//------------------------------// // Trial Two: Training (R) // Story: Born In Light, Forged In Darkness // by Jest //------------------------------// Kanathara gripped her cleaver tight in her hoof, feeling the familiar sensation of the demon within pressing against her mind, probing her psyche and finding her will as unbreakable as ever. The imp growled, shaking the weapon and giving it as harsh a glare as she could manage. “Cut it out!” she exclaimed. A wave of apathy rolled from the weapon. Oh come now, you should know how our little game goes. Besides, it was just a little test, and I know how much you like those, the entropy demon’s slippery mental voice announced. “I am stronger than ever. Why did you think that would even work?” Kanathara demanded to know. Another wave of apathy came from the cleaver. You may be stronger physically, but mentally… The demon let the word hang, and the filly could tell that the demon was smirking, even though he did not have a face or even a physical form. The imp groaned and raised the weapon, staring into the blade. “Will you cut it out long enough to let me train?” Kanathara stated firmly. Don't expect me to stay quiet. One day you will realize what a good deal I’m offering you, and on that day you will take it, the demon thought back, his mental presence sliding back into the weapon and leaving Kanathara relatively alone in her head. “You alright, boss?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking down at the filly with concern. The other demon had changed over the last two weeks, having grown another inch or two taller and losing most of her hair, resulting in Rainbow Dash ultimately giving up and shaving the rest off. The sight of a bald demon that had only a thin stub of a tail was a strange one, but in the grand scheme of things Kanathara was happy her familiar was growing into her new form. Rainbow Dash's injuries had finally healed completely, and more than that her horns and wings had grown along with the rest of her. All of which made the mere imp angry for a reason Kanathara couldn't understand. “I’m fine,” Kanathara replied, standing a little taller. “The stupid entropy demon can't keep his thoughts to himself.” I have a name, you know. “I don't care what your name is,” Kanathara shot back, earning her a second of shocked silence. Yowch, someone is growing into her fangs, he thought with a snicker. “Errr, alright then.” Rainbow Dash grinned, revealing her row of pointed teeth. “So are you going to go another round with Servantes or do you mind if I go first?” “I got this,” Kanathara stated. The imp then pushed her way past the other demon, striding as confidently as she could up to the armor demon who was wielding a similarly sized cleaver in his right hand. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, but ultimately took a step back, not wanting to anger the filly anymore than she had apparently already done. Servantes lowered his stance and pretended to stretch, an act that Kanathara quickly mimicked, loosening her legs before giving her neck a crack. “Ready," Kanathara stated. Servantes nodded, waiting a moment before lurching forward and launching into a powerful overhead swing. Too much strength, won't be able to block. The filly thought. She then leaped to the right, trying to take advantage of the opening by swinging her own cleaver at Servantes’ side, but the demon was quick and despite the awkward stance, managed to pull his body out of the way. Back and forth the two cleaver wielders went, both seemingly intent on killing the other while simultaneously knowing that none of their strikes would truly hit one another unless they screwed up. Kanathara was quickly lulled into a state of half-awareness, her thoughts, though fast, were only barely able to keep up with the pace of their sparring. Following up a parry with another strike, Kanathara smiled, believing she had finally managed to take advantage of a large enough opening, only to once more find she was too slow, and Servantes was somehow able to bring his own cleaver down, nearly knocking the imp’s weapon from her hoof. With a grunt she barely managed to keep her hold, forced to roll out of reach as she adjusted her grip. You know if you took the contract with me, you would be fast enough to land a hit on him, the entropy demon prodded. “Not now,” Twilight grumbled, his distraction forcing her to give ground and leaving her dangerously off balance. Servantes delivered a boot to her stomach, exploiting the opening before diving forward, delivering another powerful overhead strike. From the sidelines Rainbow Dash winced, watching as her mistress rolled with the blow, dodging out of the strike and coming up strong, cleaver in hoof and a grimace on her face. “You got this, boss!” Rainbow Dash yelled. Where usually the encouragement would give the imp the drive she needed to push on, now it only seemed to make her even angrier, and she took out that anger via several hard overhead strikes, bringing her cleaver down repeatedly against Servantes’. The armored demon struggled for a moment, his own cleaver nearly bending under the assault, only to push back after the last attack, shoving Twilight onto her back hoof. Reacting quickly, the imp stepped back, making sure to cover the opening before Servantes could kick her ribs again. Sure enough, the armored demon’s stance fell back slightly, evidently repositioning from the kick he had been ready to deliver. Look at your familiar, she is fast, strong, and becomes even more so with each passing day, yet she hates what she has become, the entropy demon pointed out as Kanathara glanced past her friend. You could have all that and more, think about it! Kanthara growled, jumping back a few feet and narrowly avoiding a sweeping strike that should have been easily dodged. “Shut up already, let me focus," Kanathara demanded. Servantes stopped suddenly, taking a step back and cocking his head slightly. Knowing the look well, Kanathara took a step back and sighed. “Sorry Servantes, he's more uppity than usual," Kanathara explained, wiggling her weapon in emphasis. The demon nodded and extended a hand, palm raised. The imp shook her head and took a step back. “No, I need to deal with this before I do any more training,” Kanathara muttered, turning to an excited Rainbow Dash. “Go on, Dash, you can have a turn.” “Yes!” Rainbow Dash pumped her hoof and leaped forward, using her wings to launch her halfway across the room. “Ready to get served, Servantes?” The armor sighed, his shoulders sagging, drawing a snicker from Kanathara. “You should have known that was coming after the first time,” the imp quipped. Shaking his head, Servantes tossed his cleaver aside before balling his fists, motioning that he was ready. The imp turned around, ignoring the clang of metal against hoof as the two combatants met at the center of the room. Kanathara had no attention to give to the two, however, and instead focused on the cleaver in her hoof. “What is this deal anyway?” she whispered. Simple, you give me a portion of your soul, and I make you a fully-fledged demoness. She could feel the demon’s smugness in the way his slimy voice rolled around in her mind. It's not even all of your soul, just enough to let me manifest and get out of this twice damned cleaver. Tapping her chin, the imp considered it for a moment, before one of the many lessons her father had instilled in her returned to the forefront of her mind. If it sounds too good to be true, it is, if it sounds mutually beneficial, it is not. “I don't need your help becoming a demon, father said I will ascend soon,” she shot back, yet despite the power behind her words, they were hollow. Yeah, right, the demon replied smugly. You wouldn't have even escaped that cell without the help of sheer luck. So unless another rock is going to make you a demon, I’d give that dream up, if I were you. Kanathara sighed, levitating the weapon in her weak aura while she made her way over to the open armory. “That's quite enough out of you today," Kanathara stated. Just do me two little things. One, while you watch those two spar, pay close attention to your familiar, the entropy demon began. Watch closely as she becomes faster, stronger, and smarter. Two, when you realize she is going to surpass you in a matter of weeks, try not to cry too much. I can't have my wielder turn into a total pus- Kanathara threw the cleaver the last of the way, his voice cutting off mid-toss. “Stupid jerk,” she spat angrily, slamming the door shut and stomping her way back to the gym. In the circle, Servantes and Rainbow Dash were in a heated dance of feints, counterfeints, and narrow attempts to grapple their opponent. Despite Rainbow Dash’s increases in speed and strength, she wasn't quite up to the same level as Servantes, and several bruises now spread across her face and chest, serving to further cement this fact. Rainbow Dash’s stance was becoming looser with each blow she took, yet the demon held on, gritting her teeth as a kick sent her reeling backward. Pumping her wings, the demon leaped over a sweeping kick only to catch a fist to the gut, sending her tumbling head over heels, the wind knocked out of her. Kanathara assumed the demon would land in a heap, unable to right herself due to the sheer strength of the blow, only for Rainbow Dash to land with all four hooves under her, a grin on her face. The demon smirked, spitting a wad of black, tar-like blood on the floor. “Is that all you got?” Rainbow Dash mocked. Servantes raised a metaphorical eyebrow, his stance now loose as he simply stood there, waiting. A second later Rainbow Dash’s shaking legs gave out on her, sending her sprawling to the floor. “Ow,” she muttered, a hoof grabbing her bruised midsection. Her mistress shook her head and walked over to the bruised and bloody demon. “You are lucky Father taught me what little healing magic works in Tartarus and that I can even muster the energy needed," Kanathara pointed out. The winged demon groaned, her other forehoof going up to a rather large bump growing on the side of her head. “Thanks, boss. I almost had him this time," Rainbow Dash groused. As Kanathara cast her spell, and forced the demon’s body to begin repairing itself, she ignored her familiar’s cries of pain and instead eyed Servantes up and down. As usual, he remained impassive, standing with his hands loose at his sides, waiting for what his charges would do next. His armor remained relatively undamaged, though now that Kanathara was looking, she noticed how his helmet had a significant dent on the corner, just below the jaw, a blow that would have been quite damaging if there was anyone in the armor. “Ow! What the hay boss?” Rainbow Dash winced. “You didn't have to push that hard! It was just a few bruises.” Kanathara blinked, giving her head a shake and taking a step back. “Sorry. I uh, had to make sure there wasn't anything lasting," Kanathara muttered. The demon stood up, looking down at her mistress. “No biggie," Rainbow Dash dismissed. "You taking another turn or are we going back to study?” “I think I need a break for a little bit,” the imp responded, nodding to the armor demon. “Thank you, Servantes.” The bipedal demon bowed low and remained in such position until the two other demons turned and began to walk to the door, with Kanathara taking point and Rainbow Dash limping along behind her, hoof still pressed against the sole remaining bruise on the side of her face. “So did you put that stupid cleaver in his place yet, boss?” Rainbow Dash asked, trotting up beside the imp. “Uh, yeah,” Kanathara muttered. “Totally.” “Cool. That guy sounds like a grade-A jerkwad anyway,” Rainbow Dash declared with a smirk. “So what are we doing next? Studying more spells, or learning how to beat up any stupid demon that gets in our way?” “No," Kanathara murmured half-heartedly. "I’m tired, I just wanna lie down for a little bit.” The other demon stopped, raising an eyebrow as Kanathara reached for the door handle. “That's not like you, boss. Something bugging ya?” Rainbow Dash pressed. “I…” The imp began, only to shake her head and open the door. “No, it's nothing.” Rainbow Dash frowned, but otherwise remained silent, following Kanathara through the door and into the hall, where the ever-present form of their stone companion stood. At the sight of the short-statured golem, Rainbow Dash frowned. “Why do we have to keep this guy around again?” she asked, pointing a hoof to the golem. “Father wants to make sure we don't go somewhere we are not supposed to,” Kanathara responded, turning to the right and walking in the direction of their room. “Well, that's stupid,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “You are super responsible. We don't need some stinking golem dragging us down.” The shorter demon chuckled. “That may be, but it is not our place to question the will of Father," Kanathara declared. That seemed to shut the other demon up long enough for them to reach their room, after passing by a few other demons that paid them no mind. Unlike the last space they occupied, this one was on the same level as the gym, only squirreled away in a relatively unused section of the tower reserved for those minions that had earned their own room, and the privacy that came with it. The door was a simple wood of unknown origin, the burnt oak color clashing with the harsh black iron that held the door together. Pushing her magic into the lock, Kanathara grunted as she felt the familiar pull of the mechanism before the door cracked open. Revealing a medium-sized room that was just large enough for a bed, a dresser, a weapon and armor rack, a chest, and a mirror. The walls were bare and simple, little more than stone painted a pleasing copper color while the floor remained a bare grey. “Awesome,” Rainbow Dash declared, pushing her way past her friend, running into the room, and jumping on the bed. “Do you want to play more games? We can even play that chess game you like so much.” Kanthara paused, only to shake her head, using her limited magic to close the door behind her. “No, I just wanna get some rest. You don't have to sleep as well though," Kanathara replied. “I guess getting some sleep would be for the best," Rainbow Dash muttered. “We do have a big day tomorrow,” Kanathara remarked offhandedly. “So can I sleep with you again or should I take the floor?” Rainbow Dash asked nervously, glancing up at the large queen-sized bed sitting in the corner of the room. The imp sighed and made her way over to the bed. “You can sleep with me again, but you are not being the little spoon again," Kanathara declared. “Yes, bossss," Rainbow Dash whined. “Hey, none of that sass.” Kanathara retorted. Chuckling, Kanathara gave herself a once-over with a cleaning spell before turning to Rainbow Dash and doing the same. The other demon shivered. “That will never not feel weird," Rainbow Dash muttered. “Oh, quit being a baby,” Kanathara smirked. “Or would you rather go back to sharing a bath?” Rainbow Dash stuck out her tongue. “Ew, no," Rainbow Dash exclaimed in disgust. “I didn't think so,” Kanathara declared. The smaller demon hopped up onto the bed and pulled back the sheets, only to be nearly knocked over by an enthusiastic Rainbow Dash who hopped up next to her. “Sorry, boss. Still getting used to the extra size,” Rainbow Dash remarked before taking up her spot closest to the wall. Kanathara rolled her eyes. “Alright, ya big lug. Now you better not knock me off the bed, or else you will be sleeping on the floor for a week,” Kanathara declared, though the assertion carried little real weight. “It was one time!” Rainbow Dash whined. “Yeah, one time you nearly knocked me across the entire room,” Kanathara exclaimed, settling into her spot and pulling the sheets up around her neck. “And watch those hooves, they are getting sharp.” “Yes, boss,” Rainbow Dash groaned, pulling the sheets up to her neck and sighing contentedly. Together the pair lay there quietly, Rainbow Dash trying to calm down from the day while Kanathara lay motionless, attempting to dismiss the cloying thoughts of jealousy and resentment she could feel still lingering inside her. Yet despite her best attempts, she couldn't help but continue to think about what the entropy demon had said to her. It was clear that Rainbow Dash was still unenthused about her current existence and anytime the topic came up, she desperately tried to brush it off. Worse yet, Kanathara was eternally plagued by jealousy, making any attempt at resolving the issue a delicate one, and so it was that they were forced to lay there, both awkwardly occupying the same bed, painfully awake. Until finally the situation came to a head when she noticed that the other demon was staring at the mirror, having caught a glimpse of her reflection within. Kanathara sighed, feeling her friend’s misery keenly. She opened her mouth to speak, intent on helping Rainbow Dash get over this feeling, only to find that she lacked the words necessary to convince even herself that this was a good idea. So she settled for something more direct, namely, wiggling backward, slipping between Rainbow Dash’s limbs, and pressing her back against the other demon’s stomach. They lay there for a few minutes longer until finally, Rainbow Dash seemed to slowly release the stress she had been holding inside her, pulling Kanathara closer and resting her chin on her friend’s head. “Thanks,” Rainbow Dash whispered. “What are friends for?” Kanathara asked rhetorically. The other demon tensed briefly before suddenly breaking the silence. “So uh, what are we doing next? Plan-wise?” Rainbow Dash asked awkwardly. Kanathara shook her head and sighed, ignoring the strange conversation change. “I need to get stronger. I only succeeded in my last mission due to sheer luck,” Kanathara exclaimed, her jaw clenched so tight she could barely talk. “And I will not leave success up to chance again.” “Well, now you got me!” Rainbow Dash announced proudly, squeezing the smaller demon and nuzzling her cheek. “So don't worry, boss, I got your back all the way.” Kanathara sighed, wrapping her forehooves around one of Rainbow Dash’s. “Thanks, Rainbow, but I can't help but think about that memory spell that Pythias showed me. It has to be important, right? Why else would she show it to me if it wasn't?” Kanathara inquired. “I don't know, boss," Rainbow Dash admitted. "How would some memory spell help us fight jerks? It's not like you can convince them they don't know how to breathe or something, right? You can't do that, can you?” “No," Kanathara replied, rolling her eyes. "A memory spell cannot make someone forget how to breathe.” “So, if it can't do anything cool like that, then why bother?” Rainbow Dash dismissed. “I…” Kanathara began only for images of her failures suddenly flashing through her mind. “I need to get stronger. It has to give me something, some way to become better.” “Yeesh.” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I get it, boss, you wanna be strong.” “You don't get it, Rainbow Dash,” Kanathara hissed, squeezing her friend’s leg a little tighter. “I’m just a weak little imp. I need to become a demon or next time I won't be able to count on luck getting me out alive.” The larger demon sighed, pulling her friend close and squeezing her gently. “Sorry, boss," Rainbow Dash whispered. “Don't worry about it, Rainbow Dash,” Kanathara dismissed. The imp blinked. “ Hey, Dash, can I ask you something?” Kanathara whispered. “Sure thing, Kath,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Don't ever call me that," Kanathara stated. Rainbow Dash stuck out her tongue. “You are no fun," exclaimed the larger demon. “Can I ask you a question or not?” Kanathara shot back. “Fine, fine,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Ask away, boss lady.” “I was wondering…” Kanathara began, her hoof running down Rainbow Dash’s foreleg slowly, building up the courage to speak. “How did you really end up down here?” The larger demon instantly tensed, her entire body growing tight. “Do I have to say? It's not a fun story," Rainbow Dash warned. “I have to know,” Kanathara stated. The imp pushed herself out from Rainbow Dash’s grasping limbs and turned to face the familiar fully. “What if you stabbed someone in the back or something? I would want to know," Kanathara urged. “I would never do that,” Rainbow Dash shot back instantly, only to recoil. “Err, I wouldn't do that to you or any other friend anyway.” Kanathara sighed and pressed a hoof against Rainbow Dash’s chest. “If it's that touchy a subject, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.” “I suppose you have the right to know,” Rainbow Dash muttered, after a long silence. “You did save my life, and you also apparently own my soul or whatever.” Kanathara rolled her eyes, but remained silent, pulling Rainbow’s hoof into her own, much smaller one. “Take your time, Rainbow," Kanathara urged. “I uh…” The demon muttered, pausing to rub the back of her neck awkwardly. “Geez, well, it all started with my friend when we were in school.” “Leave her alone, you jerks!” Rainbow Dash yelled. The two colts shared a glance before looking down at the huddled form of Fluttershy, who was curled up in a ball between them, wings and forelegs covering her head. The first bully, a tan pegasus with brown hair, scoffed, throwing his bangs over the side of his face. “What are you going to do about it, Rainbow Crash?” He mocked. The other orange-furred and white-maned pegasus smirked, giving a swift kick to Fluttershy’s exposed midsection, drawing a cry of pain. “Yeah, Crash, what are you going to do? Bleed on us?” He teased. “What did she do to you anyway?” Rainbow Dash demanded, her jaw clenched tight. The larger colt flicked the mane from his eyes again. “She was spying on us, like usual," he exclaimed. “If the dumb butter bitch didn't want to get kicked around, maybe she shouldn't spend so much time trying to piss us off,” the other colt added. “You were pulling the feathers out of Steve’s wing!” Fluttershy yelled. “Shut it, Flutterfail!” the first bully screamed in her face. “That bird shit on my hair, it had it coming.” Rainbow Dash looked from her friend to the bullies and back again before turning around and opening her wings. “Leave her alone or I’ll tell the teacher," Rainbow Dash warned. The second bully rolled his eyes. “She's like, super far away, you are never going to reach her before we do," he retorted. “You both know I’m faster than you, plus she's straight up on that cloud.” Rainbow Dash pointed up at a seemingly random cloud. “Even if you think you are faster, you both know I’m lighter and will reach her before you.” The two bullies shared a wary glance before the second one stepped forward, only to be stopped by the first. “Let her go, Gale," he whispered. The tan-colored bully ground his teeth together. “This isn't over, Rainbow Dash," he growled. The prismatic pegasus smirked. “No, it definitely isn't," Rainbow Dash retorted. “Come on, let's get out of here," bully one urged. And with that, the bullies left, jumping off the side of the cloud and disappearing below them. Rainbow Dash’s wings sagged and she turned to her friend, noting how one of her eyes had nearly swollen shut, though luckily that seemed to be the extent of the damage. “Are you alright, Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash whispered. “Y-yeah,” Fluttershy sniffed, slowly pulling herself up with the help of Rainbow Dash. “Come on, we better go see the nurse,” Rainbow Dash declared. The prismatic filly turned and tugged at her friend’s hoof, only to stop when she didn't follow. “I c-can't.” The timid filly pulled her hoof away. “They said they would kill Steve if I told anypony.” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “You mean the bird?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed in confusion. “Y-yeah," Fluttershy murmured. The pair stared at one another for a long moment before Rainbow Dash sighed. “You should at least get some ice on that, come on, I think the cafeteria lady will give us some," Rainbow Dash murmured half-heartedly. “T-thanks, R-R-Rainbow Dash,” the other pegasus stuttered. “Don't thank me yet," Rainbow Dash replied. She launched into the air with a pump of her wings, followed closely by a confused Fluttershy. “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked. “You’ll see," Rainbow Dash answered. “Okay…” Fluttershy whispered. “After that, I decided to get some well-earned revenge!” Rainbow Dash announced, her eyes flaring dangerously. Kanathara raised an eyebrow. “How did you manage to do that? Those two sounded like they were bigger, and a heck of a lot meaner than you," Kanathara pointed out. “Yeah but…” Rainbow Dash smirked. “You of all ponies should know how much brains count.” “I’m not a pony though,” the other filly pointed out, making Rainbow Dash wince. “Err, yeah,” Rainbow Dash muttered, only to shake her head. “Anyway. So, I was getting my revenge by pranking and bullying them back.” She stood up on the bed, spreading her leathery wings wide. “I figured out their schedules and cornered them when they were alone, ‘cause I knew those cowards wouldn't put up much of a fight when they were all by themselves,” Rainbow Dash proclaimed, her eyes gaining a glowing, evil intent behind them as she spoke. “I kicked their sorry flanks, pranked their lockers, dunked their heads in the toilet, and more. I did it all, I made those stupid bullies regret ever touching Fluttershy.” Kanathara, eyes wide, leaned forward. “And then what happened?” Kanathara pressed. The demon wilted visibly, her wings returning to her side. “I kept punishing them, cornering them after class, and giving them both a set of nasty shiners. What I didn't know is that Gale had brought a knife to school," Rainbow Dash continued, her confidence waning. “I’m beginning to hate this Gale guy more and more," Kanathara remarked. “Yeah…” Rainbow Dash whispered. Rainbow Dash fell to the bed, pulling the sheets back up to her neck. “So what happened next?” Kanathara pressed. “I died,” Rainbow Dash declared. “I guess it's taken me a while to figure it out, but…” She shook her head. “So it all started when I cornered Gale’s nitwit friend in the washroom and-” “T-take it!” the former bully stuttered, holding out a hooffull of bits. Rainbow Dash scoffed, knocking aside his hoof and sending the bits flying across the bathroom. “I’m not here for your bits, you jerk. I’m here for revenge," Rainbow Dash growled. Gale gulped, taking a step back and looking for an exit, only to find none. “B-but you got what you wanted! We haven't bothered anypony in weeks! We even apologized to Fluttershy!” He exclaimed. “Did you apologize to the bird you mutilated?” Rainbow Dash asked, stepping forward. The other pony shied away, taking another step back. “We tried! But we couldn't find it. Miss Blue Wind says it’s probably already healed by now," he replied. “Then I guess there is a reason to keep wailing on you jerks,” Rainbow Dash declared with a smirk. “Maybe I’ll pluck your wings just like you did to that poor bird.” “N-no please!” The colt exclaimed, tucking his wings closer to his back, stepping back until his back hit the wall. “I’ll scream! There has to be someone nearby.” “Go ahead, that's not going to stop me from knocking your teeth out,” Rainbow Dash proclaimed. The filly lurched forward, hoof raised, only to catch the former bully looking to her left. Thinking quickly, Rainbow Dash spun around and bucked Gale in the face, knocking him out cold and allowing her to face this new potential threat. A threat in the shape of a knife-wielding former bully with a shaggy tan coat and a short cut mane. In his trembling hoof was a pocket knife, his face a mask of barely contained terror and indignation. “Leave him alone!” He yelled, raising the knife up. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, taking a step back and keeping away from the weapon. “What are you doing, Cloudy? Where did you get that knife?” Rainbow Dash demanded. “It's mine, I got it for my birthday,” The former bully muttered, waving the knife wildly. “And I’m here to get you to leave us alone.” “So you can bully more poor ponies?” Rainbow Dash’s asked, her eyes narrowing. “I don't think so.” “We stopped that weeks ago, you dumbass!” he yelled, tears building at the corner of his eyes. “We stopped… You were right, it doesn't feel good to be bullied, we were wrong.” “Bullshit,” Rainbow Dash spat. “You are just giving me this sob story because you are finally getting a taste of your own medicine. Well, I don't buy it.” The former bully blinked. “W-what. B-but I-” He stuttered. “I don't care,” Rainbow Dash declared with a chuckle, taking a step back and placing a hoof over the slowly reawakening Gale’s face. “I’m gonna keep beating the snot out of you jerks until you've made up for all the ponies you bullied.” “Get away from him!” The knife-wielding colt suddenly surged forward, thrusting the knife at Rainbow Dash’s midsection. Surprised by the sudden boldness, Rainbow Dash couldn't move before the knife was suddenly embedded in her chest, mere inches from her heart. “W-what?” She muttered, looking down, only now noticing the red blood that ran down her coat. “Oh goddess, I didn't mean to- I thought...” The colt muttered, stumbling back, landing on his backside, his eyes going wide. And then her world became red, and the filly flew forward, slamming into the colt and knocking him onto his back. Before she knew what was happening she was punching him in the face over and over. Teeth gave way to gums, cheekbones shattered, eyeballs ruptured and flesh was torn. Rage swept away her pain, replacing it with righteous indignation, which in turn swallowed the filly’s desire to even save herself. Over and over her hooves struck true, but with each punch, she grew weaker and their blood mingled into a growing pool beneath them. When the colt finally stopped moving, she looked up, a smirk on her face, a smirk that quickly vanished, replaced by one of shock. “Fluttershy?” she whispered weekly. The shocked expression of her friend was the last thing she saw before blood loss stole her sight, making her slump against the still form of the former bully. “And then I wound up here,” Rainbow Dash remarked with a shrug. Kanathara sniffed, wiping away a tear. “Why didn't she try and help you? Those bullies deserved it.” “I-” Rainbow Dash began, only to pause, and reach out, pulling her friend close. “I don't know, boss.” The smaller demon wiped her face on Rainbow Dash’s chest, squeezing her friend back. “I would never do that," Kanathara muttered. Rainbow Dash sniffed, wiping away a tear she hadn't noticed was there. “Thanks,” Rainbow Dash whispered.