Angels, Demons, Ponies, and Gods

“THIS IS AWESOME!” Twilight screams with exhilaration as she rides down a snowy slope at full speed.

Sledding upon a stiff bark of a tree craved out by Lavey, the unicorn dangerously but easily weaves past the incoming boulders, trees, and snow piles as she hurdles towards the base of the mountain.

Lavey is right on her tail, riding on his own sled-like bark down the mountain, while making sure to watch over Twilight and her new reckless behavior. Even though she’s grown exceptionally skilled at riding a makeshift sled in a few, simple hours, she still manages to make him worry that she’ll eventually ram into something.

At last, the two manage to come to a freezing halt at the plateaued base, safe and sound. While Twilight pants for air from the thrilling experience, Lavey can’t help but gasp in relief at their safety. Just when he thinks he can catch a relaxing breath, he hears their sleds beginning their ascent back up the mountain. Much to his displeasure, he looks back to see Twilight gleefully climbing back up to the mouth of the cave for another round, the sleds being dragged in a levitation spell.

“You know, as much as I love taking exhilarating risks, it’s really hard to do it with you around,” the hybrid comments.

Twilight looks back at him with a betrayed expression plastered on her face. “What are you talking about?” she asks. “I’m fun to be around, right?”

“It’s not that.” Lavey climbs back up the mountain and grabs the little unicorn and the sleds on his way. “You’re more vulnerable to being harmed and don’t have regenerative abilities like me. It’s like I’m having to constantly look after a child running with scissors.”

Twilight goes limp in his hold as she thinks over the comparison. Her ears droop and a look of shame washes over her face, causing a tinge of pain to brew in the hybrid’s hearts.

“I may have been getting a little reckless,” she admits. “How about a break? Maybe we can stop for some breakfast or something while we're here."

Lavey looks down at his luggage with confusion, but smiles. "Stop for breakfast? And where, pray tell, would we find a spot to have breakfast in the middle of a barren mountain range?"

"I was expecting you to have something saved up in your little pocket dimension. If not, I'm sure we can bother Shining Armor and Cadance for some breakfast."

The hybrid ponders the idea and decides it would be beneficial to have a decent breakfast to start off the day. After all, the only things he has holed up in his pocket dimension are a few snacks and meat—nothing satisfying for an equine such as Twilight.

Without wasting another second, he shoots back up to the mouth of the cave, tosses the sleds in, and dashes on over to the Crystal Empire.

With the wind and blinding blizzard no longer a bother, Lavey can easily travel to his destination without any hinderances. What's better is that Twilight no longer has to overburden herself with layer upon layer of thick, winter clothes to insulate heat. Just a parka, boots, cargo pants, and earmuffs are all she needs to keep her warm—that, and her trusty, living heater.

"You don't think they'll mind if we just barge in unannounced, do you?" Lavey asks.

"Of course not," Twilight responds. "They'll be delighted to have us over. Only problem is, they'll probably be talking non-stop about our relationship."

The last time they had met, when they were protecting the Crystal Empire from the advancements of the Great Beast, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance weren’t too displeased by Twilight and Lavey’s relationship. Though, the hybrid could tell there was a bit of obvious concern in Shining’s eyes.

“I just hope your brother is alright with us,” the prince mutters. “He didn’t seem too pleased by us being together.”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Twilight questions. “You’ve been so good to me. Shining’s always told me, ‘If you ever find yourself a good colt-friend, make sure they’re wise, courteous, and loving—otherwise I’m gonna skin them alive’. Obviously, you’re all three of those things.”

Lavey smiles with an iota of pride as he soars through the skies as all three aspects point right back to him. “And if anybody were to say otherwise...?”

“I’d blast them into next week if they even think that,” the mare replies with a giggle. “Oh, I think we’re almost there.”

Up ahead, through the thick curtain of clouds, the Crystal Empire’s majestic land is revealed. It always manages to amaze the hybrid, despite witnessing Mammon’s grand palace, edifices, and wealth back in Hell. It just always manages to mesmerize him; the way the entirety of the kingdom is seemingly magically sculpted entirely out of crystals of every type.

The palace in the center of the empire has a small balcony where the princess can make royal decrees and announcements to the citizens below. It also acts, in Lavey’s case, as a suitable landing pad for him and Twilight.

As the hybrid touches down to let Twilight off, two Crystal Pony guards stand in fighting positions, spears and shields at the ready. Only until they register who the intruders are, do they lower their weapons and stand at attention.

“Forgive us, Lavey and Twilight,” one of the guards apologizes with a stout salute. “What brings you two back to the Crystal Empire?”

Twilight steps forward, takes the limelight, and gives their explanation. “We just came by to visit my brother and Cadance. Do you know where they are?”

“Of course,” the first guard replies with a bow. “Follow me.”

One of the few things Lavey has noticed about the palace is that the guards seem more relaxed and more sociable than the ones back in Canterlot. Celestia’s guards always seem so uptight and stern, never saying so much as a hello. Here, in the Crystal Empire, Lavey feels warm and welcome with all the kind greetings and smiles from the soldiers.

“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is in here,” the guard says as he stops in front of a majestic, amethyst door with a sapphire frame. “Prince Shining Armor is still on his rounds. He shall meet up with you momentarily.”

Turning to the massive door, the guard knocks three times, earning a response from the other side.

“Come in!” a female voice answers.

As the doors open, Lavey and Twilight are met with a peculiar sight. Cadance and Shining Armor have been blessed with a beautiful, bawdy bedroom. The walls are made of alabaster moonstone with small ribbons of ruby or carnelian woven within. A small desk with a mirror and makeup sit near one wall while a bookshelf filled with what seems to be comic books and novels sits on another.

The bed is perhaps the strangest and eye-catching thing in the entire room. It’s in the shape of a massive, red heart with pink and white pillows. Roses and tulips in vases surround the piece of furniture, giving off a more amorous vibe to the room. Strangely, it looks like a setting plucked out of a fancy brothel.

It honestly shouldn’t be much of a surprise, considering Cadence is the Princess of Love—which comes in more displays than one. Lavey can only image the extreme copulation sessions going on in this room, despite his angelic blood trying its best to drag him away from such thoughts.

While Lavey is alone with his thoughts, Twilight jovially runs over to her sister-in-law and wraps her hooves around her in a loving embrace.

“Hi, Cadance!” she greets with enthusiasm.

“Twily!” The alicorn, very much overjoyed as she is surprised, reciprocates her affection with a hug of her own. “What are you doing here out of the blue?”

“Lavey and I just came down from the Crystal Mountains to grab some breakfast. And before you ask ‘Why were you in the mountains in the first place?’ it’s because we were going to watch the Astral Borealis.”

Instead of seeming shocked, Cadance giggles at her in-law’s explanation and wraps a wing around the unicorn’s shoulders.

“Twilight, you don’t have to go all the way to the mountain range to watch the Astral Borealis,” the princess states.

Lavey’s ears perk up at her words, prompting him to slowly turn his head over at Twilight and raise a brow. “What?”

“Yeah,” Cadence answers, ignoring the hybrid’s blazing eyes. “The Astral Borealis is a special occasion in the Crystal Empire. You can just stay here and watch it with us!”

Twilight looks like she's ready to jump out of the nearest window to escape her mate's wrath. She nervously chuckles and turns to face the hybrid, who doesn't waver in his displeasure.

"L-Lavey, I can explain..." the little pony stammers.

"We could have just stayed in the comfort of the Crystal Empire, enjoyed some good food, warmth, and some company; instead, you decided we needed to fly all the way into the frigid north to watch something that we could see here."

The young unicorn's ears droop and she bows her head in shame. As frustrating as she can be sometimes with these over-the-top activities, Lavey can't blame the mare for trying to be thrilling, what with her new attitude and all. Releasing a frustrated sigh, the hybrid kneels down and places a gentle hand on the mare's head while attempting to look her in the eyes. She looks up at him, still somewhat upset by her own actions, but still manages to make eye contact with him.

"I'm sorry, Lavey," she murmurs. "I just wanted us to spend some alone time together for once." She looks back over at Cadance, who doesn't seem fazed by her explanation. "No offense, Cadance." The matriarch simply smiles and nods in understanding, prompting the unicorn to continue. "We hardly get to spend a lot of time away from everypony else, so I thought this would be a good getaway from everything. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Everyone remains silent, letting a strange, cold atmosphere envelop the room. Lavey can't help but feel sympathetic for his love, despite her not communicating her wishes with him earlier. Reluctantly, however, he embraces her in a warm hug out of compassion. He can feel her tension melt away as she reciprocates with a loving hug of her own.

"You should have just told me in the first place, Twilight," he gently states. "One of the most important things in a relationship is communication. If you wanted to spend some time away from the bustle of Ponyville and everything, I could have taken you somewhere interesting myself."

The little unicorn pulls back and looks into her paramour's eyes with gratefulness for his compassion. "I'm sorry. I promise to communicate things more often. But now that we're here..."

Twilight trails off, leaving Lavey to finish her sentence with a smile. "We can grab some breakfast."

"We'd better hurry if you want breakfast," Cadance says, dragging the couple's attention over to the matriarch. "The chefs stop preparing breakfast around ten. I'll guide you two to the banquet hall and have the chefs prepare something for you two lovebirds."

Chuckling at the turn of the situation, Lavey ruffles his mate's streaked mane and rises up from his spot to follow the matriarch to grab some well-deserved breakfast.

Lavey was expecting breakfast to include mostly vegan-style meals, something not exactly to his taste. How surprised he was when he found out breakfast isn't only vegan, but also items to his liking. There's not only vegetables in the mix, but some fruit, chocolate, and some nuts—enough protein to get him through the day.

The massive dining table isn't as extravagantly embellished with excessive amounts of food like Celestia's, but with just enough to satisfy all three diners.

"So, how have you two been doing this whole time?" Cadance asks as she drizzles her oats and banana slices with melted chocolate. "I take it Lavey's been treating you well, Twilight?"

"He's been the best colt-friend I could ask for," the little unicorn replies. She places a hoof on the hybrid's hand, which he respectively closes, clutching her hoof in his embrace. "I couldn't ask for a better partner than him."

Lavey chuckles at the welling pride in his heart and ruffles his mate's pristine mane in response. "Knock it off," he giggles. "You embellish me too much. Besides, I couldn't ask for a better mate than you."

Cadance giggles as she witnesses her sister-in-law and the hybrid prince act like such adorable little love bugs. However, her attention is suddenly grabbed by the doors to the dining hall opening to reveal her beloved husband trotting in.

"Sweetie, welcome back!" she chimes joyfully. The alicorn dashes on over to her paramour to embrace him in a loving hug. "How were your rounds, dear?"

"Everything's safe and secure, hun," the captain replies. He looks up, noticing Twilight and Lavey sitting at the dining table, just watching their embrace. "Oh, hey, you two are here?"

His voice conveys surprise and displeasure, something Lavey can pick out all too easily. His eyes are fixated on the hybrid like a hawk as if he’d try to do something brash.

However, unknowing of her brother’s demeanor towards Lavey, Twilight leaps from her seat and dashes over to her loving big brother, enveloping him in a passionate hug.

“How’s my B.B.B.F.F.?” she asks.

“I’m doin’ great, kid,” the stallion replies as he playfully ruffles his sibling’s mane. “What are you two doing here out of nowhere?”

“We just came by to watch the Astral Borealis,” Lavey answers, shifting the limelight onto him. He rises from his seat, a banana slice covered in chocolate in his hand, and waltzes over to the stallion. “How’s it hanging, Shining?”

The hybrid extends his vacant clawed hand, which Shining reluctantly shakes. The hybrid can tell through this connection that Twilight’s brother is still anxious of the hybrid, despite all he’s done for them. If the stallion found out about his sister’s new reckless behavior, though, he would probably try his best to keep the two paramours separated forever.

"I'm doing great," the stallion replies with nervousness. "You two, uh, been good? Not getting into any trouble? You haven't been trying to get too intimate with my sister, have you?"

Shining's nervous gaze turns into an ice cold scowl as he eyes the hybrid, who doesn't seem too fazed by the sudden shift in tone. Instead, Lavey holds one hand to his chest and another held up as if swearing an oath.

"I promise, I have never tried anything of the sort," he states coolly. "If I were to do anything to make her upset, I would execute myself without a second thought."

"Come on, boys, you don't have to ruin the atmosphere," Twilight says with annoyance. "Shining Armor, you don't have to worry about Lavey. He's been a great help to me and my friends and I think you'll actually like him if you actually got to know him a bit better."

"That's a great idea!" Cadance exclaims with elation. All eyes turn to the Princess of Love to see her eyes sparkling with excitement. "How about we spend time together separately? I can take Twilight out on the town and Shining Armor and Lavey can do their own thing."

Twilight, Lavey, and Shining look to each other with confusion and concern. Though it seems like a swell idea to get the hybrid to spend time with Twilight's brother, Lavey can't bear to be separated from his mate—mainly due to his desire to always be her shield. However, noticing a small glint in Twilight's eyes, he takes it as a sign that she'll be okay for this small activity.

"Sounds like a quaint idea," Lavey finally responds uneasily. He looks down to Shining Armor, who doesn't seem all too thrilled by this arrangement. In a reassuring gesture, the hybrid pats the stallion on the back, earning a rather displeased grunt from him. "Well, come on then, Prince Shining Armor, why don't you show me around your new empire?"

The stallion grumbles as he heads out the double doors leading to a massive corridor. Lavey follows, but not before grabbing a few bits of breakfast for the road.

Shining Armor and Lavey travel down a lengthy corridor on the opposite end of the palace in complete silence—besides the clopping of hooves on crystal echoing through the halls. The silence is almost uncanny, especially since none of the guards seem to want to talk anymore now that Shining Armor is around. Lavey doesn't know if their silence is due to the fact that he's their captain or the fact that the pony’s cross face makes it look like he's ready to kill.

Finally, the two reach the end of the lengthy hallway and stop in front of a plain-looking, alabaster door. Igniting his horn in a magenta aura, similar to Twilight’s, Shining Armor uses his magic to open the door, allowing entrance into the dark room. As soon as the stallion steps in, without even the flick of a switch, the lights suddenly come on, illuminating the room and revealing the contents within.

The room looks like it belongs to a nerdy teenager, something Lavey wouldn't have expected from the Captain of the Royal Guard. Comic books are placed in messy piles next to a nightstand. A small bookshelf rests on one side of a twin-sized bed but the books are placed in haphazardly and without much care. Surprisingly, at the front of the room is a small nineties television resting on top of a dresser while a small NES-looking console sits on the floor with two controllers.

"This is my personal room where I come to relax when I'm done with my rounds," Shining states. "It's kinda like a home away from home. I like being with Cadance, but I want to act like a colt again, you know?"

"Understandable," Lavey responds as he takes in the youthfulness of the space. "It's what most guys want anyway: a place to just be a guy without the hassle of females and other stuff. Of course, we still love our paramours despite needing a break to be ourselves."

Shining goes rigid and looks back at the hybrid with a stern glare. "I'd rather you not talk about that. As happy as Twilight may seem around you, I still don't trust you." He sits on the edge of the bed, continuing to eye the hybrid with suspicion. "Don't get me wrong, it's not because you're part demon, that I can live with. It's just a thing older brothers have, you know?"

Lavey leans against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest as he smiles at the stallion. "I do, actually," he responds, earning a confused brow from the captain. "I told you I'm the youngest of all my half-siblings, correct?" Shining nods, prompting Lavey to continue. "Despite that, I'm actually the most level-headed of all of my kin. I'm the one watching over them whenever they go on dates because I'm always reasonable and can tell when they're being taken advantage of."

"So you understand why it's so hard for me to trust you, right?" Shining asks. "I know you helped stop the changeling invasion, helped save the Crystal Empire, changed the Lord of Chaos into an instrument of good...but I can't help but feel like you'll step out of line.

"I love my little Twily and I would do anything to make sure she's happy. She's always seemed stone-cold around others when she lived in Canterlot—always studying, never making time for friends, being a loner all the time, and all that. Now, she’s brighter around you. Sure, her friends can make her feel the same way, I'm sure, but you seem to...to take things to the next level. Seeing her around you with that warm smile of hers...I haven't seen that in a long time."

"If that's the case, why do you find it difficult to trust me?" Lavey asks. "I think this is dealing with a little more than trust issues."

Shining Armor looks to him with a reignited flame and a bit of pain in his eyes. "Well, if it's not that, what the heck else could it be?"

Lavey remains silent as he stares the stalwart stallion down. He tries his best to come up with a possible reason for Shining Armor's behavior, though he's no psychologist by any means. However, like a sudden flash, an epiphany sparks in his mind.

"I don't think your problem has anything to do with you trusting me or me stepping out of line," the hybrid reveals. Shining's ears perk up and he looks to the prince with confusion. "I think you might be forming some sort of separation anxiety."

The pony’s eyes widen in surprise and his face deepens in confusion. “S-separation anxiety?” he sputters. “I highly doubt that. You’re just making up excuses.”

“Twilight was experiencing the same exact thing when we were heading to Canterlot for the wedding,” Lavey states. “She would complain that since you were marrying Princess Cadance, she’d be seeing less of you.”

Shining Armor chuckles as he realizes what Lavey is revealing must be true. “I guess so,” he says. “I guess jealousy and the fear of loss runs in the Sparkle Family. It just pains my heart to see Twilight growing up so fast and heading out on my own. Even when she left for Ponyville and after I moved to the Empire, I was afraid of losing her, despite being only a simple train ride away.”

“That's similar to what Twilight felt,” Lavey responds. He waltzes over to the stallion and sits on the edge of the bed, causing it to creak under his weight. Luckily it manages to hold. “I told Twilight this and I’m telling you too: just because you're separated doesn't necessarily mean you're split. You're not always together but your bond is still strong, no matter where you are."

Unexpectedly, Shining Armor places a tender hoof on the hybrid's back and looks to him with a compassionate smile. "I always told Twily to find somepony who's wise, courteous, and loving. I guess she found all three of those in you, huh?"

"I can also be pretty competitive," Lavey adds as he levitates a controller over to him and Shining. "What say we have a few rounds?"

Shining Armor nods and flips on the television, feeling the tension, anxiety, and fear in his heart melt away now that his confidence and hope are placed firmly upon his brother's shoulders.