Believe

Fluttershy dropped her book bag by the door. She looked around. Her parents weren't home yet. She assumed they must have either still been at work or somewhere in town. Between studying for tests and hanging out with her friends after school, the Pegasus was exhausted. She trudged to her room.

The young mare gazed through her window. She saw her pet rabbit, Angel, hopping around in the back yard. She figured he must have been trying to burn off any excess energy he had left over before nightfall. Fluttershy sat on the foot of her bed. That's when she noticed the shadow in her corner.

A thick, heavy darkness occupied space between two of the room's walls. As dusk progressed, it grew more menacing. Fluttershy tried to rationalize it, assuming it must have been a trick of the light. She would soon discover this was not the case.

When the sun was halfway behind the western horizon, the silhouette began to fade. It was gradually replaced by something else - the shape of a living creature. It kneeled in front of the crevice. Fluttershy was beginning to feel frightened. She could make out the flexibility of its limbs and the oily shade of black hair covering its eyes.

"Are those...Wings...!?"

The being rose to its feet, giving the startled pony a clearer view.

The terror almost instantly melted away. Instead, Fluttershy felt herself swoon. Her face grew hotter with every passing second as he approached her.

"Who are you...?"

He placed two fingers over her eyelids and closed them. She could have sworn she saw him smile...

Fluttershy woke up the next morning fully energized. Not a single shred of yesterday's tension remained.

"Was it all a dream...?"

She got up and went to the kitchen. Her father greeted her.

"Morning, sweetheart. How'd you sleep?"

"I slept well," she replied truthfully.

"Good to hear it. Breakfast will be ready soon."

Fluttershy nodded. She filled Angel's food and water bowls and grabbed her school bag. After eating with her family, she left.

It wasn't until Fluttershy reached the school building that she noticed her notebook was missing.

"Did I leave it at home?"

"Is something wrong," Twilight asked her.

"My notebook's not in my bag."

"Here. You can borrow mine. I always keep a spare. You can copy the notes later and return it tomorrow."

"Thanks..."

"No problem. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I think so."

"I'll take your word for it."

Fluttershy found herself continually distracted throughout the day. She couldn't push the previous night's events out of her mind. There was something terrifying about the creature who made his presence known to her, but also something else unnaturally attractive about him. She was so fixated on her thoughts that she barely noticed Rainbow Dash nudge her during lunch period.

"Hello! Equestria to Fluttershy!"

"Huh...?"

"You've been spacing out all day."

"Sorry..."

"What you drawing?"

Rainbow Dash took the notebook.

"Damn! Is this a character you made?"

"Maybe..."

"He looks badass. What is he supposed to be, anyway?"

"I don't know."

"What's his name?"

"I don't know."

"So you just recently thought him up?"

"I guess."

"Check out those wings. I'd kill for a pair like that. They put Celestia and Luna's to shame."

"They're beautiful."

"Maybe in a morbid kind of way."

"Do you think he's a good or bad guy?"

"I have no idea, honestly. He looks like he could be either."

"I hope good."

Rainbow gave her childhood companion a "that's a weird way to phrase it" look, but she let it slide.

"Come on. Let's get some grub."

Fluttershy nodded.

"Mm."

Fluttershy went home early. She told her friends she could study on her own tonight, but her real motivation consisted of waiting for the creature to return - that is, if he returned. She greeted her mother and father.

"How was school," her mother inquired.

"Fine. I'm gonna' do my homework now."

"Okay. Let your father know if you need any help."

"I will."

The Pegasus went to her room and shut the door behind her.

"Is that my notebook!?"

That one shred of evidence was all Fluttershy needed to be certain. Everything that transpired less than twenty-four hours prior was real. She cautiously picked up the collection of paper. There was a message written on the open sheet.

"Hey, Fluttershy."

"How does he know my name!?"

Without warning, she felt a hand glide across the side of her neck. It took all of her willpower not to scream. When the sensation eluded her, she turned around.

"You're here."

He nodded.

"Who are you?"

He placed his index finger over his mouth as a request for her to lower her voice, then pointed at his own throat.

"You can't talk...?"

He shook his head.

"I get it now..."

Fluttershy moved to her bed and sat down.

"Here. You can use this."

He nodded before writing another message.

"I don't have a name, but I can tell you what I am. I'm a disciple of Lucifer."

"Who's Lucifer?"

"The punisher of damned souls."

"What do you mean 'damned'?"

"Souls who have done great harm without just cause."

Fluttershy felt her stomach churn.

"Did I do something wrong...?"

He shook his head a second time.

"Then...Why are you here?"

"..."

"Please, talk to me."

"...Because I wanted to see you..."

"Me...?"

"Yes. I'll explain everything. May I sit with you?"

"Um...I suppose."

"Do you know anything about God or religion?"

"No."

"It's a belief in a higher power or powers that was created long ago in another dimension."

"And you're part of that higher power?"

"Yes. I'm from hell, where evil souls go to atone for their transgressions. You could call me a demon."

"A demon?"

"My role is to administer punishment on Lucifer's behalf. There are many others like me."

"That's why I was scared of you - you have to be intimidating to frighten them into repentance."

"I played a practical joke last night. It kind of backfired. That's why I put you to sleep: so you could recover."

"Why would you do that?"

"I was indirectly poking fun at the misconceptions surrounding us."

"Misconceptions."

"There were ill-informed books and documents written about hell and its inhabitants."

"What did they say?"

"Those who wrote them believed my father was cast out of heaven because of his disdain for God's creation of humanity. That's a lie one of my idiot brothers started. My father did have a dislike for certain humans, so he volunteered to create his own plane of existence to teach them a harsh lesson. Hell eventually drew evil souls from other dimensions in as well."

"How come you can't do anything to stop them here?"

"A mutual agreement with God. We have to let them try to repent in life before we can step in."

"Do they?"

"Not very often."

"What does it have to do with me?"

"Nothing. I came here because I wanted to."

"Just to see me...?"

"Your soul is unique."

"How?"

"You are one hundred percent pure. You haven't committed a single sin against anyone. That's an almost non-existent quality."

"Have you been watching me?"

"I have. Since the day you were born, I knew you were special."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you like my soul?"

"You caught on. Your soul to me is what sugar is to a child."

"It must taste really good."

Fluttershy giggled. She gave the demon a warm smile.

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"I'm grateful someone thinks I'm doing the right thing."

"I'm grateful as well."

"Hm?"

"For your smile."

The hot feeling in Fluttershy's face hit even harder than the previous night.

"Um...Would you mind helping me study? I have a math test coming up soon."

"Wouldn't that basically be cheating? I've had a few thousand years to ace this stuff."

"Call it my first sin."

"Deal."