Sun Slayer's radiance

"Is there something you need to see me about?"The purple pregnant mare asked.

"..."

"Situation? Is there something wrong, sir?"

"..."

"What about me?" She asked, fear steadily building up in her heart.

"...”

“WHAT!?” The mare yelled. She slammed a hoof into the ground and sneered at…” You want me to just up and leave?! I have a FOAL on the way! What do you think would happen if… isn’t there for him, huh?”

“YOU DISGRACE! One of the many stallions shouted angrily, “A high-class like you, making a relationship with a filthy worker class like…!”

Another stallion drenched in darkness stands up, only his ice-cold gaze piercing the darkness to glare at the purple mare. “If you can't cut ties with him, we might have to take… drastic measures to make sure our public image doesn’t get tainted.” He said in a calm voice, looking past the mare's face and moving his gaze lower and lower until it stopped.

The purple mare gasped and took a step back, holding her bulging belly with a protective foreleg. “Y-You wouldn’t.” She muttered in disbelief.

“This will be your only warning…! It will either be that “husband” of yours or that bastard child.”

The purple mare felt tears well in her eyes as she hung her head. With no choice, she nodded her head and spoke her response. The words that came out of her mouth never reached her ears.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“AHH!” Starburst screamed bloody murder and shot up, a cold sweat coating her astral coat.

She looked around the cave she set up frantically for any sign of…them. Only when she noticed the absence of threats in the immediate area, Starburst let out a sigh of relief and moved out from under the worn-out sleeping bag.

In that cave, there weren’t many things. In the corner were the last keepers of the cave, now a mangled pile of green sap and broken twigs. There was a large pair of saddle bags propped up against the wall near the sleeping bag, a slightly soaked cloak covering them. Starburst walked over to the bags, uncovered them, and scrounged around inside, seeing nothing was taken during her little power nap. But it was hard to tell how long she had been asleep. Ever since she arrived in this land a day ago, it had been non-stop raining from the sky. The demon mare was almost soaked to the bone by the time she had cleared the cave out, and it didn’t help that she recently got over with illness.

But as Starburst placed the saddlebags and the cloak over her astral body, the foul taste of bile never left the bag of her throat. She was sick still, as Ember said so. So why did she feel disgusted with herself all of a sudden?

She instantly shook the thoughts away from her mind. There was a job to do, and she was going to do it right. Walking out of the cave, Starburst saw that the rain seemed to lighten up the last time she was outside, but not by much, unfortunately. She ignored the assault of rainwater and walked along the tree line next to a dirt path in order not to be seen. Animals and small rodents ran away at the sight of her; the cold eyes seemed to pierce their very being despite looking…somber, in a way. As she continued to trudge along the muddy treeline, Muzan’s orders echoed in her head.

“A pair of my demons, or at least one of them, have brought back a letter written by a creature named “Dr. Crow”. From what I could get from the demon who gave me this letter, a town somewhere near the eastern coast of Equestria is where they acquired it. I will supply you with the same letter, read it, and see that his wishes are met. Not only do we need all the strength we can get before our big day, but this creature also needs punishment for his rude manners.”

The demon lord, in his ever-menacing aura, made it clear not to fail this. But the demon mare felt a strange uneasiness wash over her as a small village peaked out from the thick treeline, Starburst stopping at a small ledge that over-looking the village.

The uneasy feeling never left; instead, it only spiked as Starburst skimmed over the hay-roofed clay houses. When one has arrived at a new village or town, one would expect the usual from such a place. Ponies going about their day, fillies and colt's running about, and a warm and cozy feeling that would draw anypony in. But this place was the complete opposite.

Buildings looked as if they could break apart if the wind blew too hard. Signs, food stands, carts, barrels, and the sort decorated the streets with not a single noise to break the sound of rain and rushing wind.

The windows had been boarded up with wood, and there was not one chimney bellowed smoke. What's worse, not a single pony could be spotted by Starburst; even when she walked into the town, it was dead silent. The eerie quietness of the place made the demon mare a little paranoid, not that she would ever admit it, at every little creak and rusted groan from a hanging sign.

“Yo Ho!”

Starburst flinched at the sudden voice and instantly got into a defensive position, scanning the area for the voice's owner. After a moment of nothing, Starburst spotted a single building not too far from her, with its door creaking open.

“Yo Ho!”

Starburst flinched at the sudden voice and instantly got into a defensive position, scanning the area for the voice's owner. After a moment of nothing, Starburst spotted a single building not too far from her, with its door creaking open.

The building itself was in fairly well-kept condition. Windows were still boarded up, and cracks and jagged seams broke apart the building's white paint. Starburst's eyes wandered upward until she landed on a faded sign above the open door. The corners were rusted, and the image of a crow with its wings spread out was heavily faded.

"Yo Ho!"

The same noise emanated from the ajar door. Starburst approached it cautiously, lighting up her horn in case she needed to blow something up. But her tough facade was swept away when a brown-gloved hoof poked out from the dark interior, making the demon mare step back. It motioned for her to enter, a menacing chuckle accompanying it. The whole ordeal put Starburst on edge. The rain never let up, a ghost town that looked like a pissed-off Ursa Minor ran through it, and currently, a shady figure trying to lure her into some run-down clinic.

Finding her courage, Starburst scowled harshly at the hoof and stomped towards it with her horn shining brightly in the town's misty air. Suddenly, when Starburst was less than a half meter away, the gloved hoof shot out and gripped her shoulder. The demon mare yelped in surprise as the gloved hoof yanked her into the darkness with surprising strength, and the door slammed shut behind her.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Darkness.

That was all she was met with. In that darkness, Starburst could hear the sound of quick movement, every step making the wooden floor groan. Her breathing quickened, and her eyes desperately darted around, looking for a source of the sound. Only the faint purple hue of her horn lightened the small area around her, not being much use.

CRASH!!!

Starburst's breath hitched, and her head snapped in the direction of the crashing noise. A hollow, rolling metal sound slowly crept on the demon mare and revealing itself to be a metal mug with the strong scent of coffee from its inside.

"Sooooo, I take it you're one of "Muzan's" little friends, Yo Ho?" A joyful voice spoke.

Starburst growled silently and pointed her horn in random directions, "Show yourself, Coward!" She spoke through clenched teeth.

"Ooohhh, such hostility!" The joyful voice giggled, "And you're saying that I'm a coward? Despite you saying that your knees are shaking! I'm no doctor, but-"

Suddenly, Starburst was almost blinded when the room was flooded by a bright light, forcing her to protect her eyes with a foreleg. When she lowered her foreleg, she was met face to face by what seemed to be a bird with glass eyes bent upwards in mocked delight.

"I think you are afraid!" A shrill scream escaped Starburst as she fell to the floor, a horrified expression on her face. "Wait, I AM a doctor!" It laughed hysterically.

Starburst scrambled back in a panic, trying to find her footing. The creature before her stood at average pony height with long and angular wings. Its body was covered in a black and worn-out leather suit, with leather straps and pouches covering itself at the waist and shoulders. Covering its face was a mask that resembled a bird of prey, a raven, to be exact, and on top of its head was a tall top hat with red trim at the base.

During her examination of the creature, it managed to die down its laughter and walk closer to Starburst, making the frightening demon crawl away more. Its glass lenses then somehow changed to show confusion.

"H-How d-d-do you k-know who I a-am?" Starburst stammered out.

The creature hummed while rubbing his chin with a gloved hoof, the same that dragged Starburst inside, "Well, not many ponies come around here often. The only times they do are either they're looking to steal, or they're just passing by." It circled Starburst with its glassy eyes looking over her body. "But, you don't look like a pony just passing by or up to mischief, or a pony at all, for that matter."

It suddenly stopped in front of Starburst and held out its hoof. "Doctor Crow, at your service." He introduced himself, his 'eyes' in a joyful expression.

Starburst hesitated but eventually grabbed the doctor's hoof and pulled onto her hooves. "So you are the one who sent the letter, am I correct?" Starburst asked, watching as Crow walked over to a table Starburst hadn't noticed before.

"Well, aren't you a smart mare, Yo Ho!" It laughed. Crow pulled a chair from the table and motioned to it with a hoof. "Here, take a seat, madam, Yo Ho."

Not wanting to upset the potential new demon member, Starburst accepted Crow's kindness and took a seat. Then you know why I am here, right?" She asked with a serious tone.

Crow chuckled at nodded, "Oh, yes, my dear. That is why I am in such a festive mood! Yo Ho!" Crow then turned, rushed over to a doorway, stopped before entering, and turned to face Starburst. "Wait here, miss. I will fetch us some confectionaries, Yo Ho!"

With that, Crow disappeared into the next room, followed by crashing noises and silent curses. Seeing nothing else better to do, Starburst took the opportunity to examine her surrounding.

The room she was in was outfitted with the usual clinic decoration if the sign outside was anything to go by. Posters and painted words lined the walls, giving inspirational quotes and cute pictures to look at by any potential scared fillies or colts. There was also a waiting desk by the door, barricaded off by wooden boards. Strangely, the waiting room area was also combined with a kitchen of sorts with cabinets, a sink, and even a fridge. But what unsettled Starburst was the state of it all. And despite its warm and welcoming looking, there was something dark and disturbing past all of it.

“I’m back, Yo Ho!”

Crow barged into the room with a white ceramic bowl clutched in between his wings. He gayly walks up to the table and placed the bowl down and takes his seat. In the bowl was an assortment of different candies, mostly hoofmade, which Crow eagerly started to eat by sliding them under his mask.

Starburst grabbed a piece, red with a clear wrapper, and placed one into her mouth after freeing it from its plastic prison. The taste was pleasant, having a strong fruity taste that wasn’t too strong, which was weird since she never did like candies.

…

“Huh, that’s strange.” Starburst muttered to herself, “I don’t remember eating anything like this.”

“Hmm, did you say something?” Crow asked halfway stuffing his face.

Starburst looked at him with a sheepish expression, “Heh, no.” She lied, “But these are pretty good, and I thank you for them.” Starburst smiled, putting another piece in her mouth.

“Yo Ho!” Crow cheered, accidentally throwing the candy in his hooves into the air and down on the floor. “I’m so glad you find them enjoyable.”

“Yes,” Starburst's expression fell back into seriousness, “But on a more pressing matter, why did you seek out my master, and how did you come into contact with his underlings?” She propped her head up by folding her hooves under her chin, glaring daggers at Crow.

Doctor Crow halted his sugary feast and looked up in thought. Then smacked one hoof into the other with a look of realization on his mask. “That’s right!” He then leaned forward, his mask twisting into joy again. “Well, it went a little something like this…”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh, bother," I mumbled to myself as I shook the access rainwater from my drenched top hat. Today had not been a good day, as poor Doctor Crow had a run-in with wild wolves.

It had been a few hours earlier; I was walking through the nearby woods, foraging herbs and spice for tonight's meal. It went nice and smoothly, that was up until I heard a strange explosion sound, followed by echoing whimpers of timberwolves. I never thought much about it and went back to business.

Not long after, three timberwolves sprung out from behind the tree line and crashed into me! Sending myself and them tumbling down the muddy road that I spent an hour walking on. When we eventually stopped, the three predators quickly got back up and were ready to face me with their sharp fangs at the ready. Luckily my super-awesome-doctor skills assisted me in defeating those dastardly fiends! (Not going into detail because I won't want to bother you, Starburst).

After dumping what remained of them in my cart, I found a porch roof to protect myself from the rain, which is where my story ACTUALLY starts.

As I was drying myself off, I couldn't help but overhear two voices talking from around the corner. Imagine my surprise when two red and black monsters were standing idly in the rain, arguing with one another!

"You idiot! We were supposed to turn right back at the pointy rock!" The first monster said. His build was quite strong. Too strong, in fact. It was to the point where his muscle was ripping through his skin like a cheap cotton shirt, but it never seemed to bother him. "Now we will never get back to Muzans hideout!"
The strong monster punched his companion over the head with a hoof.

"I-I'm sorry, Brother." The second monster apologized. His stature was significantly smaller than his 'Brother' when I compared him. Nothing but skin and bone is the best description I could give.

Now my interest was peaked. Two unknown monsters all the way out here in the harsh rain talking about secret hideouts? It was too good to pass up in this boring ghost town. So I did the best thing I could and walked out in the rain, clearing my throat to gain their attention. They immediately noticed me and got into defensive stances.

"Hello, gentle colts, fine weather we're having? Yo Ho!"

The strong one didn't answer as he charged at me. I totally didn't scream like a little filly as I dodged out of the way, landing safely behind the beast. Not wanting to keep my ever-growing interest waiting, I decided to deal with the big one first. (Again, not telling for time, madam. Yo Ho!).

When it was nothing more than a pile of mush mixing with the mud, I turned to the smaller one, who was shaking out of his skin in fear. I approached the thing, knocked it out, brought it back to my home, and locked it in the basement until awoken.

Quiet loudly, I might add.

When the poor thing settled down enough to talk. That was when I learned of his kind, demons. He told me all sorts of things, who the leader was, what had recently been going on, and something about not wanting to die. Luckily, his last request was granted. I was just in such a great mood that I decided to let the little bugger go, but not without a favor first. So in short, I wrote the letter you most likely read and sent him on his way.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the dressed stallion had finished his story, he took the chance and resumed stuffing his face with his candies, leaving Starburst to her thoughts.

It was crystal clear that he was hiding something. What that something is, she didn't know for sure. On the outside, he had a bubbly personality with a tinge of minor insanity to add to it. But underneath, it wasn't hard for Starlight to tell he was sketchy at best, being a creature that embodies everything a pony shouldn't.

But she never would admit to him being attacked by timberwolves, seeing that she was the one that ran them off to steal their cave and killed their family.

But something else wasn't sitting right with the demon mare, something she had wanted to know ever since her hoof landed in this town.

"Hey, Doctor Crow," Starburst called out. The doctor in question paused his face-stuffing and looked at Starburst with a slightly annoyed look on his face. "I want to ask, where is everypony?" She asked with a hint of fear in her voice.

It took a second for Crow to figure out what she was talking about. But it hit him eventually, as he made an 'Ohhhh' sound and threw the rest of the candy back in the bowl.

"It's funny it took you that long to notice." He chuckled, "Well to put it simply-"

"I accidentally killed them all. Yo Ho!"