//------------------------------//
// 17~Blood and Ichor 
// Story: Hellfire Dash 
// by Centurion Pike-Wall 
//------------------------------//

Umbra groaned, rubbing her head as she leaned up. She had no idea what exactly hit her, but it was nothing like what she had seen any Celestial or even a Daemon use. If anything, it reminded her of Discord, but that was stupid. He was dead, and from what little she knew of magic when the caster was gone, the magic was more-or-less gone too. 

Before she could consider it further, she saw a flash of movement appear above her. A streak of swirling magic shot down, her rolling out of the way just before it hit. She stumbled forward and took off, taking off to stay away from the blasts of magic. She ducked into a spiral, finding herself level with Pillar. 

Looking at him, she noticed something about him was... off. His eyes, while still having dark blue pupils, now had yellow instead of white in the outer parts. His fingernails seemed a little bit longer, and of course, he was floating. That last part was pretty obvious. 

She yelled, "What in the Rings did you do!?"

In reply, he merely laughed. "I have claimed the power of a GOD! And with it, I shall end you and your kinds evil once and for all!" With that, a pink miasma formed around his blade, before he swung it in a wide arc and sent it flying her way. She ducked out of the way before it suddenly shifted directions and slammed her in the back. She tumbled forward out of the air, her wings not responding to her commands to flap. 

At the last second, she managed to regain control and prevent from becoming a Daemon pancake. Once again, she had to quickly had to duck out of the way as Pillar dove down, jabbing his sword into the stone. Thinking the blade was stuck, she dove back in, kicking for his head. 

He grabbed her leg, leaving his sword behind. He shoved it up, sending her sprawling onto her back. He turned back and yanked his sword free, shoving downward towards her. Again, she rolled out of the way, before jumping up and running away from him. 

"You can't run away forever, Daemon!", he shouted. 

In reply, she yelled back, "Buck you sideways, Motherfluffer!" She bolted around a column, seeking her knife. Sighting it, she ran for it, ducking under a wall of magic Pillar sent after her. She rolled, grabbing the small blade and rolling to the side to prevent him from firing at him. It wouldn't do much against his direct magic and sword, but it would at the very least help. She peaked around the corner, only to avoid a blast of magic. She ducked her head back, watching as the rock it struck sprouted wings and flew off. Heavy steps indicated he was approaching. So, with a deep breath, she dove around the corner, hoof flying up and connecting with the place the sun don't shine.


++++


"What do you mean, 'Discord, you bloody fool?'", Twilight asked. "Discord is dead."

"My point", Lucifer replied. "His power should've faded away, or returned to the void. But, someone is using his power. How, I don't-"

He was cut off when Fluttershy dove up, hissing and swinging her claws. He grabbed her by the throat, holding her just far enough away from himself to prevent her from clawing him. He snorted, then threw her against the door, where she fell to the ground with a thud. The others ran to her side, and both tried to comfort her and restrain her at the same time. 

"Fluttershy! What's gotten into you!?", Rarity shouted. 

Pinkie added, "Yeah! Calm down, Shy!"

She began to thrash, desperate to be free of her captors. Through her snarls and hissing, they were able to make out the words, "Master..... Master!"

"Master?", Fizzlepop said. "Who?"

"One of my sisters, I suspect. Pillar."

Celestia said, "Pillar!? He got free!?"

"Yeah. Rainbow mentioned this. He's some sort of fanatic, right", Twilight said. 

"Worse than that", Luna replied. "He's absolutely devoted to the cleansing of Daemons."

"An dat's a bad thing because?", AJ asked.

"Without Daemons to keep it in check, the worst attributes of you mortals run rampant. Greed, lust, vengeance; all of it. Just like how Celestials reward the noble and the virtuous", Lucifer explained. 

Applejack said, "Oh."

Before anyone else could say anything, Fluttershy broke free of her friends. With her wings spread and a screech of triumph, she took off, whipping around Twilights castle and towards the Everfree. 

Twilight said, "If the one with Discords power is Pillar, then she must be going to help him!"

Celestia said, "Go! Save Fluttershy and Umbra, and stop Pillar. We shall contain the others and prevent them from escaping to aid him."

"Right", Twilight said, a determined glint in her eye. "Gather around, girls." They did so, grabbing Twilight's arm as her horn lit up, and they disappeared in a flash. 


++++


Umbra ducked another swing, kicking off the ground and soaring above him, her hoof connecting with his face as she did so. Pillar snarled, before snapping his fingers and dropping a wall of water on her. She was soaked, and the impact sent her falling back to the stones. He lunged down with his blade, only for her to roll out of the way and kick him in the back of the legs. 

She flung herself up, grabbing her knife in both hands to drive it into his back. He disappeared in a flash of bubbles, appearing behind her with a downward slash. Again, she sidestepped and whipped the knife around, again aiming for the back. He stepped forward, before whipping around and going into a low guard. 

"I'll admit, Daemon. You've got some skill", he said, a snarl never leaving his face. 

"Thanks", Umbra replied. "So, you gonna stop trying to kill me? And purging Daemonkind from the realm?"

"Never!", he roared. 

She prepared for him to lunge forward, but it never came. Instead, she was tackled from behind, sending her sprawling and her hat falling off her head. Whatever had hit her, it wasn't that strong, allowing her to roll over and onto it. She turned around, raising her knife, only to stop in shock. "Flutters!?"

Sure enough, the yellow mare was below her, snarling and hissing. Oh, and she was a vampony; wings, fangs, whole nine yards. She lunged up, catching her off guard and causing her to fall back. She lifted up a leg, kicking her in the stomach. The force of the kick sent her flying towards Pillar, who used the flat of his blade to shove her out of his way. She went flying back, smacking onto the edge of the hole in the floor before falling into it. 

"What'd you do to her!?", she yelled, turning back to Pillar. He greeted her with a sadistic grin. 

He said, "With the power of the old chaos god, I can control them. An army to purge the unclean."

"Wait. Discord!?", she said. 

"Rainbow!", another voice yelled, drawing both of their attentions. Twilight, Spike, Fizzlepop, and the rest of her friends all ran into the old throne room, looking ready to fight. Pillar said, "I will not be interrupted."

He lowered his sword, lifting up his hand and snapping his fingers. In a flash, all of them save Twilight, who threw up a shield, disappeared in a flash of smoke. At the same time, a shield of what looked like cotton candy appeared over the hole. 

Twilight lowered her shield, and said, "What did you do to my friends!?"

"They are safe, mortal", Pillar said. "Down below. Now, let me send you to them. I shall deal with this, scum, shortly."

"Why do you think I'm here? I'm here to stop you."

That seemed to catch Pillar off guard. He said, "You'd defend this Daemon?"

"I'm right here you kno-"

"Silence", he snarled, tape forming over Umbras mouth. "Now, really? You will stand by it, despite what it's done and what it will do?"

"Yes. She may not be the same pony, but she's still my friend. More than that, even. I'm not going anywhere, and neither are my friends. Friends stick together."

Pillar looked stunned. Umbra didn't think he'd back down, and so tightened her grip on her dagger, while also ripping the tape off with her other hand. He looked at Umbra, then back at Twilight, then back to Umbra, and back again. He said, "So be it then, corrupted." With that, he snapped his fingers. A large round sphere with a fuse fell in front of her, and a second later, exploded. 

Umbra yelled, "NO!", and threw her knife. It seemed to catch him off guard, burying itself hilt deep in her head as he stumbled back. She barely noticed, running at full speed over to her fallen lover. 

Twilight was bloody, her vest, shirt, and skirt riddled with holes. She wasn't moving. Umbra said, "Come on, Twi. Wake up. J-just say something. Anything. You aren't dying on me like this, egghead!" She pressed her head to the chest; Twilight was already cold. 

Pillar stood behind her, grimacing. "Regretable", he said. "But it had to be done. Now, onto you. Worry not. I shall avenge her, and your old self, by killing you." 

Umbra barely heard him. She just squeezed her eyes shut. A tear made its way out the side before it evaporated from a sudden heat. When she opened her eyes a second later, instead of normal eyes, they were balls of fire.