The Night Train

Chapters

Night Ride
But Where We Gonna Go?
Mother Knows Best

Night Ride

The Night Train

Darkness surrounded the lone human as he continued his trek along the abandoned train tracks. The time was well into the night as a light breeze forced a shiver from the human. The human rubbed his arms for warmth, though in all honesty, he didn’t really care at the moment.

“Damn, ponies. Friendship my ass,” the human scoffed with the click of his tongue.

“Bunch of xenophobic little hypocrites is what they are,” he added before raising the pitch of his voice.

“Oh Eric, of course we want to be your friends. That is, until I am done with my research and no longer have a use for you. But you don’t mind that do you? You said you are used to it back on Earth, so you should be able to cope with the feeling.” Eric stated in his best Twilight impression before sighing.

“Would it kill any of them to actually give me a chance?” Eric tiredly asked aloud.

The human continued on his journey for another hour or so. His destination was unknown, just anywhere that wasn’t full of hypocritical ponies. Thoughts of the past three months filled Eric’s mind, but did little to alleviate his feelings. A loud whistle soon brought the human out of his trance. Looking behind him, Eric noticed that a bright light was racing along the tracks and towards his position.

“Guess the tracks aren’t abandoned,” Eric mumbled with a sigh.

“Just another thing I was wrong about.” Stepping off to the side to allow the train to pass, Eric was rather surprised as the train came to a slow before stopping about a hundred feet in front of him. Looking around for any sort of life, Eric was suddenly startled as a large door on the side of the train opened, revealing a long metal ramp inside. Looking around once more, the human shrugged before casually making his way towards the ramp and open door.

“Have nothing else to lose. Might as well see what they want,” Eric stated aloud, before stepping onto the ramp and inside the single long-car of the train. If Eric were to say he was surprised, it would have been an understatement for the human. Inside the train car was what he could only describe as high-class. A long bar, stocked fully with high-end liquor and wines, was nestled snuggly against the right side of the wall. Near the other side of the car was a lavish red couch that lined the back and part of the left wall. Strewn about on the accompanying table were magazines of sexualized mares and stallions, forcing the human to look away with a light blush. Through the door the human had entered was another door to the right, which most likely led into the lead car that pulled the one Eric was currently in. To his left was an already set dining table for two, complete with folded napkins atop pristine white plates, accompanied with a water and wine glass.

“What do you think?” A feminine voice sounded from behind, causing the human to almost piss his pants in surprise as he jumped forward from the voice. Spinning around, Eric noticed whom the new voice belonged too. It was a unicorn-mare, most likely in her mid-twenties. She sported a dark-blue coat with black mane and tail. Her uncovered cutie mark was a pair of white dice, though the most notable feature was her red eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” the mare stated apologetically as she made her way behind the bar, not before gently running her tail along the human’s waist as she passed. After passing by the human, the door that Eric had entered through closed before he felt the train lurch forward and begin to move.

“Can I offer you something to drink?” the mare questioned, already seeming to fix herself something to drink as if this was a normal occurrence for her. Feeling a bit cautious, Eric slowly made his way over to the bar, dropping his backpack next to his stool on the ground and eyeing the mare suspiciously.

“You have any watermelon-vodka and sprite?” Eric asked, watching the mare for any hint of malicious intent. The mare put a hoof to her chin in thought, as her eyes locked with the ceiling cutely.

“You know, I may just have a bottle stashed away in here,” she replied. The mare turned her back to the human before crouching down and rummaging through the bottom of the liquor cabinet, while also giving the human an unobstructed view of her nicely shaped flank. To his credit, Eric was more interested in liquor than the mare in front of him at the moment.

A minute or so passed before the mare righted herself with a large clear bottle of her magical-blue grasp.

“You’re in luck. Last bottle I had,” she added before mixing Eric his drink. During the ordeal, he couldn’t help but notice the mare sneaking quick looks at him from the corner of his eye.

“Go ahead and ask your question. You seem rather curious,” Eric stated in a neutral tone. The mare behind the bar gave him a small smile before curiosity set in.

“What sort of species are you? I have yet to see someone as exotic as you in my travels.” The particular use of the word ‘someone’ caught the human’s attention, noting that all of the ponies he had encountered so far used the term ‘somepony’.

“I’m a human. And I’m not surprised you haven’t seen one of me before, since I’m the only one on this planet.” Eric watched the mare’s expression as he divulged this certain bit of information. He noticed a faint bit of shock, though the mare quickly hid it as she nodded her head before finishing his drink.

“I see. So how exactly were you born then?” The mare slid the human his drink before indulging in one of her own as she waited for an answer.

“Probably the same way you were born. To a loving mother and father,” Eric stated with a smart-ass attitude. “Though that isn’t really what you wanted as an answer is it? You want to know why I’m the only one of my species on this world don’t you?” The mare gave a faint giggle while nodding her head.

“Exotic and smart. You are becoming more interesting by the second,” The mare added. Eric chuckled along with the mare before shaking his head.

“You seem to be one of the only ones that think that of me. Though as for why I am the only one on this world, it’s still a mystery. One day I was driving home from work and the next thing I know, I'm driving through the middle of a forest in a completely new world.” The mare across from Eric gave a confused stare as she pondered his answer.

“Do you mean to tell me that you are from another world?” The mare grew even more curious as she leaned on the counter, listening intently for the human’s response.

“Yes. I am from another world, much like you,” Eric added, while sipping his drink. The taste was sweet, though it burned his throat as the cool liquid went down. Looking up at the mare, he could see the hesitation in her crimson-red eyes.

“Trust me, I know what you are. A random train doesn’t just appear out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night and offer me a ride and drink for free. Though I do appreciate it.” A moment of silence goes by before Eric takes another swig of his drink before setting it down.

“So tell me. Are you the devil, or a demon?” the human asked. The mare across from Eric gave a heavy sigh of defeat.

“Maybe you are a little too smart,” she stated playfully with another sigh. “I am a middle-class demon. And before you ask, no. I do not work for the devil.” She added before noticing a smile from the human.

“So I take it that you want to make a deal for my soul?” Eric questioned, though he showed no signs of hesitation or fear. He was pleasantly surprised when the mare shook her head.

“I’m not really that sort of pony. I am more of a gambling mare. You, of course, will be betting your soul. But if you win,” the mare trailed off before leaning over the counter and into the human’s ear. “I will grant you any desire within my power,” she softly whispered, giving the human’s ear a light nibble to emphasize that she meant ‘anything’.

“Do I have to state what sort of favor I want before we gamble for it?” Eric curiously questioned. The mare shook her head.

“You do not, though feel free if you want too. It makes no difference to me.” Eric nodded in confirmation as he downed the rest of his drink with a content sigh.

“I don’t suppose you will let me watch a few rounds before I agree to play the game. You know, just to see how it works.” The mare once again put a hoof to her chin in thought.

“Well, I’m not really supposed to allow that,” she stated before continuing. “Though since you are rather good company as opposed to some of the other ponies I’m used to getting, I will allow it. You can choose whether or not to play my game at the end of my shift, but on one condition.”

“And what would that one condition be?” Eric questioned. His glass was soon levitated off the table before the mare made him another drink and slid it towards him.

“Tell me more about your world.”

Six hours had passed since Eric agreed to the mare’s condition. Lilith, as Eric soon came to learn, was the name of the mare. Throughout the night, five unlucky ponies had sealed their first.

The first pony was a cream-coated mare along the outskirts of Manehattan. She was in her early thirties and was completely drunk out of her mind. Turns out that her husband had been cheating on her with a younger mare, which drove the older mare into a drunken stupor before she managed to find her way to the tracks. She was picked up a little after eleven. She had a few more drinks with Lilith, while also hitting on Eric in her drunkenness. She didn’t last long, as about twenty minutes after she had arrived, she had lost the game.

The second and third ponies were a couple of colt punks that had just stolen some money from an elderly mare. Their breath was laced with alcohol, which Eric could smell a mile away. Both of the colts agreed to bet their souls, in exchange for a good time with Lilith. If Eric had to admit, it was sort of satisfying watching the two teens beg for their lives as a pair of chains shot from the first train-car door and began dragging the two towards the darkness.

The fourth pony was not actually a pony at all. A female griffon happened to stumble upon the tracks a little after one in the morning. She decided to play in exchange for a large sum of money. In the end, she lost to Lilith, though she was the closest to winning out of all five ponies. In the end, she was reluctantly dragged into the first car much like the colts from before.

The fifth pony of the night was a bit of an oddity. He was much older, well in his seventies, and was adorned in a well-made suit. He had a few drinks, talked with Lilith and Eric for a while, before signing away his soul for free. No gambling or anything, just gave it away. After questioning Lilith about the encounter, Eric soon learned that while this was not common, it happened from time to time. She added that some ponies are abandoned by their families, whether because they are a financial burden or the fact that they just don’t care to take of them anymore. Either way, most of them become lonely and depressed, especially if they have outlived their husband or wife. So they wander aimlessly, looking for any sort of relief or comfort.

After hearing the story of the older stallion, Eric couldn’t help but sympathize with him. Being abandoned is hard enough, though by your very family. The human could understand the stallion’s train of thought and the reason why he acted like he did.

“So, are you ready to play?” Lilith asked, bringing Eric out of his thoughts.

“W-what was that again?” Eric questioned, not having heard Lilith the first time. Lilith rolled her eyes before giggling.

“You need to really pay attention. I said are you ready to play my game?” She asked again. Eric pondered the question for a minute or so, recalling everything he had learned from watching everyone else play.

“You know what, I think I will take you up on your offer. If I lose, you get my soul. But if I win, I get any favor I want from you.” Lilith beamed a smile before nodding her head.

“I accept your terms,” she stated, her horn glowing a dark blue before a full-size craps table appeared in the middle of the room.

“I think you already know the rules, but just for legalities sake, I will say them again. The game is played out of ten rounds. We will each roll a set of dice per round. Whoever has the higher total number will win that round. At the end of ten rounds, whoever has won more rounds will be the winner. In the event of a tie, more subsequent rounds will be played to determine the winner.” Eric nodded his head at the rules.

“Alright. Ladies first then,” Eric stated with a smirk, watching as Lilith made her way over to the craps table with more sway in her hips than she probably should have.

“Just to let you know, I am very competitive. Just because you are cute doesn’t mean I will take it easy on you,” Lilith stated as she grabbed the dice in her hoof. Throwing the dice down the table, the two pieces of perfectly formed plastic bounce a few times, before totaling out to seven. The mare smirked at Eric as the human approached the mare before grabbing his set of dice.

“Just to warn you, I won’t take it easy on you either, even if you do have a nice looking flank.”

“Oh, and here I thought you wouldn’t notice,” Lilith added before sticking her tongue out playfully. Eric rolled his eyes at the childish mare, before throwing his pair of dice towards the end of the table. The two pieces bounced several times before landing on double fours.

“Well, looks like I win the first round,” Eric stated triumphantly, though he knew better than to be celebrating.

“You may have won the round, but not the war,” Lilith responded, seeming to get a little more serious.

The two continued playing, making small talk as the time passed. Despite the odds of the game, Eric couldn’t help but playfully joke around with the mare. This was done more so for the express purpose of making her lose concentration. Eric noticed that whenever Lilith was about to lose, her eyes would glow a faintly red color. Though the human couldn’t prove it, he assumed the mare was influencing the odds of the game, allowing her to pull through at the very end. He also noticed that in order for this sort of technique to work, the mare had to be focused. A light hand brushing along the mare’s back was usually enough to mess up her concentration, though she grew resistant to this technique a few rounds in. Still, it was enough that the game was tied with four wins and four losses each, along with one tie.

“Alright Eric. This is the last roll. You sure you want to continue?” Lilith questioned. Eric scoffed and shook his head.

“I don’t think you would let me out of our deal since we are this close to the end,” Eric stated. Lilith stuck her tongue out playfully again with a nod.

“You are right, though I love to see my competition squirm,” she added before hesitating with her dice throw.

“You know what, you can go first on this one. I always love waiting till the very last throw. It adds so much suspense.” Eric eyed the mare cautiously before obliging her request.

“Suit yourself.” Throwing his dice, Eric could almost jump for joy as he totaled out at eleven for the throw.

“Hell yeah. Looks like I’m going to win the game,” the human boasted a little too proudly. He quickly toned down his celebration as the mare gripped only one of the dice in her hoof and threw it across the table with a smirk.

“It’s not over yet Eric.” Lilith stated, watching as the single die come to a stop on the number six. The sight gave the human a knot in the pit of his stomach. He knew that she was cheating, and he no longer had a way to distract the mare. As Lilith grabbed the last die, she gave a small smirk of victory.

“It was fun while it lasted Eric. But this is where I win.” As soon as the die left her hoof, Eric began to panic. There was only one way he could win this game, and that was if he distracted the mare. As if a light clicked on in the human’s head, Eric quickly grabbed hold of the mare before shoving his lips to her own. Lilith let out a feminine screech of surprise, though after a second, she was returning the sentiment ten-fold. The mare playfully wrestled the human’s tongue with her own, relishing in his exotic nature and taste. A minute passed by for both the human and mare, before the two broke from the kiss, a string of saliva connecting both their mouths.

“That was... wow,” Eric stated with a bright blush adorning his cheeks. Lilith could only smirk at the flustered reaction of the human.

“I’m surprised you did something like that. Very impulsive, though I’m not complaining. I like a stallion who can keep me on my hooves,” she playfully added before turning towards the table. Despite her earlier playful demeanor, it quickly changed to one of shock. There, lying on the opposite side of the table was her dice. In the surprise actions of the human, she had forgotten she had thrown it.

“Looks like I win,” Eric stated triumphantly, looking down at the Lilith’s six and four.

“H-how...” she quietly mumbled to herself, before feeling a soft hand on her back.

“Because, I needed to distract you. You didn’t think I wouldn’t notice your little trick with the dice did you?” He asked. Lilith looked back at her dice before looking at the human.

“W-what do you mean?” she stuttered. Long gone was the playful mare, replaced with a more cautious and worried one.

“I noticed it when you were playing against that griffon. Your eyes would glow when you were about to lose the round. And somehow every time you did that, you would get lucky and manage to win.” Lilith remained silent, whether for the fact that Eric had figured out what she was doing, or the fact that she had lost. It was until Eric clapped his hands together that Lilith snapped out of her trance.

“Now that I have won. I think I want to ask you for that favor.” Lilith let out a defeated sigh, but nodded her head.

“I’m surprised you caught that, though a deal if a deal. Any favor within my power and I will grant it.” She reiterated, though in a more neutral tone than before. It was now Eric’s turn to place a hand on his chin as he dwelled in thought.

“Hmm, let’s see. I could ask for anything I wanted to right. That means I could ask for an entire vault full of gold, or perhaps magical powers. Or maybe,” the human trailed off before looking down at Lilith with a grin. “Maybe I can make you my slave,” Eric stated aloud. He was quickly met with Lilith taking a step back from the human in fear.

“W-what? You can’t do that!” she practically yelled.

“And why not? It is well within your power to obey my every command,” Eric pointed out as he made his way slowly towards the mare. Lilith continued her back-pedaling, though couldn’t deny the human’s words. He was right and she knew it, whether she wanted to admit it or not. It wasn’t until Lilith had fallen on the couch, that Eric decided exactly what to do with the mare.

“I know exactly what favor I’m going to ask of you,” he said, practically pressing his face against the mare’s muzzle.

“Lilith, this is what you must do as my favor. I command you,” the human paused for dramatic effect, watching the mare in front of him with wide eyes. “I command you, to be my friend.”

Author's Note

Hey everyone, I hope you enjoy the story. Something a little silly and different. If you see any mistakes, please point them out. I'm very tired right now, and know I haven't corrected all of them. Anyways, I hope you all have a wonderful day and yeah! Time for bed! Wooo!!!!

But Where We Gonna Go?

Princess Celestia sat upon her throne in serenity. It was a slow day in Canterlot, one that gave the mare some time to herself between appointments with the petty squabbles of nobles. The mare closed her eyes for a moment, relishing in the soft rays of the sun along her coat. She was at peace as her mind soon lulled the mare into blissful thoughts. However, the echoing of the large, throne-room doors opening brought the mare back to reality, as she noticed a guard rushing towards her.

“Princess,” the stallion spoke before bowing quickly and righting himself. “There is trouble that requires your immediate attention. Eric Lancer disappeared from the town of Ponyville last night.” The guard watched as the expression of his beloved princess turned to one of annoyance.

“I know I should have kept him here in the castle,” Celestia mumbled under her breath. Standing from her throne, the mare spread her pristine wings as she summoned a particular guard from the corner of the room.

“Lieutenant Stonewall, I want you to gather a group of your best guards before setting off towards the town of Ponyville. Eric Lancer has gone missing and I want him back in this castle in no less than forty-eight hours. You are allowed to use force if the subject is unwilling to cooperate. Do I make myself clear?” The guard saluted the mare with a resound response.

“Yes Mam!” After a nod from the Princess, the Lieutenant left the throne room before heading towards the barracks.

“Princess, if I may ask. What is so important about this human?” The first guard questioned. Celestia let out a long sigh as she slowly walked over towards one of the large windows of the throne room. The view was captivating, as it accented her beautiful city of Canterlot and the ponies that inhabited it.

“Humans are an untrustworthy bunch of creatures. They are masters of war, able to lay destruction to any who stand in their way. They are intelligent, nimble, predators who prey on the weak,” Celestia stated with a scowl before turning towards her guard. “And they will not hesitate to stab you in the back for personal gain. Mark my words; humans are nothing but trouble, especially Eric Lancer. He possesses an intellect that far surpasses even my understanding. If left unchecked, I fear what sort of evil he will bring upon us all. He is without a doubt, the most dangerous creature to currently exist in Equestria.”

“Got any fours?” Eric casually asked. Lilith smiled at her friend before shaking her head.

“Go fish.” Eric scoffed under his breath as he grabbed a card from the top of the deck.

“So you never did tell me where we are going,” Eric added, as he relaxed into his seat while sipping on his fruity drink.

“I told you, it’s a surprise. Got any nines?” The human reluctantly handed the mare his card with a sigh, eliciting a faint giggle from across the table.

“Looks like I win again. I should have played this game with you the first time,” Lilith teased, bringing a smile to the human as he set his cards on the table.

“Yes you should have. Though you didn’t, which I am rather happy about.” A few moments of silence were shared between the two as Lilith used her magic to stack and reshuffle the deck.

“What’s it like, losing your soul?” Eric questioned. Lilith looked up from the cards on the table before musing over the question herself.

“I don’t really know. I heard it doesn’t really hurt and the transition is really fast. Most ponies die when they lose their soul, though there are a few who survive,” the mare finished as she dealt out the cards. The human picked up his hand before immediately pairing off a set of threes.

“And what happens to those who actually survive?” Lilith smiled softly as she set down a pair of fives and kings.

“I don’t really know. That isn’t really my department, so I couldn’t tell you,” she responded with a shrug of her shoulders. Eric frowned lightly at the response, though couldn’t really blame the mare. It wasn’t her fault that he was a curious human. Growing up, he would always question why something was the way it was. If he didn’t know the answer, he would try everything in his might to find it. This earned him a lot of respect from his teachers, though not so many points with other students. His over-developed curiosity made him in outcast in school. While this wasn’t really a bad thing in the human’s eyes, it did attract a lot of unwanted attention from bullies and manipulative assholes. Suffice to say, his four years of high school could have gone better.

“Got any eights?” Lilith asked, pulling Eric from his thoughts. Searching through his cards, the human let out a tired sigh as he handed it over.

“This is going to be a long ride.”

A couple hours or so had passed as Eric had found himself asleep on the rather comfortable couch, accompanied with a blanket and pillow under his head, courtesy of Lilith. The mare had opted to watch over the human, finding a small amount of comfort and amusement as she watched her new friend peacefully slumber.

Thoughts about the night’s events had left the mare in a conflicting state. It’s true that she was still upset about losing to the human, though given everything so far, she couldn’t really complain. Besides, it could have been much worse, especially if he had made her his slave.

The mare shivered at the thought as she got up from the couch and grabbed herself a few grapes from the fruit bowl on the bar. It wouldn’t be long now, at most another ten minutes or so before they would reach their destination. With a knowing smile, the mare threw the first grape into her mouth before almost chocking on the stupid piece of fruit as the train car began to suddenly brake. After a few coughs, the mare had managed to get the grape down, though decided to prolong her life by throwing away the others.

“W-what time is it?” the human asked, stirring from his spot on the couch. Lilith turned to greet the human, though paused as she could hardly contain her laughter at the human’s messed up mane. Eric caught the mare holding her side before losing it in a fit of laughter. Feeling that something was out of place, Eric blearily blinked his green eyes before digging through the backpack at his feet. Pulling out a small metallic device, the human scoffed as he noticed his short-black mane doing whatever it felt like doing.

“Yeah yeah, laugh it up,” Eric commented, using his hand and phone to try and get his hair under control. He was quickly surprised as he noticed Lilith levitating a bit of water in her magic, before releasing her grasp and letting it gently soak into the human’s hair.

“Hey, what was that for?” Eric grumbled, not at all too happy about having a bit of water dumped onto his head.

“Relax you little filly. It’s just so I can fix your hair,” the mare replied. Trotting over towards the human, Lilith righted herself onto the couch before balancing herself behind Eric. Using her front hooves, Lilith gently combed Eric’s hair. Eric closed his eyes and relaxed as Lilith’s hooves felt like a weird, but comforting head massage.

“This is rather relaxing,” Eric commented, almost to the point of lulling himself to sleep.

“Yeah, well don’t get used to it. I’m only doing this because you have to be at least somewhat presentable,” Lilith retorted. Eric playfully scoffed at the mare, though let the comment slide.

“And done. That should be good enough.” Opening his eyes, Eric held up his phone to inspect the craftsmanship of the mare’s hard work.

“Not bad. It’s seem like you got it under control.” Lilith beamed a victorious smile while also sticking her tongue out at the human.

“Of course it’s good. Are you implying that I would do shoddy work?” Lilith teased, though her tone was a bit too serious for Eric’s taste.

“Well technically, I just met you, so I can’t be sure. Though from what I have seen so far, you take your job very seriously, even if it is a bit unfair to others,” Eric added before reaching a hand up to the mare and gently scratching her mane. A comforting pleasure rocked the mare’s body as she melted into her friend’s touch. Never before had she felt such a surge of comfort and warmth, though she was sure she never wanted it to stop. After a few moments though, the mare was brought back to reality as she noticed a grin plastered smugly on Eric’s face.

“What did you just do to me?” Lilith was both parts curious and cautious as she stared down the human for an answer.

“It was just a simple head scratch. I figured I would return the favor for giving me a little massage while fixing my hair,” Eric responded casually.

“I see.” Lilith grew silent for a moment before a small smile spreads across the mare’s face.

“Do it again,” she demanded. Eric noticed right away the tone of voice the mare was using. He could feel her need to experience that same feeling just a few moments before. If Eric were anything but a gentleman, he would deny Lilith of her needs as he watched her squirm. Luckily, he wasn’t a gentleman, and was going to take much pleasure in teasing his new friend.

“I don’t know Lilith. I don’t really feel like it,” Eric stated before throwing his phone into his backpack. Lilith glared at the human with a pouty expression.

“Come on, you owe me,” Lilith stated, watching as Eric lifted his brow in confusion.

“I owe you? And what exactly do I owe you for?” Lilith took this opportunity to climb onto the human’s lap, while also locking their eyes.

“You owe me for where I’m about to take you. So stop complaining and start scratching mister,” Lilith said as she planted her rump in Eric’s lap. At this point, Eric was both amused and confused, though relented at the childish but rather adorable actions of the mare.

“Fine, fine. But this place better be worth it.” With a beaming smile, Lilith felt Eric’s hand glide through her mane while gently scratching her scalp. Even though the mare wasn’t tired, the actions alone from the human were almost enough to send her to sleep. However, after a few minutes of peaceful mane scratching, Lilith jumped off the human with a smile.

“I appreciate what you just did. It was very refreshing,” she said before making her way to one of the windows on the train with a little pep in her step. “Now come over here and take a look. This is where I was taking us.” The mare motioned a hoof towards Eric, who eagerly left his seat and walked over to the window. Somehow, the train was now currently traveling across a large expanse of water and towards a massive city in the distance.

“What is that place?” Eric asked, unable to peel his eyes away from the scene.

“That my friend, is home.”

Author's Note

Hello and greetings everyone! Another chapter is complete, though this one is relatively short as compared to the first chapter. The reason for this, is to just get some of the boring stuff out of the way with Eric and Lilith, while also making it a good stopping point to leave you all on a cliff hangar (hehe.)

Mother Knows Best

Chapter 3

Eric shielded his eyes from the blinding-light as he took a step off the train and onto the platform. He was quite eager to see the city before him, being that the only place he had seen so far was the rural town of Ponyville. Lost in his thoughts and eagerness, the human suddenly lost his footing, as he had yet to realize the slight drop from the train to the platform. Luckily, he was able to catch himself with a few skips and a minimal amount of flailing, though at the cost of some of his dignity.

“You ok there?” Lilith asked in a tone laced with amusement, as the mare effortlessly stepped onto the platform with ease before venturing next to her new friend’s side. Eric responded with a simple nod of his head as he took in his surroundings.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Wasn’t expecting a drop so it caught me a little off guard,” he stated aloud before growing hesitant. “Hey Lilith, if you are a demon and this is where you live, then where is all of the brimstone, fire, and death?” Lilith stared incredulously at the human for a few moments, Eric catching the mare’s eyes with his own before she was brought to her knees in laughter.

“Y-you honestly believed that I lived in a place like that?” The mare questioned, unable to comprehend the silliness of the question. Eric’s cheeks flushed a light shade of red in embarrassment before giving her another nod.

“Well, yeah. It was one of the similarities between my world and Equestria. Demons lived in a place that resembled what many ponies call Tartarus. It’s a place filled with a sea of lava and innocent souls being tortured by demons. I guess I shouldn’t have assumed that. Looking back now, it does seem a bit silly for a mare like you to live in a place like that.” It took a minute or so, but Lilith soon regained control of her giggling sides.

“Next thing you know, you are going to say you thought I was a thousand years-old or something,” Lilith added playfully while nudging her friend in the side with her flank. Turning her attention back to the human, the mare noticed the hesitation and darker blush on her friend’s face. The next thing Eric knew, Lilith was on the ground quite literally rolling around as she laughed.

“Y-you did! I can’t believe it!” The mare continued her onslaught of ROFLing as Eric scoffed at the childish mare.

“Not my fault I was raised believing demons were blood-thirsty creatures from the pits of Hell itself. Just goes to show you that you can’t trust something without seeing it for yourself,” Eric added as he began to walk away. Pulling herself up from the ground, Lilith quickly joined the human while trying to stifle a few giggles every now and again.

The two friends had made their way around the city for a good twenty minutes. Not much was said between the two, as Lilith allowed her new friend time to take in all of the sights around him. The silence, while awkward at first, was very welcoming as Lilith watched the joyful expressions of the human change with the different areas of the city.

The first thing Eric noticed about the city, was that it was situated on an island surrounded by crystal red water. At first, Eric assumed the water was actually blood from all of the creatures that had lost their souls one way or another. Lilith was quick to correct him on the matter, stating that while the water was red in color, it was still the same as any other ocean. This clarification helped relieve some of the worries of the human, who also made a mental note to check out the beach sometime to further validate this piece of information.

The next thing to catch the human’s eye was the architecture of the city itself. It was quite different than the small and rural town of Ponyville. Shops and small businesses lined most of the inner area of the city, which is presumably where most of the citizens did their shopping. Eric was also pleasantly surprised that the city had a massive arcade built just a few years ago for a lot of the younger population. Though not as heavily invested in videogames as he used to be, Eric was most likely going to be spending some time there for ‘Scientific Purposes.’

“Hey Lilith, I have another question. If all of you are demons, then why do you all look like the ponies in Equestria? You know, instead of like a griffon or something.” Eric questioned, noticing that many of the citizens could pass for a normal, run-of-the-mill equine.

“And who is to say that we look like Equestrians? Maybe it’s the Equestrians that look like us?” The mare countered. Eric was about to comment about his new friend’s response, though stopped himself as he thought more about it. It was true that he just assumed she looked Equestrian based solely upon the fact that he had seen an Equestrian first. Maybe the Equestrians did take after the demons, and were just some faded out and diluted form of an earlier bloodline of demons, though Eric couldn’t be sure.

“You know what I mean. Why do you all look so similar? If it wasn’t for the fact that I already knew where I was, I would have just assumed I was in a new city in Equestria.” Lilith playfully giggled as a response.

“I was just messing with you Eric. And to be honest, I understand where you are coming from. I don’t really remember it all too well, since it has been a few years since my school days, though I believe it happened some couple thousand years ago.” Lilith soon trailed off as she tried to remember any more details on the matter. “From what I can recall, something major happened during that time which caused a rift between the demons and soulful. It might have been the practice of harvesting souls. I honestly don’t remember exactly what it was that caused this rift, though because of it, our leader decided it would be best to separate the two worlds from one another,” Lilith finished. Eric soon grew silent again as he mused over the answers and more importantly, the questions he had been given.

“Interesting. I guess if I want to learn more, I will have to ask somebody with a little more knowledge about the subject,” Eric stated with a sigh. Lilith’s smile soon grew into a frown as she lightly prodded the human’s side with a hoof in mock annoyance.

“Hey, I’m a twenty-three year-old mare who hasn’t been in school for years. I’m not some all-powerful all-mighty demon with the wisdom and knowledge of the ancients. Cut me some slack here,” Lilith retorted. It was now Eric’s turn to lightly bump the mare’s side with a smile.

“Don’t take it personally Lilith. I was just saying that I kind of want to look into it. I am rather curious as to why an entire population of ponies decided it would be a good idea to seal themselves away from the rest of the world.” Before Lilith had a chance to add another snarky remark, the two came to a stop in front of a small shop.

“Well, here we are. Home sweet home,” the mare pointed out, watching as Eric took in the full view of the building.

“It looks a little small,” the human commented as Lilith rolled her eyes.

“I prefer the term, homely. Now come on, there’s somepony I want you to meet,” Lilith added before walking through the front door of the building, a small little bell jingling as the two made their way inside. Looking around the store, Eric noticed that the feeling was very similar to a mom-and-pop shop back on Earth. As assortment of commonly used items and foods littered the shelves and racks. Walking towards the back of the store, Lilith looked around before noticing the pony in question was missing.

“Where did that mare go?” Lilith mumbled to herself, stepping into the back storage area as she rummaged around in search of her mother. Eric however, had been taking his time looking around the store, admiring the little odds and ends that caught his eye. It wasn’t until a small tap on the human’s leg brought the man from his thoughts and towards an older mare.

“Excuse me young stallion, but could you help a mare reach something on the top shelf,” she politely asked. Looking around the store, Eric soon noticed that Lilith had disappeared and nopony else seemed to be working the sales floor.

“I would be more than happy to help,” the human replied, giving the older mare his best smile.

“Mom! Where the hay are you?” Lilith called out through the back of the storage area in the store. The young mare was momentarily startled as another mare stepped out behind her.

“I’m right here sweetie. Did you have a fun day at work?” Lilith jumped at the sound of her mother’s voice from behind as she turned around with a small glare.

“How many times have I told you not to scare me like that mom? One of these days It’s going to get you hurt on accident,” Lilith added with mock annoyance. The mare in question just beamed her usual smile with a light giggle.

“What can I say? You are just like your father. You scare so easily.” Lilith could only roll her eyes with a small blush and scoff as she leaned forward and nuzzled her mother’s cheek.

“Yeah, yeah. Anyways, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Oh really? Is this perhaps a coltfriend?” Lilith could only groan in annoyance from her mother’s question.

“Mom, I don’t have a coltfriend,” the mare deadpanned.

“Well you best get on that sweetie. I’m not getting any younger and I need grandfoals to spoil.” Lilith could only facehoof as a response, before walking past her mother.

“Just come out and meet him.” The mare could only giggle again as she followed her daughter out from the back of the store and into a sight that surprised her. A large, bipedal creature was happily conversing with one of her regular customers as he used his height to reach anything she was unable. This lasted for only about a minute longer before the elder mare and human made their way to the checkout.

“Talia my dear, how have you been?” The elder mare questioned as she received a small smile from the storeowner.

“I am doing quite well actually. It seems you brought yourself a helper today,” Talia said with a small giggle.

“Actually, I thought he was one of your employees. Very helpful young stallion,” the elder mare stated as everypony turned their attention to the human who had just finished emptying the contents of the basket onto the counter before looking towards Talia.

“I’m actually one of Lilith’s friends. I take it you are her mother?” he asked with a polite tone. The mare nodded her head, giving the human a once-over before smiling ever so innocently.

“Yes I am. My name is Talia and it is a pleasure to meet you...?” the mare trailed off, waiting for the human to fill in the blank.

“Eric Lancer,” the human responded with an outstretched hand, as he gently shook the mare’s hoof.

“Oh, so polite. Are you sure he isn’t your coltfriend Lilith? I mean, you do need to find a nice stallion and start popping out some grandfoals for me,” Talia stated.

“Mom!” Lilith practically shouted, her face beat red with embarrassment. Eric was faring no better, as his pale cheeks were crimson red, earning a few giggles from both the elder mare and Lilith’s mother.

“Come on Eric, we’re going upstairs,” Lilith quickly said, yanking the human by his shirt with her magic as the two disappeared into the back room and up the stairs to the living quarters.

“Have fun you two. And don’t forget to not wear protection. I’m not getting any younger!” Talia happily yelled, earning her a loud slam of the door. Talia and the elder mare could only laugh at the response and flustered cheeks of the their victims.

I think things are going to be a little more interesting around here now. Talia thought with a devious smile.