The God of Sleep Has Made His House

The smoke from the barrel slowly dissipates.

The smell of gun powder is pungent in the area, along with the soggy smell of rain.

I could feel a cool breeze pour through the window, tingling my exposed face. It felt good. Relaxing.

A shame that Abinchova isn't here. I don't like reporting failure to my lord.

Thinking back for a minute, I knew I should've asked that griffin where he went. Or, tortured the information out of him. He would have squealed like a pig if I was in a better frame of mind. But those two dead Equines down there.........I guess they were bothering me more than I thought.

Speaking of Equines...

I turned back around, nearly forgetting about the two captives behind me.

The cream colored filly managed to hobble behind the cyan mare, while the mare, though bound and clearly scared, took up a somewhat defensive posture.

I take a step forward. She visibly flinches, but remains alert nonetheless.

I felt a little peeved, that they would so readily mistrust their apparent savior, before it dawned on me:

I just killed someone in front of their very eyes.

Or, at least one of them.

I was pretty sure the filly had her eyes closed during the deed, and probably only heard my shouting and the sound of the gun going off. But, it seemed obvious that the cyan mare saw mostly everything, and being a pony from Equestria and all, probably felt very sickened by the act that happened before her eyes.

I felt like shit. Well, shittier than usual. The least I could do was free them and apologize.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," I said in a calm, yet sad voice.

The little filly poked her head from its hidden position behind the mare, looking towards me.

The mare just continued to stare. I could see the subtle hint of tears in her eyes.

Goddamn it. Way to make me feel crappier than before.

I walked closer to the two, until I stood directly in front of them.

I'm not that tall (only pushing 5'10), but two the small Equines, especially the filly, I appeared gigantic. Terrifying in appearance, as well, due to my scraggly hair and ragged cloak and armor, not to mention the blood.

Oh god. I forgot all about the blood.

I bet I looked even more monstrous.

I sigh.

It can't be helped now.

I lowered my self to my knees, becoming eye level with the mare.

"I'm going to untie you. You don't need to believe me, hell, you don't even have to to pretend to not be afraid of me,  but just know I am a friend,and don't mean you or the little one any harm, ok?"

The mare looked at me with an untrusting gaze for a moment, before closing her eyes and nodding her head.

I gave my best attempt at a smile before reaching behind the mares back and undoing the knots that had her fore legs bound.

Immediately, the mare reached for the gag in her mouth and pulled off, spitting out a wad cloth that had been lodged there already, and taking a long, deep breath.

Geez, how long did she have that thing on for?

While the mare busied herself undoing her legs, I began to unstrap and ungag the filly as well, who seemed a little less hesitant towards me when she heard that I was a friend.

"There you go, sweetie, you' re free," I said as I undid the last of her bonds. I noticed her flutter the little wings on her back.

She was a little pegasus filly, apparently.

"Th-Thank you," the little filly said, shrinking before me a little. She must be still wary of me. I wouldn't blame her. The mare had already undid the ropes around her legs, and apparently, her wings as well.

A pegasus, huh? I wonder if she had any affiliation with those two unfortunate souls downstairs. God, I hope not.

"Are you both all right," I asked softly, not wanting to scare the two any further.

"Y-yeah, I think I'm good," the cyan mare replied, still taking in deep breaths.

"I-I'm o-okay, m-m-mister," the little filly stuttered out shyly, avoiding eye contact.

I wouldn't blame her.

"Are either of you injured and in need of medical attention?"

They both looked at me and shook their heads.

I let out a sigh of relief. At least that was one thing I didn't have to worry about.

"You killed that griffin."

The cyan mare looked at me, with an expression that I couldn't really grasp.

I nodded my head. "Yes, I did kill him. He would have ended you and the little one's lives if I didn't. I didn't want anymore innocent blood to be shed tonight. I'm not sorry for killing him, but I....I'm truly, truly, sorry that you had to see that miss, it's just that-"

I was cut off by the cyan mare putting her hoof to my lips, silencing my prattle, before removing her hoof and throwing her fore hooves around me. I felt her push her head into my chest, muffled sobs escaping from her mouth.

"Th-thank you," I heard her choke out, "thank you for saving us. I-I was so s-s-scared and I..I...."

"Sshhh," I whispered, putting a hand behind her rainbow mane, gently rocking her back and forth, "It's OK, you and the little one are safe now."

She released her hold on me, slouching forward a bit as she cleared her senses. The little filly, who had been quiet off to the side, was now crying as well. I scooped her up and held her, rocking her slightly, trying my best at comforting her.

I'm not good at this shit. I'm really not. But I'm not some unfeeling asshole, and I truly felt moved by what I was seeing before me. Besides, seeing a child cry always made me feel lousy.

"It's ok, little one, I gotcha, I gotcha, everything is going to be ok."

I heard whimper, while a puddle of tears began to form on my shoulder.

I did the only thing I could do. I closed my eyes, and, while rocking the filly, began to hum a little tune that my mother used to sing to me. I can feel my body vibrate from the sound emitting from my chest, it's soothing tune carrying over stone and corpse, as its melody began to calm the little filly. Her sobs soon became slight chokes and hiccups, as she began to relax a bit.

"Do you feel better, sweetie?" I asked sincerely.

The little filly nodded her head, before giving my cheek a quick nuzzle. I smiled slightly before setting her down on the floor next to the cyan mare, who sat with a sad smile as well.

My smile quickly shifted to a look of neutrality, as I began to speak to them again.

"What are your names, you two?" I asked them, curiously.

The cyan mare gave an attempt to pose, complete with puffing out her chest, before sighing and resigning just to saying simply:

"The names Rainbow Dash, and the squirt next to me is Willow Song."

"It's nice to meet miss Rainbow Dash and Willow," I said with a slight bow.

My little bow caused the little filly to giggle slightly, while a confused look crossed the cyan mare.

"What's with the bow?" she asked, quizzically.

I looked up with a slight smirk on my face.

"It's not everyday who are in the presence of an Element of Harmony, miss Dash," I said, before turning to the little filly, "and of a little princess, too."

WIllow blushed a bit, before rubbing her the floor with one of her fore hooves.

"I'm not a princess, mister," she said shyly.

D'aw. So cute. I couldn't help but smile a little a bit.

"You could've fooled me, m'lady," I said with a smile, causing the little filly to blush and smile bashfully.

The flattery and happy feelings would have continued if not for a familiar stench to begin to become apparent.

Decomposition.

There was still a corpse on the floor in this room, with a great deal of brain matter splatter around him, as well as the ever present crimson pool that encircled his body.

Best carry this conversation else where.

I stood to my full height again, turning towards the door.

"If you two would follow me, I'd like to ask you a few questions else where, for obvious reasons."

The cyan mare began to open her mouth to speak before I cut her off.

"Don't worry, I'll let you ask your fair share of questions, but it will have to wait until we leave his place. I truly don't want to be here anymore than you two want to."

"I understand," Dash said before standing up and heading for the door.

"Come on, little one," I said to filly, before scooping her up and placing her on my shoulders, making sure to cove her eyes for split second, blocking her view of the rotting corpse behind us, and making my way into the hallway and down the stony steps to the keep entrance, Dash following behind me.

Before continuing to the exit through the feasting hall, I stopped in my tracks.

"Up ahead.....isn't a pretty sight. Dash, just keep looking forward, don't look around, and you should be fine, Ok?"

"I...Ok,," she said with a defeated tone.

"Trust me, you'll be thanking me later. And Willow, sweetheart, I want you to close your eyes and count as high as you can until I tell you stop. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, I can do that, mister," Willow said. I smiled.

"Atta girl. Start counting.....now."

With that, I lead them through the feast hall, Dash, as promised, keeping her gaze strictly to my back, while Willow counted as high as she could.

The melting candles and dying hearth fire gave enough light to barely make our way through without stumbling on the one of the many corpses on the ground. Besides the the sound of our foot and hoof steps, the only audible sound was the sound of liquid dripping, it either being water or blood. At least it stopped raining.

Fuck the rain.

Willow had counted up to 55 by the time we entered into the courtyard, the musky smell of rain and damp prevalent all around.

God, I loved that smell.

I turned to Dash, while Willow continued to sit perch atop my shoulders, her little hooves dangling over the sides of my body. I scooped her up once again and placed her on the ground by my feet, where she eagerly dashed off and began to splash in some of the many large puddles around us.

"Watch the little one for a second, Dash, I need to take care of a loose end."

"What loose end?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

"There's two ponies in there that are in need of a proper burial. I want to give it to them. It's the least I could do for getting here.....too late."

I felt her fore hoof touch my thigh.

"Take care of it. I'll watch the squirt."

I nodded my head before turning back to the entrance of the keep.

"Wait!"

I stopped as Dash called me.

"What's your name? At least tell me your name."

Even Willow stopped her prancing to the hear the answer to the question Dash asked.

I continued walking towards the keep.

Thunder boomed. The fucking rain was probably going to start again, soon.

I sigh, before shuffling the cloak around me again, turning my head slightly over my shoulder, and answered Dash.

"Lucifer. My name is Lucifer."

I turn my head back forward and enter the keep and the smell of it's decomposing greeting.

Two poor souls needed to be buried. A prayer needed to be said, to help them find their souls to the afterlife.

If one good deed could be accomplished tonight, it would be this.

Besides the rescue of the two outside.

Thank God at least they made it.

Still.....Abinchova got away.

Man, dad is gonna be pissed when I get back.