Celestia paced back in forth in the royal burial chamber underneath the castle at Canterlot. Her demon companions spoke little until the three felt a disturbance, the same as the one that she had felt in the Everfree forest. “Other portals are being opened” Metatron stated.
“So it has begun anew, I suppose there would be no other reason why you have summoned us.” Izanagi was probably still bitter about being contained for so long, a little over a thousand years, but it was all for the best.
“I wished to create an Equestria where my little ponies could live without the threat of demons or Tamers, clearly I was idealistic when I thought it would last forever.” She bitterly choked on those last words; she believed that she could save the ponies of Equestria from the strife and pain caused by the Sumners and the demons.
Luna approached her with her demons, Astaroth a bipedal creature that rode upon a giant snake, and Izanami a large creature made seemingly of darkness with a dress draped over it. “Sister we have unfortunate news.” Celestia smiled, her sister had always used the term ‘we’ even when referring to herself because she had always taken council with her companions, she valued their opinions and wasn’t pleased when a thousand years ago she had been told that summoning had been made illegal by her sister.
“I’ve…" Celestia coughed and corrected herself, "We’ve noticed as well, more portals are opening all over the place, Equestria will soon go back to the way things were, and I must prepare us for that.”
Celestia motioned for Metatron to join her in front of three coffins she had prepared in front of her. She walked over to the first one which bore the image of a two clouds each firing a lightning bolt that were positioned on top of one another as if they were reflections. “Cloud Mirror, the fastest Pegasus Equestria had ever seen, you promised me that your body may die but your Loyalty to my cause never would, it appears that this claim must be tested.” She opened the coffin and revealed the magically preserved body of Cloud Mirror, a Pegasus with a dull white mane and grey coat; her cutie mark was the image on the coffin. Celestia’s horn glowed with magic, which flowed into her demonic companion who began casting the spell. A beautiful white light surrounded the body and began to pour into it.
The eyes of the previously dead Pegasus blinked open as she opened her eyes. “Princess Celestia?” she was taking coming back to life better than Celestia had dared hope.
“My child I apologize for interrupting your time in the eternal sleep," Celestia cooed softly, "however the Shin Megami Tensei has begun anew and I need the help of my old generals.” The pegasus smile as she stretched her legs and her wings, symbols began to take form on her hooves as millennia old contracts were reinstated, she allowed the magic to course through her hooves as she summoned her old demons. The first was a large bipedal bird-like creature coated in golden armor, “Garuda, it's good to see you." She turned to the other, a large dragon made of metal, "and you as well Fafnir, its been too long my old friends.”
Celestia turned her attention to the next coffin it held the image of the pony inside’s cutie mark, namely that of an apple cut down the middle so the seed inside was visible. “Apple Seed, I’m in dire need of your Honesty and strength.” She once again performed the spell and Metatron summoned the pony from death itself.
The crème colored farm pony with a short red mane blinked her eyes open and looked upon her former leader, and her mare friend/comrade. “Well shucks Cloud, wasn’t expecting to see you all ready for war.” She said this as she motioned at the two demons that sat before their master.
“Our contract was only nullified when miss Cloud Mirror died now that she has returned so have we,” Garuda had always been the more talkative one as the metallic dragon Fafnir simply nodded in agreement. Apple Seed looked at her hooves and sure as day her contract pentagrams were there almost as if she hadn’t died.
Celestia spoke up “I’m sorry to wake you…”
Apple Seed put a hoof to Celestia’s mouth “Think nuthin of it Tia’ I’m glad to be back and ready to do what you need, you wouldn’t have just raised the dead for tea and crumpets, something bad is or has happened.” Celestia smiled at her friend, the years had truly been lonely without her three closest friends by her side.
Cloud Mirror sidled over to Apple Seed, “Well how do I look?” she asked to her up until now dead marefriend.
“Considering ya’ll had been dead for a thousand years pretty good.” The two laughed and continued to chat as Apple Tart decided to summon her demons as well. Atavaka, a blue human with eight arms, each clutching a large spear, Girimehkala, a large bipedal elephant with a huge sword also arose to meet his master and both stood to the side as Celestia began her final spell.
“Starswirl the Bearded, your Magic was a great boon to aiding me in my quest and now I must ask for your help in maintaining my kingdom.” She opened the coffin to reveal the body of Starswirl, he was the one of her generals to live to old age and would therefore be the most difficult to restore. She gave as much magic as she could to Metatron who used it to summon forth the spirit of Starswirl the Bearded from beyond the Eternal Sleep. Starswirl opened his eyes and saw Celestia standing before him, he looked down at his body it looked as if it were in its midyears once again, and clearly something bad had happened to force him back to Equestria. “Starswirl my loyal friend and companion, I’m afraid that I must ask for your help once again in keeping the land of Equestria safe.”
He raised his hoof, and noticed that the pentagrams once again adorned his front two hooves. He released his magic and summoned forth the two creatures that had once helped to give Celestia and Luna the crowns of Equestria. The first was the giant fly, much taller and larger than Celestia, who held a large staff in it's hand, known as Beelzebub. “Beelzebub it has been quite a long time my faithful demon.”
The fly buzzed its wings and looked over at its master “Indeed Starswirl, a thousand years have passed since our last battle together.” He remembered, he also remembered having been told by the Princess after the throne had been won that no demons were to be summoned in Equestria ever again, and he had vowed never to do so. He summoned his other faithful friend a massive eight-headed snake called Yamata-no-Orochi.
With her three generals assembled Celestia had the perfect defense force and thusly proceeded “Alright so now that everypony is present, the reason I brought you all here.”
---------------------------------------------------
Sweetie Bell trekked through the Everfree forest looking for a sign of her sister’s attempted murderer. Spike bobbed along on her back also looking for any sign of the mysterious Trixie. “This would be easier Hee-ho if we had asked where they fought.”
Sweetie Bell shook her head, ‘then they would know what we plan to do.’ Spike looked quizzically at Sweetie, “Jack Frost can talk to me in my head.”
Spike nodded in understanding, “I get it, that way in a fight you guys could strategize without the enemy hearing you.” Spike caught a glimpse of a fire in the distance, “that way” he pointed in the fire’s direction.
“Finally, we’ve found her” Sweetie rushed in the direction of the fire, her revenge was at hand.
Trixie was beyond upset. She was devastated by the utter defeat that she had suffered at Twilight’s hooves. ‘Me get beaten by Twilight, gasp, what are the odds.’ She sarcastically bemoaned her predictable defeat and went back to her foraged berries and what small warmth could be gotten from the fire.
“Well, next time we see her I’ll crush her.” Trixie chuckled at the go-getter attitude of her newest companion, Forneus.
“Yes, because she’ll really come after me again, that do-gooder wouldn’t deal the finishing blow to me even after I had wounded her non-tamer friend, she mocks me with her mercy.” Twilight had to have some knowledge of the demons and tamers of lore, and yet she still allowed Trixie her life, all it meant was insult to injury, as her still recovering Ose spoke up
“Perhaps you could use that to your advantage, continue to challenge her and perhaps eventually you will succeed if she refuses to finish you off.” Trixie thought about it; it felt dirty to play on Twilight’s natural peacefulness as a way of defeating her but it seemed to be the only way.
“So there you are!” called a voice. Trixie turned to face the noise only to see a small filly and a baby dragon staring down at her.
Sweetie Bell had finally made it to the campsite that Trixie had made for herself. She was staring down the mare that almost killed her sister, without her demon, ‘fighting her when she can’t use her demon seems cheap.’ Sweetie mentally shook away those thoughts, ‘No we have to kill her now, she may hurt others like she did Rarity and those people may not be so lucky.’ Sweetie summoned Jack Frost and prepared for her assault.
“What do you want with the Great and Powerful Trixie, tamer, a fight?” She stood up and Sweetie noticed that while the pentagram on her left leg was indeed out of commission and glowing a dull red, there was another pentagram on her right leg.
“You have TWO demons?” Sweetie Bell asked.
Trixie scoffed and stomped her hoof summoning forth a demon that looked like a floating manta ray with a crown on its head, “Forneus shall be your opponent.”
Sweetie Bell stood her ground and began the fight ‘Jack Frost, use bufu’ the snowman summoned a piece of ice and tossed it at the giant manta, which didn’t even seem fazed by the attack. “Oh no!”
Trixie laughed heartily, “Ice doesn’t harm Forneus. Forneus, stun bite.” Forneus flew at Jack Frost and bit into him with its large muscled jaw before tossing it into a nearby tree bark.
“Jack Frost attack!”
“No Sweetie Bell it’s outmatched lets run for it.” Spike pleaded for his friend to give up the chase.
“NO SHE ALMOST KILLED MY SISTER!” Jack Frost flung himself at Forneus punching it in the mouth, this barely shook the mighty sea beast as it grabbed Jack Frost in its jaws once again and bit down, turning Frost into mist and forcing him back into Sweetie’s containment spell. Sweetie Bell rushed forward to continue the attack herself but was struck by a large chunk of ice from Forneus and passed out.
“Let’s kill her!” Forneus licked its lips in anticipation, its first killing in nearly a millennia.
Trixie looked at the unconscious form of the filly before her, Twilight’s friend must be the sister she talked about, it was true she had almost killed her despite her not even being a tamer. “Allow me to think on it.”
Forneus growled at his master, “she ambushed us, no mercy!” he opened his jaws to attack but was stopped by Trixie’s containment spell which pulled him back into the pentagram on her hoof. Spike looked over at the pentagram, it glowed a bright green; they hadn’t even scratched it. He looked over at Trixie and took a standing position in front of Sweetie Bell’s body with his arms outstretched. “Ha” Trixie was amused by the dragons posturing, any other day she might have been frightened of a dragon but now she had demons, she could take on a full-grown dragon if she wanted to. She began to walk away.
“Hey” Spike nervously asked, “Where are you going?”
“I’m allowing the little brat to live, tell Sparkle that my debt is paid, next time there will be no mercy when I beat her.” Trixie walked away and further into the forest leaving Spike and the unconscious Sweetie Bell alone with her fire.
Octavia wandered through the forest looking for the source of the sound she heard. ‘No’ she thought to herself ‘I’m here in this dreadful forest looking for my parents’ but the sound did intrigue her. It was the sound of a lyre and it seemed to be very well played. She stopped and pulled out her cello from its case, she didn’t remember why she brought it with her just that she thought she would need it. She played a few notes joining in with the far off lyre’s playing. She heard the lyre stop and then resume playing as if it wanted to join in with her. She began playing a sad song and the lyre joined her it felt as though it was a song about lost love and heartbreak punctuated by the lyre. It was a soft melody but felt harsh it felt as though the lyre player was putting his soul into the piece and sharing his broken heart with Octavia.
She put the cello away as she finished the melody only to see her parents rush out to meet her. They embraced her and urged her to run the other way but she couldn’t hear them; all she could hear was the lyre’s melody and continued to walk towards the sound deeper into the forest. She eventually stopped in a small clearing and took out her cello once again and began to play. This time the song was meant to be happy, it was a song to be sung and enjoyed in times of great amusement, it reminded her of her dear younger sister Pinkie Pie. The lyre took a little longer to join in this time but when it did it matched her tone and tempo perfectly, even though the two artists were doing this out of nowhere it felt as though they had practiced for years. They would stop and allow the other a solo or a short reprieve and the song was completely devoid of the wrenching heartbreak that the lyre had brought to the last song. This time it was a song of remembrance, of good times long ago still fresh in the mind of the musician playing. Octavia tried to improvise the song while imagining the first time that her sister had thrown her a party. It was her fifteenth birthday and her sister had earned her cutie mark a few days ago and the party was a spectacular event. Octavia poured those emotions into the last few lines of the piece, as her mysterious lyrist played along with her. Octavia put the cello away at the end of the song and sat down on a tree stump. The music that she and the mysterious lyrist played was beyond beautiful and made her feel alive.
“You are one of the best musicians I have ever met.” called a voice in her head. If it wasn’t for the fact she knew it was the lyrist she probably would have scared.
“Is that so, you should know, you were playing in synch with me without any rehearsal or anything, it takes a lot of talent to pull that off.”
“You were also playing along with me, before you came to the clearing.” she thought back to it and realized he, she thinks it’s a he anyway, was correct she had started playing in time with his lyre before her parents found her.
“I wish we could play some more!” she called out.
“Yes, perhaps we could,” it was at that moment that a creature materialized in front of Octavia. The creature seemed to be a mannequin of sorts, made of wood and other materials held together by metallic joints. His limbs were bleach white, as was his hair, although his body was colored a sky blue and he wore a bright red scarf. But what drew Octavia’s attention was the giant lyre on his back.
“You?”
The creature nodded its head, “Yes, would you still like to play a melody with me?” he started to play his lyre before Octavia could join in, the song was sad but not crushingly so, it was interpretable and something told Octavia that was the point, that he wanted her to make it a song about something. She started to play her cello, a song that was sad and yet accepting, it seemed fitting to be the encore for their performance together. When the piece was finished both Octavia and the creature bowed to one another. “You do not seem off put by my appearance, why?”
Octavia scoffed, “Whatever you are, you aren’t a monster, no monster makes music that emotional.”
The creature seemed to laugh at this notion “You believe that a species capable of emotional music is inherently good?”
Octavia shook her head, “No, but your music was different, sad and tragic, but then a song of happiness and elation, followed by a song that sad and regretful but accepting of something that has happened.” The creature seemed intrigued by Octavia’s knowledge and her assumptions of his character.
“I am a demon young miss.” Octavia didn’t bat an eye at this revelation and simply allowed the creature to continue “I wish for you to make a contract with me, I can protect you and perhaps we may compose music together.”
“Protect me?”
“Yes, not all demons are like myself, many are savages wishing nothing but death and destruction in what little life they have, while others wish to allow creatures with plans of treason and tyranny to have their dark wishes granted.”
Octavia looked at the creature she couldn’t imagine anything like it harming anypony perhaps the others didn’t look like him, he looked sad and pitiable. “All right as you wish, my name is Octavia.”
She reached out a hoof to shake. The creature returned the gesture before disappearing and a strange mark appearing on Octavia’s hoof, “Mine is Orpheus.”
Octavia smiled “Well then Orpheus I shall properly introduce you to my family and perhaps we should perform for them.”
“Perhaps if he hasn’t gotten their first.” Octavia stopped cold, “I was hiding here for a reason Octavia, there is a powerful demon making mischief on your property.”
Octavia ran through the woods as fast as she could shouting her sisters name “Pinkie!”
Octavia finally made it out of the forest albeit out of breath. She looked around and saw that the mysterious cotton candy clouds were no longer present and that her sister was no where to be seen. Then off on the horizon she saw one pink outline in the sky and what looked like two ponies playing under it. “Pinkie! Quartz!” she galloped towards them hoping inwardly that Orpheus really could protect her, although he had said that he was hiding from the creature. She made it over to see that her sisters were playing in the chocolate rain and a large black blob was hovering above them swirling the cloud. “Stay away from my sisters!” she shouted at the monster completely out of breath by this point.
“Octavia come on join in its fun.” Pinkie seemed chipper as ever despite a large black blob creature being overhead.
“Yeah it is… kind of fun big sis.” Quartz responded in hushed tones.
“Incredible” Octavia didn’t like the sound of that.
“What are you talking about Orpheus? what’s ‘incredible’?”
“Oh," Pinkie said, "you have a demon too.”
Octavia barely registered it all she heard was Orpheus’ response “Your sister tamed the beast of chaos eternal, Nyarlathotep is your sisters contract.”
Octavia slumped to the ground. Pinkie stood up and introduced her new friend, “This is Narly, well he has a longer name but I can’t really pronounce it so I just call him Narly, anyway he’s like a super cool demon of chaos who can do all the same stuff that Discord did, but he isn’t evil or anything he just wants friends so we became friends and now there’s this thing on my hoof like a tattoo or something, Oh I always wanted a tattoo except I totally wanted mine to be based on Balloons or candy or something like that, something that just screams Party you know?”
Pinkie ended her tirade to see her sister still slumped over and barely moving. “That thing is your contract?”
“Friend," Pinkie corrected, "but yeah he called it something like that.”
“That is Nyarlathotep, he is close to a god in strength, and he is the embodiment of chaos eternal, it would take a great mage to control that beast” Octavia could barely believe what she was seeing a God taking orders from her sister!?
Equestria is doomed.