A day had passed since my encounter with Zecora, the shaman of the Everfree Forest, we had gotten to known each other on that single day in her tree. It's surprising to know that the horse people were actually ponies and this land was called Equestria. Celestia and Luna are the rulers of this land and their "subjects." Zecora told me more about herself on why she moved to the Everfree and how she met seven ponies that helped her fit in at Ponyville, these ponies sounded nice for helping Zecora, but they take action without thinking straight first. My end of telling her of my past life was that I'm still in training of fighting with a weapon or hand to hand, Zeal was my trainer on using the hell energy and my wings, but when he got promoted he didn't have time to train me anymore. I told her that I literally have no heart at all, only my soul is keeping me alive and that my blood is a fuel source to keep it lit.

Zecora told me that I can live here with her anytime that I wanted to, this was my first to have a friend that's not a demon or a male. She's very nice in the way that she'll help someone that needed her aid. I asked her to train me hand to hand since Zeal wasn't around to train me, she was surprised that I asked her that, but she agreed on helping me train on hand to hand combat in her tribal fighting style. The training would start nearby the tree house, but it won't be straight into fighting, Zecora said that we need to focus on being calm and elastic. Her tribe fighting style requires to be calm in a fight and be flexible on avoiding being hit so easily.

Zecora and I were getting ready to head to Ponyville to pick up some herbal flowers from a flower shop in Ponyville. We had our cloaks on us, but I had my hoodie up since I don't want anyone to see my face. I made Zecora promise not to tell anyone about me because I don't know their reactions and that Celestia would hunt me because I called her a bitch. It's best to keep my face hidden from view and that I don't want anyone to know about me.

We walked out of the tree and followed a path towards Ponyville, the trip wasn't that long only a seven minute walk, from what Zecora had told me. The forest was chirping from birds in the trees and far distances, skies were clear of clouds making it a sunny day free of clouds. Everything around was a bit humid because of yesterday storm, it won't affect my flames in any way possible. To be truthful about this morning it was amazing though it's not really impressive like the night sky.

"Hey Zecora," I called out Zecora's name and caught her attention." After we get the herbal flowers from the flower shop what are we doing after that?"

"A good question you have asked, we would go back home for your training to begin." Zecora said answering my question, it was nice to have someone else to talk to. We strolled out of the forest to a huge clearing showing a small town at the far side away from the forest, I can see the roof of houses from this distance. We continued walking to the small settlement, the entire clearing was grass with a few flowers and little of trees.

Zecora and I went into town everyone was staring at me confused or scared, I didn't pay any attention to everyone in this town. People kept on looking at us and whispered to one another about me. They seemed to be a bit scared of just looking at me, but a few of them just don't care and went back to their own activities. It's probably my swords that caused most of them to be scared and the other to be curious on why I have my weapons on me. We both arrived at the flower shop where Zecora would buy some flowers for her potion making and to be grinded in the mortar and pestle.

"I'll wait out here for you, Zecora." I told and sat down on a chair near pots of various flowers, except for the Zap flower plant, I had unlucky encounter with. Zecora went inside the shop while I sat on my chair and watched everyone walking around doing their own business, some of them took small glances at me with either a scared look or a confused one. Out of one of these groups was a minted pony with a brilliant cyan hair and tail with a white streaks, she was wearing a dark yellow T-shirt, minted hoodie, and pair of blue jean pants. This girl has been staring at me for quite sometime now and it's starting to get a little annoying and creepy at the same time. The woman walked over to me and looked down at me, I'm glad that my hoodie shadow covers my face.

"What do you miss?" I asked but didn't move my head up to look at her.

"Oh sorry, I was just wondering what are you?" She asked and lowered herself a bit down to get a better view of my face. I pulled my hoodie down some more to prevent her from seeing even a small part of my face.

"I'm just a traveler with many scars and lost of memories, so I don't know about my kind." I lied and crossed both of my arms and lowered my head some more. The pony let out a sad sigh and looked back up at me, she was still leaning down towards me.

"I'm sorry for that question. My name is Lyra Heartstring." Lyra said her name and raised up her right hand up." What's your name?"

"My name's Heartless, and it's nice to meet you Lyra." I said my demon name and unfolded my right arm and shook her hand. Lyra smiled at the friendly handshake and pulled back her hand, I did the same with mine and folded my arms again.

"It's nice meeting you Heartless, but I have to get back with my marefriend."

"It's nice meeting you too Lyra," I said my goodbye and waved at her, she did the same and walked over to her girlfriend. I'm guessing that their is such a thing of lesbian in this world, now I'm wondering how many males are out there to cause this to happen. The door in the flower shop opened with Zecora walking out of it with a brown bag around her waist." So did they have what you needed?"

"Ah yes they did for the right price that is, but do not fear as I had enough bits to purchase the herbs that I need." Zecora rhymed and gestured me to follow. I got up from my chair and followed her back to the Everfree forest, everyone that we had passed the first time no longer looked at me, except a few. Our journey back to Zecora's tree at the Everfree, the walk back to Zecora would take thirteen minutes to get there.

Zecora and I made it back at her place with the herbal flowers safe in her pouch, I had taken a liking on the forest. Zecora told me to met her at a pond northeast of the trees, pass a couple of vines that can tangle a timberwolf if one ever tries to get pass the vines, she had to put away the herbal flowers away before training me. I made my way towards the pond and followed where she told me to go. Vines hung in my way to the pond, it was difficult to climb the vines and tried my best not to get tangled in them.

After getting through the vines, I found myself by a pond with no sunlight piercing through the leaves. The entire place was only lit up by glowing cyan blue crystals emitting light. This whole place looks very peaceful because of the quietness, the pond with one huge cyan blue shard crystal under it water surface, and the light from the crystals. The pond seemed to be deep enough for someone to swim in, I walked over to the edge of the pond water and sat down on the dirt.

With no sounds in this area I started to get bored and pulled out my phone, this device only held music nothing else. I scrolled through songs in search of finding a peaceful music that can kill my boredom, but all my searching came to a stop on a song " Shadows" by Lindsey Stirling. I plugged in the earphones and put them on and started the song, while the song was playing I took off my cloak and my gloves then threw them away from the pond on the ground. The song was pleasant to listen to and with the scenery made it look like this was a perfect play for dancing shadows.

After the song ended I pulled out my earphones from my ears and put my phone and earphones on my cloak, a snap caused me to pull out my swords. From behind a tree Zecora walked over to me with a three feet long bamboo in her right hand, she had different clothes on. She was wearing a black sports bra along with same color sports shorts, there was probably a reason why she's wearing those clothes. When Zecora was close by the pond edge, I sheathed both swords and stood by her side, she hands me the bamboo in her hand and walked on the water.

"Here is where I train you, but do worry as the crystal beneath the watery surface would keep us afloat. Now sit right here and meditated as take play everyday, until you are ready to be train," Zecora explained and gesture at the center of the pond above the crystal under the water. I hesitated at first on walking over the water to the center, but that all changed when I set foot on the water surface. It felt like another ground, except it's water, I walked on the water towards where Zecora had pointed and sat down both legs crossed." Hold this and keep it straight as I would make a leap on it."

I did what Zecora told me and took the bamboo from Zecora's hand and held it in my right hand keeping it straight as possible. She took two steps back before jumping on the top end of the bamboo and balance on a single hoof. I had trouble on keeping the stick straight because of the force of Zecora's landing and her weight, but I finally manage to keep it straight.

After four hours of meditation on the water surface of the pond we headed back to Zecora's home, don't think I mastered it first try when Zecora told me I had to meditate, I couldn't hold the bamboo straight without it shaking in my hand. I can hold Alduin's pommel on the palm of my hand with my eyes open and using my strength and focus on keeping the greatsword balanced. This case I had to meditate while holding a bamboo in my hand and keeping it balance along with Zecora on top of it, but each time I do it she would jump off and I would fall in the pond. Not everything can be done at first try it takes time to master something even it is so basic, this is one of them that would take time.

"Zecora, I'm gonna walk around the Everfree forest. So I'll be back in three hours." I said, there are still more things I have to know where is where. Zecora nodded and opened the door in her tree and entered in, I still really don't know how she hollowed out a tree in this forest with dangerous animals around, but something's can't really be explained. I walked away from the tree and headed to a nearby clearing for me to take flight, being a demon with wings can help travel better like areas like these, in the air I might see Ponyville. At a clearing I spread out my wings and stretched them out first, being hidden in my body in three days can cramp them. After my stretch I jumped into the air and flapped my wings keeping me airborne, the wind was blowing in the air, but not enough to push me.

I scanned the entire area to see a ruined castle, a castle up on a mountain, two mountains with waterfalls, a cavern, and a mountain with a cave entrance in it. The rest was just trees and small clearings all around, except those other terrains I saw. There were choices on adventuring around the woods to explore these place, but not the castle in the mountain with a waterfall that place I had escaped from. The ruins were starting to catch more of my interests on exploring there to see what I could find or even make it a small home for me. The ruined castle won my choice of exploration first, I flapped my wings and flew over to the ruins.

Flying can get you to places faster than traveling on foot, it took nine minutes to soar through the sky to the ruins and it would have taken me triple the amount to walk on the ground to this place. The place was in ruins from the time it has spent here and plant life grew on its stone walls and ceilings. I flew down close to ground and dropped out of the air landing on my feet, the landing would have just strain someone's legs if they hadn't jumped off a two story building. The sun was still up in the sky, but it was getting close to night.

I took a look at my surrounding to see if anyone had been here and to see if there was anything useful, but I found none that can be any use. When I able to take single step towards the castle, I saw crimson mist coming from the castle front doors. It was strange to see mist flowing out from the cracks of the door, it wasn't right and it felt very familiar to me like hell energy itself. Not taking a chance of being caught unguard I drew out both my swords and walked to the castle's door, the mist flowing out of the cracks was recharging my own hell energy. Now know that the red mist was indeed hell energy itself means that the demons had opened a portal to Equis, I opened the door enough for a peek inside.

There was someone inside this castle standing in the middle of the great hall standing on a satanic circle, the circle itself was glowing like fire, except showing no flames. I pushed the door quietly to avoid being detected by this person by the satanic circle, the circle sometimes meant a demon just came out of hell or it's just gathering hell energy from it. I snuck to left of a doorway and hid behind a corner, the doorway was actually stairs that led down.

With my hell energy full I could summon Alduin and used it against this mysterious person, but my cloak won't do well on hiding my face. I looked down on my hands and focused on my hell energy to change my form from human to demon. My body started to change as violet and blue flames appeared at all my limbs and made their way up to my head. My skin was no longer white to scarlet red, hands were claws, my cloak and clothes underneath changed into scale like skin, my hair stayed in place as two horns grew around back and one grew back down, a mask formed around the front of my face with two slanted eye and a row of sharp white teeth, two my wings sprung out with pointed tips, and last my tail grew out five feet long. I raised my right hand up and summon Alduin, the same colored flames appeared at my hand then went to the left with the greatsword conjured behind it. After summoning my sword, I walked out of the corner and towards the mysterious person.

When I drew near the person, he or she noticed me and looked back behind him or her, the mysterious person was wearing blue armor with two crescent moons on both side of his or her hips, helmet with four holes in it two for the eyes and two for the ears and a spike in between two ear holes. The person wasn't a pony nor a zebra, the way I can tell because a pony or zebra ears would be showing through the holes on top of the helmet. I stopped a yard away from the person, he or she turned around revealing more...it's a female, the armor was meant for a female because of the breast plates.

"uoy era ohW?" The person in the armor questioned in a deep male voice, I had mistaken it as a girl. I knew the language of what he asked me in, it was demonic language, but I also recognize his voice though I can't place a finger on it.

"tsrif uoY!” I relied back not wanting to give this demon my name, only one demon knows about me and he is Zeal. The demon looked behind him at the satanic circle then he looked back at me, he raised his left hand and conjured a sword out of shadows, the blade was also familiar to me. I raised mine and pointed it at him and formed a purple flames on my left hand, this battle won't be easy since I don't really know what type of demon he is or what rank he's on. We both waited for one another to make the first move, we both darted towards each other with our swords ready to strike, we were two meters away from each other I swung Alduin at his side causing the blade grinded against the stone floor, the demon blocked it with his blade by colliding his blade with mine. I aimed my left hand at the head of the demon and prepared to fire a fireball at his head, but he grabbed my wrist and flung me over him to the stair, my body slammed against the stone steps. The demon threw his sword at me and impaled me in the stomach causing me to cough out blood and stopped me from sliding down the steps, he was definitely ahead of my league and was much more experience on fighting than me, the demon ran over to me and pulled out the sword then flung me across the room.

I had lost some amount of blood and even more if I keep on fighting, the gash in my chest healed instantly, but I didn't get up or move. Sound of clanking armor drew near me and in my view was the demon in that armor, he knelt down one one kneel and brought the bladed edge of the sword up to my neck.

"eman rouy em llet, em llik uoy erofeB." I said wanting to know this demon name before I died.

"laeZ," When he said that name I changed back into my human form catching Zeal off guard." Justin! I could have killed you!" Zeal pulled me up to my feet and brushed off the dirt on the back of my cloak, he examined me to be sure that he didn't do any serious damage on me. A sigh of relief came from him knowing he didn't do any serious damage on me and to tell the truth it hurts like a bitch to be stabbed through the chest.

"What happened to you Zeal and why are you in a woman armor?" I asked.

"It's a long story so here's the short version.” Zeal began to tell his short story of what happened to him and why he was wearing girl armor.

Zeal had a rough time of getting out of hell to Tartarus, he had three errands of his own to do and the three errands were books. There not ordinary books like reading and not learning about history or entertainment, Zeal stolen three books one from each library of Hell's library, Heaven's library, and a library in this castle. Zeal had difficulty on stealing a book of spells from heaven, but managed to not get caught by any angels, hell's library wasn't a problem to him since he is a demon. The crystal did take him to Tartarus in front of its gates, but the crystal took a lot of hell energy from him making him weak. Tartarus was located near the Everfree at the far Southwest passed the mountains, it took him two whole days just to travel through the forest to this castle.

Tartarus doesn't give off any energy making that place useless to live in, but the satanic circle and seal still works for offering energy and makes it useful to have a forever lasting energy. Zeal told me after the two whole days he found the female armor, he's wearing right now, since he couldn't recover any hell energy to keep himself alive, Zeal placed a possess seal inside the armor. The reason why he choose this armor because it was strong enough to hold his soul in it, the other armor he tried to possess would break apart. The satanic circle in the middle of the great hall was recharging his hell's energy, but when I cut in and fought him recklessly he didn't get that much from it. At the end of his short story the result it brought me in was a uncontrollable laugh of him being in girl armor.

"This is not funny!" Zeal yelled at me being mad that he's in that girl armor and mad that I haven't shut up." It was the only armor that's strong enough to hold my soul and I don't have a forge for me to reconstruct this armor!" My uncontrollable laughter died down for a break and to stop the pain my stomach, once I calmed down I looked at Zeal who had his arms crossed.

"Sorry," I sheepishly smiled and regain my composure I now had my serious face on." Anyway, while you weren't here on Equis I made a friend and she is my trainer." The last part was mumbled, but Zeal heard it though I can't really see his facial expression due to his helmet head.

"Well, that's good I wouldn't be able to train you anymore. Now will I see her or will you just waste more time than we have until dark," Zeal said and unfolded his metal arms and pointed it at a broken window above us, the sun light was dimming as we just stood here. I had completely forgot that the sun was going down and that the moon was soon going to replace it. With that news in my head I gesture Zeal to follow out the castle, but before Zeal complied he destroyed the stone that the satanic circle was on and followed.

We walked out through the castle door and headed towards Zecora's home, she'll be probably surprised to see Zeal or to see a demon in a girl armor.

POV Zecora

It has been two hours since Justin had left to explore the Everfree and it's starting to worry me about his safety, he may be a demon from another world, but he can still die from anything. The sky was filled with stars along with the moon giving off a white glow from it, I had already started cooking some stew for him and I. It won't be long until he comes knocking on my door from his short exploration he took, I gather the required ingredients to make vegetable stew along with minted tea. In the cauldron was water along with berry flower and pepper.

A knock on the door caught my attention and caused me to walk over and open it, on the other side I could not believe it Justin was back along with a guest behind. He sheepishly smiled and looked back at the pony behind him and back at me, he cleared his throat and raised his right hand at his companion.

"Zecora this is Zeal, Zeal this is Zecora the one who's training." I was surprised to hear that this pony behind Justin was Zeal the one who trained him before what Justin said: "he was promoted."

"Ah, a Zebra, never thought a creature from this world would train him, I would have to say thank for taking him under your care," Zeal said his voice was dark and low, he sounded pleased that Justin was under my training." But where's my manners as Justin already introduced us it is a pleasure to meet you Zecora." He raised his left gauntlet hand up towards me pass Justin, even for a demon he seemed to be well mannered like a pony.

"It is pleasure to meet you as well," I said and raised my left hand by his, we both shook and let go. A growl from Justin's stomach made him scratched the back of his with small smile on his lips, he was sniffing the air." Ah I see that you are hungry, but do not worry as I'm cooking dinner in my cauldron." Justin grinned knowing that the food I am cooking is one of his favorites, I gestured them to come in and walked back to the cauldron, the water in it was boiling readied to for me to cook in. With the help of Justin on cooking vegetable stew was ready to be eaten for the night meal, but Zeal insisted on not eating he was thinking of something.

Zeal

A home, we are missing a home in this world, a place to call as one of our own land and one for shelter and a place to call a home. I looked at both Zecora and Justin they were eating their stew, I am glad that she took him in and train him in her ways. There were many places I could build a home in a tree or out of stone, but with this forest full of different types of human mythology it would be wise to build a home inside of a mountain. The time it will take to carve the insides of a mountain would take months for a regular builder with magic or spell to use. Luckily for me that cave I had was what I did over two days when I first turned eighteen, but a home in a mountain would take a week or a small bit longer to finish. Breaking the news to the both of them, but I know that Justin would be happy to know a place to call home was going to be built, but he has to buy the furniture.

Both of them finished their stew and set the wooden carved bowls on a wooden table near them, this was a chance to tell Justin my plans. I got up from a chair by the door and walked over to the both of them, Justin noticed my presence because of the clanking metal from this armor, Zecora got up and took the bowls and wooden spoons with to a homemade wooden sink.

"Justin, may we talk?" I had ask, his reply was a nod." I have been think about building a home in a nearby mountain, but it will take a week or a bit than that so I'm just letting you know that you're buying furniture for it. Don't think I'm forcing you on leaving Zecora's home you're still going to live here, but I'm leaving these here for you to learn spells." I opened up my chest place where I hidden the books and handed them to him, he looked at them with wide eyes before hugging me." So just keep training with Zecora and learn ways that can help you, who knows that you might have two different pools of energy." The hug broke as Justin pulled back with a smile spread across his face, he must be excited and happy that we're having a place to live later and that he can continue his training.

I walked towards the door of this tree and waved my right hand for a farewell goodbye then exit out of the place. The forest atmosphere was filled with chirping crickets, a night like this with a full view of the moon would make Justin feel like he was in a safe place where nothing will ever go wrong... I might build that as a garden balcony later on.

Author's Note

There are those don't know any demon language so I give those that don't know how to translate backward words, read it backwards.

Music in story

Edited by Lone