//-------------------------------------------------------// The Edge of Demons -by dramize the feral- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 1 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 1 "Ugh where am I? what happened?" Said a young voice in an inky black void coming from two silver sharp eyes. Another pair of eyes opened. "Do you really want to know?" Said another voice filled with restrained malice coming from the crimson eyes direction. "Who are you?" asked the first voice with a hint of fear. "Give me yours first, night whelp or should I just call you night whelp." "My name is Starshade Eclipse." "Well Starshade my name is Phantasma demon of lighting and as for were we are were in your mind." "Ok working passed the fact I'm talking to a demon why are we in my mind?" "Well Starshade I can give you that answer." A small ball of light appeared moving to the spot where Starshades were before sinking into the darkness then everything came back to him. His home set alight, his family being killed and torn apart by the ponies he called friends, his mother's last word telling him to keep the sword safe and run, him reaching the sword only to be cornered, and finally him grabbing the swords handle to defend himself. "Why did this happen? Cumulus was my friend he was an undesirable like me why he taught me everything in know, why?" "He wanted me the ultimate prize a demon weapon of unbelievable power. Well that doesn't matter now." "Any why not? Why does the pony that murdered my family not matter?" "Because he's dead, I killed him." "What." "Ok you foal listen here and listen well when you grabbed the handle of this katana you woke me up so I took your body and killed him so I could eat his heart, he didn't even put up much of a fight and the look on his face as my blade pieced his heart and it vanished was priceless." "Ok that's all well and good so can I have my body back?" "Ok I've have had my fill for now you can do as you want with you body." "Really?" Starshade asked not hiding his surprise at all. "Yeah why do you sound so surprised?" "Well your a demon I kinda thought." "I would keep your body right." "Yeah that sounds about right." "look here you family was the only family left that recognized my power my made my title of god of lighting feel like I meant something all these years as I laid dormant you worshiped me so no I won't take your body and besides why would I want the body of a ten year old thestral undesirable with no money or family I would be better off in the sword." "Well those are good point's. So where do we go now?" "That little thestral is your choice just remember I'm here if you need help now close your eyes." Starshade closed his eyes and opened them when he heard the sound of rushing water then he looked over his body before checking his surroundings. His black fur was matted with blood and the silver highlights in his purple mane and tail were stained a shimmering pink so he moved in to wash up taking in the dense forest. "Ok it looks like I have my body but." "But nothing I'm a demon I'm a creature born of the darkness and darkness has no need to lie. "So demons don't lie grea- wait why I still hear you. I can cast a spell linking you to me so we can keep in touch "Wait you cast a spell in my body how is that possible?" "Well I'm a demon after I just used my magic through the sword." "So can I do that." "kind of you have a little control over my magic but only control over lighting that's it." Starshade got up and grabbed the sheathed Phantasma before looking around "Well that's just great. I have no idea where the nearest town is." "Well you might want to walk or fly in a direction. Preferably upstream." Starshade was about to move when he heard rustling behind him so he pull out Phantasma and flew up into a tree hung in the shadows and closed his eyes listening in on the three cloaked figures that walked out of the brush one large figure with a giant sword on its back and two small figures. "Master this is pointless the temple was destroyed and the demon god weapon was nowhere to be found can't we just go home." said a  fillies voice from under one of the small cloaks. "No Crystal we can't." Said the sword wielder "Why Master? "Because master can still sense the weapon." Said another fillies voice from the other small cloak. "Your such a drag Dredge can't you think about me for once." Crystal said in a board tone. "Why? You do enough of that yourself princess." Dredge said pulling out a metal yo-yo and playing with it. "Quiet you two." "Yes master." "It's close Nidhogg can sense it in fact he says were right on top of it." "Oh really then I think I have a way we can find it faster." Crystal took of her cloak revealing her small unicorn body frost blue fur, long jet black tail, mane and her sharp frost blue horn. Her purple eyes were cold and distant as she pulled a pin out of mane which she surrounded with her black aura causing it to grow into a twinblade which she spun before tapping the ground causing it to freeze quickly spreading out from where she was standing. "Starshade move now." Starshade dropped down opened his wings and started to fly away only gaining a little distance before get caught in a wire net. "Sorry buddy no pony has ever escaped Jormungander now give up that sword and I will let you go." Dredge said reeling him in like a fish. "Never." "Well I asked nicely, master?" "Take him with us were headed home." Said the large cloaked stallion "Ok then lets go little bat." Dredge dragged Starshade for a few minutes before he finally spoke "So what's your name?" "I'm Dredge line the princess over their is Crystal Winter so what's your name little bat." "My name is Starshade Eclipse." "Well Starshade let me just say your pretty calm for being foalnapped." "Well what can I say I just lost my home, my family, and I just learned the sword my family worshiped believing it protected us from storms housed a demon. So I taking the foalnapping as a step up, so where are you taking me." "To the Princesses mansion it's where we stay and the master trains us and maybe you if your weapon calls for it in fact we should be getting close enough to see it soon, their it is winter estate." "Impressive." Starshade stared at the large manor in the middle of the forest that seemed to get bigger as he got closer. Crystal looked back at Starshade with a judging glare before turning ahead. "Thank you just don't steal any thing." "Rude Crystal rude." "No no it's quite all right that's my talent I'm a undesirable, a thief." Starshade turned to his side and show his cutiemark a glove removing a jewel from a glass case. "Well then that's interesting so your another who's mark would shun them from others." "What do you mean?" "I lived in a port town where a lot go goods came and went so imagine everyponies reaction when my cutiemark says I'm going to be a pirate in this day and age." Dredge took of her cloak showing her ash colored fur, curly ruby mane and tail which she had braided not even attempting to cover the bloody jolly rogers on her hips. "Got run out of my orphanage and town because of it but you know what's funny the princess is like us and it's the reason were in the forest her talent is." "THAT'S ENOUGH DREDGE! that's enough." "What's wrong Crystal why hide who you are or if I saw it will you give in we all need to do our talent what are you know that murderer." Dredge jumped back dodging a downward slash from Crystal's twinblade let Starshade clearly see her cutiemark a ponies head pierced by a sword. "Crystal control yourself, Dredge stop antagonizing her, and Starshade welcome to your new home student." Said the cloaked stallion removing his cloak reveling his navy blue fur and silver pink hair and his wolf eyes cutiemark. The foals stared bugged eyed at the large cloak before saying at the a same time. "Are you serious." "Like a heart attack." "This looks like it would be interesting." //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 2 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 2 Ten Years later Starshade, Crystal and Dredge were standing in front of a grave each were holding a bag and Starshade had a wrapped greatsword before a butler walked outside with a rust colored scarf, a emerald neckless, a sapphire bracelet and a note and a picture of yellow pegasus with a pink mane which Starshade picked up and read out loud. Well my students if your reading this I'm dead but I have a mission for you find my grandfilly and give her Nidhogg and teach her how to use him and to help you I have left you some lesser demon items to complement your weapons. Starshade you get the scarf in it holds a metal demon, Crystal you get the neckless inside is a wind demon, and finally Dredge your bracelet has a earth demon. My students you are my second greatest pride save my own daughter now go out in to world and do what you do best and have fun. Starshade put on his new scarf only for static to rap around it. "Phantasma what did you just do." "I ate our new friend and took his power I don't see why I should have to share you with a lesser demon." Starshade shrugged before asking. "Well then shall we go we have a lot of ground to cover?" "Yes let's I'm tired of looking at my prison it's such a drag." Crystal answered looking back at her manor with disgust as she put on her cloak. "The Princess is right theirs no point of staying around here anymore so let's go and besides I know your itching to acquire some more jewel's and bit's than we stuffed in this bag." Dredge said donning her cloak. "So true, anyway so this is the mare were looking for I have to admit she's cute." Starshade said studied the picture before donning his cloak "So we head to Appleoosa and ask about her right?" "That seams like the plan." Both mares said before the three took their leave toward Appleoosa weapons concealed. After a few hours the group made it to the peaceful Appleoosa ready to work their magic. Starshade was the first in the town walking calm through the streets melding into the back round walking in echo with the crowd around him before he stared swiping bit pouches and jewelry without anypony noticing as he made his way to the town's bar. Meanwhile Crystal and Dredge walked through the side streets looking for any back alley deals they could take advantage of but finding nothing to speak of they decided to meet Starshade at the bar and gather information so they could move on but as soon as they walked into the bar they saw Starshade surrounded by a gang earth ponies. "Hey are you going to apologize punk or do we have to beat manners into you." Said a stallion that bumped into Starshade spilling his drink. "Hey you bumped into me, you should be apologizing to me now back off before I make you." Starshade said looking ready to pull out Phantasma. "We should stop him." Dredge said reaching for jormungandr with hesitation. "No let him start a fight that just means I get to finish fight if need be." Crystal said reaching for Ragna with a smile. The gang circled Starshade even tighter making sure he couldn't move past them as one of them handed the leader a iron pipe. The stallion started swinging at Starshade who didn't even make an attempt to fight back as he dodge every swing with ease maintaining his draw stance. "So slow." Starshade whispered just low enough that only his opponent could hear as his dodges started getting later and later until finally Starshade dodged the millisecond the pipe would have connected leaving an afterimage that pipe swung through scaring the stallion enough to shake his footing that's when Starshade made his move he moved in close and swept the stallions hoofs with a low kick before grabbing his face then letting Phantasma lighting channel through his body electrocuting the stallion then letting him fall. The gang was terrified of the scene before them, their leader smoking on the floor and Starshade was staring at them like they were insects. The gang members were back pedaling slowly planning on running as soon as anything happened until they backed into a wire web hearing voices behind them. "Nice job Starshade because you had to show off none of them have an ounce courage in them do you have to be such a greedy drag." Crystal said putting away her twinblade. "Sorry Crystal my instincts took over when his guard dropped." "Princess don't wine he saved you from the run out of town when you would have killed them." Dredge said tapping the web causing it to shift and wrap around the gang as Starshade walked closer and pull out the picture. "Have you seen this mare before?" Five minutes later the three were on a train to manehatten a whole lot richer thanks to Starshade and with the knowledge of the mare's name and home. Crystal was sighing as she looked out her window. "I can't believe the track to ponyville busted and we have to detour to manehatten this is such a drag." "Look in the bright side Crystal somepony might try to mug you." Starshade said laughing softly as he counted his gains. "Yeah that would be awful." Crystal said laughing softly before relaxing letting the vibrations of the train lull her to sleep like Dredge did. "Yeah awful." //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 3 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 3 Starshade, Dredge and Crystal had finally made it to manehatten in the middle of the night and decided to hang their for a while before moving to their next stop in Ponyville. Starshade was the first on off the train and started to do his thing as he blended into the crowd with ease before he walked into the nearest alley to wait for his friends tossing a freshly nicked coin pouch in his hand when he heard a nose. Quickly hiding the pouch in his cloak Starshade closed his eyes and wait for another sound after he pulled to earplugs out of his ears and begun to let the sounds of the city make him a map. "Hey I can hear your breathing come out." Starshade said opening his eyes watching the trashcans where a small filly walked out from holding her head and a fancy tearing dagger most of her golden fur was singed, her emerald mane and tail were burned at the edges. The filly was mumbling as she approached cradling the dagger. "I won't go back they want take friend way." The filly looked directly at Starshade who was smiling when he saw what made the filly even more interesting. The filly charged at Starshade dagger aimed at his leg but as she got close something stopped her. She looked down to see her hoof's were frozen to the ground. "Starshade you shouldn't be playing with fillies." Crystal said her horn glowing softly as ice started to climb up the fillies body. "Especially trash like this one." "I don't know Crystal one ponies trash may be another ponies treasure." "What do you mean?" "Just watch." Starshade just backed up as the ice started to overtake the filly turning her into an ice statue but then her dagger started to glow before bursting into flames. Crystal looked surprised as the frozen filly started to thaw. "So a flame demon weapon how did you know?" Dredge asked slow clapping as the filly thawed out and immediately fainted. "I heard her mumbling about her friend cradling that dagger." "So you made a guess." "Pretty much." "So the question is what do we do with her?" "Lets take her with us." Both mares looked at Starshade like he was crazy forcing him to continue. "We can train her if need be plus she doesn't look like she has any where to go." Dredge nodded but Crystal looked at the filly as if trying to fine something before finally sighing using her magic to pick up the filly before they went to find a good hotel. The next morning the filly woke up in an bed surrounded by wire each holding an ice spike pointed directly at her she reached around avoiding the wires trying to find her dagger. "Impesh where are you I need you. Help me." She said still reaching until she heard a door open. Dredge walked in and notice the filly quickly close her eyes pretending to sleep. "Hey she's awake." she said calling for the others waiting for them to walk in before making a move. Crystal walked in first holding Impesh tossing it to the little filly before Starshade walked in with a plate of food which he place in front of the filly after Dredge removed her traps. "So what's your name?" Starshade asked with a warm smile. "Why should I tell my foalnappers my name?" The filly answered looking at her captors with a neutral mask. "Why should we keep a nameless foal alive?" Crystal answered back snapping her finger causing a ring of ice spikes to appear around the fillies neck but the filly didn't even flinch locking eyes with Crystal who started to smile. "Touché, the name's Ember Will." "Well Ember we have some questions, first why were on the street?" Dredge with a warm smile. "I ran away from my orphanage." "Why?" "They wanted to take Impesh from me I've had him as long as I could remember plus I hated it their." "Well that answers one and two now the final question if you had a choice will you go back to that orphanage?" "Never." "Good because you do have a choice." Starshade said stretching. "What?" "You can go to the streets and be where you were before or come with us and learn how to really use Impesh?" The filly looked at the three then at her dagger which was glowing a warm orange glow. "lead the way." "Good filly. My name is Starshade Eclipse." "I'm Crystal Winter." Crystal said removing the ice ring. "And I'm Dredge Line, welcome to the family." Dredge said leaving the room before coming back with a filly sized cloak and a dagger sheath. Ember smiled a little her eyes shining as a cloak and a dagger sheath was tossed to her. "Family." She said to herself as she put on her new equipment and join her new family as they finished up their breakfast before heading out for their last stop.