Kalfu now found himself standing outside a small cottage just on the outskirts of the town. This is where the shy pegasus lived with all her animal friends. From the tiniest little mouse to an actual bear who eyes Kalfu suspiciously as he stands there watching the yellow mare hold the giant snake that had come to Kalfu earlier, "So, you can speak with and control only certain animals? And you don't even have a cutie mark to show off your talents?" Fluttershy asked as she gently nosed and nuzzled the snake that seemed to get along with her quickly.

"A..cutie mark? What might that be? I imagine by its name, it is some sort of mark on your body?" Kalfu asked, somewhat curious about it now. Without thinking, Fluttershy lifted her skirt slightly to show off the three butterflies that adorned her relatively supple hips before nodding "Mhmm, this shows off our talent that we are meant to have, And mine has always been to communicate with animals.". She said before releasing the fabric to let it drop back down. Kalfu's heart raced as he saw what undies she wore before the material fell back down. "Stripes…" he simply said quietly. "Hmm? What was that?" asked Fluttershy with a tilt lilt of her head. "N-Nothing!" Kalfu said in quick response before feeling something kicking at his shin.

His gaze turned down to a tiny little bunny who glared up at him with a look of disapproval. It seems the little guy had caught Kalfu staring, and he wasn't too pleased about it. What was even more strange was that he could understand this little 'bunny', which he wasn't supposed to be able to as rabbits do not correspond to the voodoo religion. Maybe as a sacrifice, but that's it. The rabbit continued to kick at and hit his leg rather futilely before a skeletal hand popped out of the ground quickly and launched the little rabbit into a pile of hay that a few farm animals were chewing on. Thankfully, Fluttershy was too busy with the snake to notice that little exchange. Kalfu simply gave a wicked smile as he watched the rabbit fly through the air before returning his attention to the mare.

"That is a shame that your destiny is determined by a mark randomly given to you throughout your life. Where I am from, your path is always open to doing what you want. And be what you want to be. Though, it is less forgiving if you screw up there.". "Oh? Where are you from? I have never seen anyone like you before." she responded. Kalfu rubbed his chin in thought before simply answering, "Oh, somewhere far away is all. I was brought here to do something great. Though for now, I am just living out my life and learning all I can about this new land.".

As they continued to talk, Kalfu turned his head to notice a rather large black labrador dog with glowing green eyes approach him from the forest next to Fluttershy's cottage. He quickly turned his full attention to the canine, kneeling down and petting the dog as he leaned in closely, nodding as the dog spoke with him. "Ah, someone is poking around the house? Thanks for telling me, buddy. Return home and keep an eye on them. I will be back home as soon as possible." he said before reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a piece of dried meat for the dog before giving it to him. The canine accepted the treat gratefully before running back into the woods.

Kalfu rose to his feet before dusting off his knees and turning to Fluttershy, who looked at Kalfu with concern. "Everything okay?..?" she asked as she watched the snake she was holding now branch over to Kalfu's arm and disappear into his sleeve again. The serpent knew it was time for them to depart. "Everything is fine, sweetheart. I think I might have a potential customer. So, I must be off. It was a pleasure to meet you. Such a gentle and loving soul. YOu will make a rather wonderful wife and mother someday. Never lose your warmth, my dear." he said before tipping his hat to her and leaving. Fluttershy stood there with a rather noticeable blush on her muzzle that last comment making her feel somewhat embarrassed but warm and fuzzy inside.

As Kalfu approached his home, he noticed someone trying to peek in through one of the front windows and looking around rather suspiciously. Upon closer inspection, he saw it was Twilight. He blinked a few times before flying several feet off the ground and levitating behind her before clearing his throat. "Something I can help you with, Miss Bookworm?" he asked with a chuckle before his smile suddenly dropped as the mare turned around. Something was off about Twilight…or rather NOT Twilight.

"Oh, hello again, Kalfu! A pleasure to see you again. How have you been doing? Last time I saw you, we were hanging out at the local bakery in Ponyville. Have you been doing alright?". As if seeing the soul of the one in front of him wasn't enough, the way she greeted him was a dead giveaway that this wasn't the real Twilight. "Who are you?" he asked in a deadpan tone and a narrowed gaze. "What are you talking about? It's me, Twili-...". She was immediately cut off as Kalfu took his walking cane into both of his hands, and with a firm twist, he pulled out a hidden sword in one swift motion before holding the blade to her neck. "Wrong answer. Now, who the fuck are you? Your soul does not much like the stubborn and self-righteous bookworm I know."

"P-Please, Kalfu..you are scaring me-!" she pleaded before she was cut off again by the edge of the blade pressing a bit firmer into her neck, and she gave a wicked smile and narrowed her eyes. It was clear that the imposter wasn't going to fool Kalfu. "You caught on quicker than I thought you would, little one…impressive," she said before suddenly transforming into a bright green flight and taking her proper form. A tall pony and bug-like mix of a creature with a hard outer shell but still soft and curvy in the right spots, along with holes in her arms and legs.

Kalfu stared up at her for a moment before pulling his cane sword away from her neck and placing it back into the cane itself. "You should have just appeared as your true self. You didn't need to hide your identity from me. Not like I care." he said before he placed his cane back down before walking towards his favorite chair on the deck. He sits down before looking over at her with an arched brow. "So then, madam. What can I do for you? Do you want a card reading? Do you need one of my trinkets? Or perhaps you are here to….make a deal?" he asked with a toothy grin.

The changeling shuddered slightly as she did not like how he smiled at her when he mentioned a deal. However, she was potentially there for that, as she had heard many things about Kalfu's abilities and what he could offer her. He held out a hand to the seat across from him in an inviting manner before she hesitantly made her way over to join him. Something about how he was staring at her made her outer shell crawl. What was he looking at? Those weren't the eyes of lust or desire. It's as if he was looking IN her instead of at her. She did not like it at all.

"Hmmm, given the nature of your soul, I am surprised you found your way to my humble little home, madam. I am afraid that damnation awaits you when you die unless you straighten up your way of life. I am not trying to tell you how to live it. Just a friendly warning." he said as he watched her bring her arms up to cover her large breasts. It's as if he was looking at her completely exposed when she wasn't. "J-Just shut up! Stop looking at me like that! I am Queen Chrysalis, and you will treat me with the proper respect!" She demanded as she tried to change the subject.

"And I am Kalfu, The Voodoo King. But you don't hear me going around demanding respect. Besides, you are on my turf now. Your title and authority mean nothing here. Now, what is it that you want? It's almost dinner time." he said with another grin as he was being the pretty smart ass towards her, and it ate at her that he wasn't cowering in fear of her presence like her subjects normally would. "I am simply here to make a deal with you. You give me what I need to help me take over Canterlot. And I will give you what you desire in return," she said as she squirmed in her seat. Kalfu continued to pierce his gaze right into her.

He leaned forward and rested his chin upon the top of his hands as they rested atop his cane, his eyes glowing brightly in the dim light of the swamp. "I can make that deal happen, Chryssy. But you aren't going to like what I want in return…" he said as he looked her up and down, making her immediately think that he wanted her for sexual reasons. She giggles and lifts her arms over her head as she sways her body, her breasts swaying slightly as she narrows her eyes at him. "If it is me you want, all you had to do was say so~.".

Kalfu's smile grew broader and more sinister as she was way off the mark. "Oh, please. Don't flatter yourself, dear. I'd prefer a mare that doesn't lay around with just anyone. And I can tell just by looking at you that you have bedded way too many stallions and mares for my liking. I don't deal with sluts." he blatantly said as he shot down her offer immediately. She was about to explode in anger before he cut her off. "No, what I desire is the souls of all your children. Every. Single. One. After all, a demand for a kingdom demands a sacrifice of one," He said as he held out a now fiery glowing hand with that same wicked smile upon his face.

He chuckled darkly as he watched her reach out for his hand. She was about to grab it before quickly pulling away and standing up. "There is no way I am giving you my children! No matter what you can give me to accomplish my goal, I will never give them up to you!". Kalfu was somewhat surprised that she had backed out of making the deal. Maybe all hope wasn't lost for her after all. He then stood up and tipped his hat to her. "Then, I am afraid that negotiations have broken down, madam. For I will not accept anything other than that. Now then, if you'd kindly take your leave," he said as he turned to make his way to his front.

As he did, Chrysalis' horn glowed angrily. "I will not be denied!" she shouted before she shot a large beam of energy at his mack, in which several large skeletal arms popped up from under the water from the deck and immediately swatted the magic into the sky like it was a fly, then proceeded to wrap their large hands around the changeling queen, squeezing her tightly as she now struggled in their grip. Kalfu turned on his heel before casually strolling back to her, standing before her. He then brought the back of his hand across the side of her face as hard as he could, the crack echoing through the swamp rather loudly.

Chrysalis let out a yelp of pain as the side where he had smacked her was already red and swelling as blood leaked from her mouth. "I am just about tired of your disrespect toward me and MY home, madam. You come here demanding I offer you my power to help you in your fucking political struggles, and then you have to fucking gull to attack me with my back turned? I ought to rip your soul right from your body and rip it to shreds right now…" he said as the hands that held her started to squeeze even tighter, threatening to crack her exoskeleton.

"...But you aren't worth the effort. Plus, your soul is frayed and tattered. It's not worth wanting. When you die, I may just destroy it all together. Now, get the fuck off my property." he said as he snapped his fingers before the large hands dragged her below the water. She kicked and screamed in terror, only to be released outside of the boundaries of his home just as all unwanted guests were dealt with. He wipes the green blood from his hand that had splattered on it when he had slapped her with a cloth before placing it back into his coat pocket and heading back inside. He felt that this certainly wouldn't be the last time he saw her, but hoped for her sake, she had a better attitude whenever the time came when they'd meet again.

As he stood there making his dinner, he looked down at his hand and realized that this was the first time he reacted angrily to being attacked or insulted directly. Usually, he would have just shrugged it off and sent the bug queen on her way without any physical retaliation. But the way she spoke to him and attacked him from behind… rubbed him the wrong way and caused a bit of violent anger to stir within his heart and soul. And he didn't like that at all. "I shouldn't have hit her like that…I am not my father, nor will I ever turn into a monster like him…" he said as memories of his father beating his mother in a drunken rage flooded his mind, making him lean forward on the counter and shake in both anger and fear as he relived the scenario in his mind.

One night was about as bad as it could get when he was cowering in the corner of the living room as his father was screaming and yelling about how he and his mother were useless pieces of living garbage, and he had wished that Kalfu was never born. He was about to strike Kalfu with a metal pipe before his mother stepped in and took the blow full force to her skull, the impact killing her instantly as blood, skull pieces, and brain matter splatter across the wall and Kalfu's face as his mother collapsed to the ground like a sack of bricks.

As that scene played over and over in Kalfu's mind, he began to shake violently, green fire starting to swell around him as he was getting ready to explode in anger. Just as he was about to go off, he felt a gentle hand rest upon his shoulder, forming a hug from behind. When he came out of the nightmarish memory, he snapped his head around to see a concerned Zecora calling out to him as she hugged him tightly before he blinked a few times. He looked around to see scorch marks all around the kitchen and even some minor burn marks on Zecora's hands and arms before he started collapsing to his knees. Zecora gently helped him down to the ground before letting him collapse into her arms as he held onto her for dear life.

"My dear, sweet Kalfu…what happened here..?" she asked as she held him close, letting him bury his head into her soft and warm chest as a hand reached up and gently combed through his hair. "It's my fault….I shouldn't have ever been born. It's because of me that my mother had to suffer." he said as he grabbed at the fabric of Zecora's top. He balled up his fists and held back tears, something he hadn't done in years. Was it because of this younger body he was in?

Nevertheless, Zecora held onto him as tightly as she could, gently speaking comforting words to him in Haitian as he held onto her. She would hold him all night if she had to. She showed up at the right time when he needed someone the most. And he was grateful for that.,

Decided to throw a little bit of past trauma in at the end there. His life wasn't sunshine and rainbows after all.

May the darkness grant you peace.