A sigh floats away in the cold night air of the Badlands. A pinto stallion lays on a blanket watching the stars and listening to the small campfire crackle nearby. He casts an uncertain glance at the mare occupying his bedroll on the other side of the fire. He had found the gray mare in the middle of the afternoon on a routine patrol.

The three horns do not put him on guard—the fact that no traces left in her vicinity put him on guard. No hoof prints. No magical prints. Nothing. The fact that she may be a changeling stays in the forefront of his mind.

The mare is on the small side. Her red mane is cut short with a braid of black hair. Her tail has a similar style except being a full length tail. The red heart cutie mark with a knife stabbing into it does not leave a good impression within Jonathan Apple. Her overall attire of a black (hopefully faux) leather vest, spike fetlock bands, and wolf medallion gives her a “punk” vibe.

Jonathan Apple sets his journal down, placing the pencil on the page of the ongoing report. As he takes a swig of water from a canteen, a soft groan alerts him. He focuses on the mare that is stirring.

A throbbing head wakes her up. Cold and warm air brushing up against her make her open her eyes. Darkness greets her eyesight. A crackle snaps her attention to the side. A small fire is the source of the crackling. The creature across from her studies her with brown eyes. She remembers seeing those types of creatures in her scrying mirror. A quick scan of herself make her eyes flash with anger for a split second.

“How are you feeling?” The creature asks sounding like a male.

Her glowing green serpentine eyes lock onto him. She flashes as smile. “Just wonderful.”

Jonathan shudders hearing her voice snake its way through his being which stoke the ashes of a long dead emotion. Her eyes mesmerize him making him want to walk over to her. A branch snapping in the fire slap him from his trance.

He clears his throat. “Are you thirsty?” He questions as he slides a canteen over to her.

She looks down at the canteen and then to her hooves. She slides the canteen back to him. “You first.”

Jonathan scoffs. “Okay...” He twists open the canteen and takes a swig of the water. He closes the container and slides it back to her. “Happy?”

She copies the motions of the creature with difficulty. After a few tries she is able to open the canteen. Tasting the refreshing water rejuvenates her and she quickly empties the canteen.

After a smack of the lips and satisfying sigh she throws the canteen back to the creature. “I will be once I have what I am searching for.”

“Is that why you’re way out here in the middle of nowhere? What are you searching for?”

“She has white fur, hair similar to mine, and—“

“Three horns like you?” Jonathan inputs.

The mare touches her forehead. “Apparently.”

“Who is she to you?”

A malevolent grin spreads across the mare’s muzzle. “My daughter.”

Shade heaves a sigh as she presses up against the front door. Vinyl’s music echoes from behind the door. Cries and shouts of celebration fill the streets. Fireworks explode with light showering in the sky. Shade breaths in a deep and shaky lung full of air. When the lights flip on without her aid she jumps to her hooves in a battle stance. Her body relaxes seeing the pony.

“There’s my little five time savior of Equestria!” Deathly Belladonna cheers. She dashes over to her daughter to wrap her in a warm embrace.

Shade returns the affection. “Mum!”

Death pulls away from the tender moment to look at her daughter. “You deserve a reward. Tada!”

A box pops up next to Shade’s face. Shade accepts the box with her crimson magic from her mother’s pink aura. She removes the lid.

Death’s smile grows hearing Shade gasp.

Shade lifts up her goggles to gaze at Death with wide eyes full of wonder. “What is it?”

“It’s just a little something I pulled out at the excavation site. I call it ‘the Heart of Destruction’. Take it! Feel the power!”

Shade scoops up the literal heart shaped ruby in her hoof and lets the box drop to the floor. An energy radiates from the artifact. Sitting and holding the Heart of Destruction with both hooves. “Oh yeah. I feel it.” Shade replies in a whisper.

Minutes pass as mother and daughter keep their eyes on the ruby myocardium.

“So what does it do?” Shade’s question breaks the silence.

Death places a hoof on the ruby to lower it down and replaces its position with her head to look into her daughter’s crimson eyes. She holds a serious mien. “If I tell you,” she pauses, “I will have to kill you.”

Again.

Shade is the Element of Courage. Everypony knows her fearlessness. Dragons, wyverns, hydras—just a short list among a long list of ferocious creatures she has defeated over the years. In that moment. In those eyes. Shade had seen the face of fear. In the reflection of her mother’s eyes. Shade swallows the lump growing in her throat.

Death throws her head back as she joyfully laughs. She walks to the kitchen. “What do you want for dinner?”

A twisting, gnawing pain wretches at Shade’s chest. The heart in her hooves beats. She stuffs the ruby back inside the box and seals it shut. The echo of a coffin shutting catches her breath. Darkness swallows her as she falls for an eternity.

“Shade?”

“No!” Shade screams. She finds herself muzzle to muzzle with a fluffy maned pony.

Seeing Shade’s pinprick pupils and quivering triggers Pinkie Pie to hold the shaking alabaster tricorn.

“I’ll be good! I’ll behave!” Shade mutters.

Pinkie strains for air as Shade’s grip continues to tighten. Pinkie strokes and pets her marefriend. “Shhh. Everything will be okay,” she coos, trying to calm Shade down.

Pinkie turns to look behind her where a growing chill bites her back. Deathly Belladonna stands in the middle of the swinging kitchen doors a darkness enveloping her.

“I’m making waffles!” She chimes with a cheerful expression.

Author's Notes:

Ten points to your house if you name the reference.

Hundred points if you can guess mystery mare’s (Valkyrie) cutie mark.

Ten times the points if your house is Hufflepuff.