younger, "Thou should have seen thy face, it was most glorious!"

"Oh and that squeal of terror, it was so adorable, I could just hug you!" finished the eldest.

They both strode casually outside the pentagram, noting the hut, and its meager material composition.

"Oh dear Star Swirl," said the golden clad one, form slowly shifting, the fire in her wings faded and her mane soon replaced with an ethereal rainbow of aurora like colors. "What a poor humble life for one who was so great a friend."

The other gave a bow to their former friend saying "Tis a shame, we would have liked to have challenged him to another round of moonshine." Her own form seemed to shrink, her mane shifting to that of a starry nights sky, leathery wings turning feathery and like her sister, draconic eyes soon loosing their lit like pupils, to be replaced with something more friendly, equine.

"Tis a dump, this place."

Twilight was confused, perplexed, and still annoyed. Even those words were mere understatements. She wasn't sure how a demon should act, but this certainly was not it.

A moments thought told her that a path to the door was clear. Yet the calm demeanor of these two massive beings showed that they either did not care, or they were confident in their ability to stop her if she tried to flee, or meant her no harm. For the sake of her nerves, she opted for the no harm bit.

The two "demons" continued to inspect the hut, as Twilight in turn, inspected them. Larger than any other pony she had ever seen in her life, the two sported wings like a pegasus though thrice as large, and a horn of magnificent size and power upon there head. There manes shifted in an invisible breeze, cascading in gentle ripples like an ocean wave. Tall yet defined, with a magical aura the likes of which none have ever seen.

One didn't see many pegacorns, unisuses. Actually if there was ever a good time to ask a question, it would be now.

"Um...excuse me, but you are demons are you not?" asked Twilight feeling a little stupid as she did.

"Oh, yes you could say we are my little pony," the older of the two answered, regarding her with a warm and calming smile.

"Well, if you don't mind my asking, why do you not act like it?"

The younger sister shot a disgusted look before turning her head skyward in a gesture of martyrdom.

"Summoned to a foaling, tell us, would it please you if we gobbled you up?"

"N-no, but..."

"For that matter, whom are we speaking to, a bystander, or an untouched partner to the roasted corpse beside us!" here eyes seemingly turned back to slits as she regarded Twilight with malice.

"No! him, I mean," Twilight gestured frantically towards Star Swirl, the younger demons previous threat putting her back on edge, "Apprentice, him, me! I mean master I, him! I mean I was, am...am was his apprentice!"

"Oh, his protege?" the elder had to stifle a giggle as she approached Twilight, reaching out a hoof, "It is a pleasure too...what's wrong?"

She placed her hoof upon the floor and regarded Twilight as the young unicorn mare backed away as casually as possible.

"Well...it's, just that your a demon."

"Er...yes? So?"

Um...demons are...are supposed to be."

The younger face hoofed, groaning loudly before saying "Truly we have here a scholar of our times. Young one, we are but friends of your now deceased master."

"I thought you said you we're demons."

"Tis correct, we are demons, from another realm, a dimension beyond your comprehension, demon, dimension...dost thou not see the links which draw the two together? Dimen-sion traveler, rather than demon, do you not see?"

"What's a dimension?"

The night mare scowled.

"Be thee sure of thy tutelage under Master Star Swirl? Or pray tell, are you just stupid? Tia, he has certainly lowered his expectations in his elder years!"

"Do be polite Luna, she has not the age, nor the experience of having seen her colleagues murdered before her very eyes."

"Yes, no, I mean, yes I am er was his student, but he never explained to me about demon-suns!" panicked Twilight, "He never had any books on it, or tests, or tests in books, or test books, was this a test, did I fail! Oh no...no no no no no!"

Tia gently extended a wing over the frightened filly, calming her with but a touch.

"Dimension young student," said Luna after taking a moments breath, "Tis another world, many of which are connected by different planes of reality yet existing simultaneously. Dost though follow?"

"No." Twilight answered bluntly.

"Gah, just accept that we are of another world, and that we are now here in yours, as demons. If thou we're upon or material plane, then you'd be considered the demon, not us! Now in our world we are mages just like Star Swirl."

"Indeed, we hold an exchange program of sorts when he deems a student worthy of our presence," finished Tia, "This is done by a over dramatized summon ritual, made to impress and stun ones student with shock and awe."

"But you said you were a demon." At this point and time, it is safe to assume that this unfortunate unicorn has truly lost the ability to connect with logic and dictate such things in a formal and methodical matter.

"Dearest student, we are, here in your world, but if you were to come to ours, you'd be a demon. Hnce we are here in your world, making us the demons."

"But I thought you were magicians."

The elder suddenly roared to the heavens, "We don't believe this!"

Her horn glowed brightly, seizing the lavender unicorn and bringing her face to face.

"Will you accept our hooves in greeting, or shall we tear your heart out as a sacrifice to appease our minds which you have grated so roughly with your stupidity, foal!"

In that moment, that very moment, Twilight came to the realization that these two beings, demons of another realm, traveler of the so called planes, we most definitely friends of Star Swirl. The shouting that came from the one named Tia, it most certainly resembled that of Star's, though feminine. As well as the short temper of the younger. Quickly she extended a hoof.

"MeNameTwilightSparkle!" she sputtered quickly.

"Ahh, a pleasure," she hooked her hoof firmly around Twilight's. A warmth spreading from her hoof to the younger unicorns. "I am pleased to meet you, you may call me Celestia, Alicorn Princess of the Solar Planes.

"I am Luna, sister to Tia, and Alicorn Princess of the Lunar Realm," she took Twilight's other hoof in hers, sending a shiver along the young mare as the touch of night seemed to counter the touch of day.

"I...am honored?" she said, finding herself dropped from both hoofs to the floor as the two alicorns proceeded to examine the room.

"We see no valuables, save for a few meager bits, and cheap trinkets."

"I do not see much else that would require one to send forth assassins upon or dearly departed. Rather, it is a primitive dwelling, low of stature for one who was once so great."

"We...we liked it," said Twilight sheepishly. The hut may not have been much, but it was home, and she wouldn't let some royal mare of another realm insult it.

"Calm thy words, tis merely an informative assumption as to a motive."

"Motive?"

"Cause for dear Star Swirls demise, we are not big on vengeance, but he was a truly dear drinking buddy of ours, and thus our curiosity has been touched."

Celestia regarded Twilight for a moment before asking, "Would you have any idea? Milk-mares he's seduced, farmers cheated, gambling debts? You've just as much interest here as we do, more so, as you could be the next target or their desire."

"B-but the pony who did it is dead!" Twilight gestured to the corpse, "That's the end o fit right?"

"Poor ignorant foal," replied Luna sadly, "Assassins of this quality come in groups, you can see by the gold of their cloaks that they are hit-ponies of hi regard."

A chill ran along Twilight's spine. It was not a thought that had occurred to her, and now that it was there, she began sifting through her memories, trying to recall anything of use.

"He, he spoke of discord!"

"Discord? Discordant what exactly?"

"I don't know, he...wait me, a target!" she squeaked in realization.

"This is certainly fancy," said Luna, ignoring the unicorns plight, "A finely lined coat, completely reversible, twould explain their stealth and cunning."

"Princess?"

"Oh, we do not mean to cause fear," said Celestia, "It is just that, if someone or some pony has declared war upon magic users of grand skill, then you might have some...oh my, what is it we have here?"

"What's what?" Twilight continued to squeak, shifting to get a better view of what the solar princess had found.

"This," she said, tugging her prize aloft into the air. "Seems my younger sister and I are not the only demons here."

The head, or what was left of it, was of the assassin. Twilight felt revulsion at the sight, yet curiosity held her gaze long enough to notice the dorsal fin, sharp fangs, and a single glassy blue eye.

"A devil!" she exclaimed in horror.

"Devil?" Celestia regarded the skull for a moment before tossing it aside, "No, it would be a changeling. True devils would buy you out of house, home, future stock gains, and family."

"Who would be crass enough to higher a changeling, let alone a possible trio, or at least one led by a shape changer."

Luna peered at the now shattered skull before voicing her own opinion, "To ask for such a deed, only Discord himself would think up such chaos."

"That's who I said hired him!" shouted Twilight.

"Oh? We thought you had said 'discord.'"

"I did!, Wait, what did you say?"

"She said Discord, young Twilight, can you not hear the difference?"

"No," said Twilight, feeling dumber as the conversation continued.

"Must be a subtle change in tone, oh well, This truly changes everything, "Celestia sighed, "If Discord is up to his old tricks again, there is certainly no time to lose. Hold! I say, sister take a look at this."

"Well, tis a magical seeking bolt, is such a thing possible in this realm?"

"A what seeking bolt?"

"Hmm, that answers that, Luna, we must be off."

The two strode casually towards the pentagram. Suddenly Twilight realized they were about to leave.

"Wait just a minute! What's going on?"

"We are living, my sister and I. Too terry, is to give that old fool more time to spread his influences." the younger alicorn spoke.

"Please, accept our apology, for it would take to long to explain," said Celestia.

"But you said I could be the next target!"

"Only by virtue of companionship, leave, run away, gather what meager materials you have," advised Luna, "If they are as professional as one hopes, we would advise dye, perhaps a change of job description."

Twilight panicked, she knew she was outclassed, and her only alliance, these two alicorns, we're ready to leave her to her fate.

"Couldn't you help me?"

"Tis a lack of time, we must make our move."

"Couldn't I come with you."

"I am sorry my little pony, but we have not the time to carry you along, for we could be harmed in doing so."

"But without you I'll be harmed, or killed, or harmed and then killed!" cried Twilight, blubbering now as tears welled up into her eyes as desperation caught up with her. The sisters though remained unimpressed. "Tell you this, young Twilight. We truly must make our leave, but I can teach you a trick. All these material components to bring my sister and I across the barrier, not necessary. Watch close, if you truly are his apprentice, you will understand the weaves as we do."

In unison, the two sisters bowed their heads, horns aglow with respective colors of powerful gold and silver.

Twilight wanted to shout, to make them stop and listen, but it was to late. With a look towards the heavens, the two sisters let loose a massive flash of light and stamped their hooves.

Nothing Happened.