//------------------------------//
// The Hour of the Devil 
// Story: Heirs of Grogar 
// by Israel Yabuki 
//------------------------------//

Defeat: Everyone must face it at some point in their lives. It takes on many forms. But in this situation, it took the form of a lost friend and ally. The Mane 7 and their friends had failed to stop Eternal Flames from joining the dark side. He has willingly joined Grogar and is on his way to become the next king. His friends could only watch in shock and horror as their friend loses his way and his soul to the shadows.

However, the only one who was truly disappointed and heartbroken… was Sunset Shimmer. She knew him since they were kids. They grew up together, making so many memories that could never be replaced. Now she's lost him once again, only this time he was the one to leave her ironically.

As for the others, Inferno is now working on the spell to save Grogar’s Elites, who turned out to be the 5 missing teens and close friends to the Rainbooms. But he was feeling conflicted at the moment. He knew he had to kill Eternal when he meets him again, to prevent any more innocent lives being harmed; however, a part of him could not bring himself to do it. Eternal was his friend, his honorary brother in arms, and he did not to be the one to end his life. Especially after he had failed a second time to save an innocent soul.

Even the 2 ancient beings, Harmony and Death, felt like they had failed. They did not feel comfortable about having to tell the prince's mother the bad news. She'll be so devastated that her son is becoming a full-fledged demon.

Soon, the next day, the sun has risen, but the day is all, but bright and sunny. The girls all met up at their usual spot at the Sugar Cafe. However, Twilight and Heat were a little delayed since they had to drag Sunset along with them. She was still upset over the whole ordeal. Once they met up with their friends, they sat Sunset down with them and the others.

"Sorry for the delay, everyone," Twilight said.

"Hey Starlight, where’s Inferno?” Rainbow asked.

“He’s still at Ammo-Lot, working on the spell. To be honest, he still believes that the ordeal was his fault; even though I kept reassuring him it wasn’t.” Starlight explained.

"Well, when someone loses a very close friend, they can't help but feel guilty for not being able to do more to help them," Halo's voice said. The girls and Heat turn and see their friend, along with Flash Sentry.

"Sorry for butting in, girls. We couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Did something happen, where's Eternal? Is he still mad at Sunset?" Flash asked.

"No, it's worse. But you'd better take a seat, this is gonna be one long story," Heat said. Halo and Flash did so and lent the group their ears.

"Last night… our friends wound up in a heap of trouble. Heat and Eternal Flames were attacked by demons. You guys have seen enough magic-crazed villains over the years to know this is much more serious, right?" Twilight asked.

"How could we forget? But what would the demons want with Heat Blitz and Eternal Flames? Didn't Eternal run away?" Halo asked.

"The one from our world did, but the one from Equestria… he’s pledged his loyalty to a ruthless demon lord known as… Grogar.

"Grogar? Why does he want Eternal and Heat? And if he got Eternal, how did Heat escape?" Flash asked.

"I had a lot of help from my friends… and my sweetheart," Heat said, clearing his throat. Twilight slightly blushed from her boyfriend referring to her as that.

"Oh, you finally got together with Twilight? That's great!" Flash said.

"He's done so much for me and never expected anything in return. But I decided to return the favor by being by his side," Twilight said before kissing Heat on the cheek.

"That's good. I'm happy for you, Twilight," Flash said.

"But onto more pressing matters, we need to find a way to bring Eternal back from Grogar or he'll take control of our world and Equestria with an entire demon army. On top of that, we've also learned something about the 5 missing teens," Rarity said.

“Really? What have you girls’ discovered?” Halo asked.

"It turns out, they're not only under Grogar's control, they're also Grogar's elite soldiers known as the Fallen Souls," Rainbow answered.

“And one of them is my PLUMEY-POO!!!” Pinkie screamed.

"Plumey-poo? You mean Copper Plume? I can't believe it! No wonder I haven't seen that guy around, he and Pinkie always plan the best parties together!" Flash said. "But if that monster has taken him and all those other missing teens, then we wanna help out, too!"

"Yeah. They don't belong to that heignous beast! Flash and I may not have magical abilities like you girls do, or the resources to create the things Heat has made, but we're willing to help out in any way possible!" Halo added. "Just tell us how we can help and we'll get it done."

“Thank you both for willing to help,” Starlight replied with gratitude. “Inferno had proposed a spell that could help free the teens from Grogar’s control, but he says that we all have to pitch in for the spell to work.” She explained their plan.

"And in order to do that, we have to remind the Elite soldiers their greatest memory. Maybe you guys can help them realize their memories, too," Starlight said. Flash blinked in surprise and looked away with an uneasy look of uncertainty.

"One problem. You see, some of those guys and I share some bad history. Who's to say they won't obliterate me just from looking at me? I want to help, but I'm just saying there's a slight chance they still don't trust me since I… kinda hung out with you girls at some points," Flash said, scratching the back of his head.

Starlight was left confused by his statement, possibly because she wasn’t here since her last visit here. “Wait. What did you do to get them so upset with you?” She asked.

"He means some of them missing teens felt kinda jealous he was hanging around with the girls. I could tell they were because some of them were angry, sad and above all, heartbroken because these guys thought he was trying to take them from them," Halo said. "But they never said anything because they didn't want to cause trouble."

“In all my years of assassinations, evading the law, and demon-slaying; that is by far… the stupidest thing I ever heard!” Inferno says as he approaches the group when he enters the cafe. Starlight immediately hugs him and gives him a quick kiss.

“Took you long enough,” Starlight said.

“Sorry, working on spells takes up a lot of hours.” Inferno said.

"And what do you mean by that's stupid?" Applejack asked.

“Well… I don’t know, I'm still getting used to feeling love and this… “friendship” thing.” Inferno stated, honestly. “But what I do know is that why would you decide to hate a person... that the people you like are friends with… than try and befriend them….  Hey like I said, I'm still new to the “friendship” thing.” He explained

"He's been on the boys' bad side since sophomore year. And considering the new position that they're all in, it's going to take a lot of effort to get on their good side. They're brimming with bitter rage and jealousy. But he's only part of their problems: they're struggling with life in general, family problems and bullies, all that hate just comes bursting out now that they're under the control of this demon menace," Halo replied.

“Which is why all of you need to remind them of their best memories, ones that bring them comfort and happiness. Any memory that reminds them of their struggles and anger, would only make it worse.” Inferno stated. “If that happens, they’ll go wild; uncontrollable. And they’ll be difficult to calm down after.”

"I don't mean to be negative, but what exactly have I done to give these guys good memories? You all know how much of an idiot I make myself trying to look cool. But to get in the way of someone else's crush, that's a major screw-up on my part," Flash admits.

“Oh that won’t be a problem, Flash. Cause you’re not gonna help the girls; you’re gonna help me, Starlight, Heat, Twilight, and Sunset to save Eternal. After all, as I heard you're the only other person that he’s on good terms with.” Inferno said.

"I am?" Flash asked.

"You said it yourself, that you were happy he and Sunset would be together and accept the fact that you and Sunset would remain just friends," Halo said. 

"I guess you're right. Well, if I'm going down, I'm gonna go down swinging. I'll help in any way I can to bring Eternal and the others back," Flash said.

"That's good to hear. So, Inferno, what are the effects of the spell?" Twilight asked.

“Oh, I forgot. Thank you Twilight. Alright…” Inferno then reaches into a snachel which he had brought with him and then, in his hand, he pulls out a large bottle with glowing light blue liquid inside it. “Tada!” He said. Everyone at the table is left confused and puzzled by the bottle in front of them. They were all speechless at first, until Rainbow decided to break the silence

“Inferno…. What the hell is this?” she asked.

“This… is a memory potion. It helps a person to remember any forgotten memory of their past. I even laced the potion with moonstone dust so that it’ll weaken Grogar’s influence and control over the Elites; but it’ll only open their minds to remembering anything in their past, which is where you girls come in.” Inferno explained.

"And when we help them remember, what are the odds of us freeing them from Grogar's grasp completely, are the odds in our favor?" Rainbow asked.

“Like I said, the potion is laced with moonstone, demons hate it a lot; burns the shit outta them. Also, a demon’s influence over the mind of an individual can only be relinquished by the will of the individual. The Elites were tortured and brainwashed so that their willpower would be weak to demon control, but once they have that will again; they’ll all turn on Grogar.” Inferno explained, again.

"Then it's up to us to help them regain their will. The only obstacle we have now is finding a way to the Shadow Kingdom. And we gotta do it fast," Twilight said.

“And soon; the coronation will take place at 3 AM on the eve of Eternal's 18th birthday. But we won't know how it plays out; however, we do know that once Eternal is the Shadow King of Tartarus, he’ll begin the invasion some time afterwards.” Inferno informed the group.

"Poor Eternal," Sunset muttered in silence, looking down at the table. The girls turned to their friend, surprised since she hasn't spoken much after Eternal turned to the dark side. 

"Sunset, I know you're devastated, but you have to pull yourself together. We've been in similar kinds of situations involving evil magic before, this isn't any different," Rainbow tried reassuring her, but didn't work.

"No, we're dealing with an entire kingdom of evil. We're gonna be outnumbered, fighting impossible odds and our strength alone… might not be enough. If we're gonna have a chance to succeed, we're gonna need the help of some powerful allies. Death and Harmony, specifically are the only ones who might have enough power to help us in our time of need," Twilight said.

"What about Heat's battle suit? Isn't it made out of draconium? Maybe we can rely on--" Pinkie tried to suggest.

"No, Pinkie. My suit might be strong, but it's not invincible. I might have been able to complete the prototype last night and put it to use during the might, but I haven't completely worked out all of the bugs and inf- our world’s Inferno knows more about the draconium than I do. He's the one who invented it in the first place, he merely gave some of his material to experiment on because he and I and… this world's Eternal Flames were lab partners," Heat said.

"Wait, your world's Eternal is a science wiz? I thought he didn't have any interest in that," Pinkie said, scratching her head in confusion.

"When he saw the draconium that Inferno made, he kinda got hooked on it. He even designed his own battle suit all by himself. Here, look," Heat got out his phone and scrolled through some pictures he took and showed the girls the battle suit Eternal made and wore. It was a black battle suit with dark red neon lights on it. The armor was thin and highly flexible and had a power core in the shape of a golden star.

"Awesome!!! That's some sweet gear he's got on!" Rainbow said, impressed.

"Ooh, functional and fashionable. Do you suppose he could design a battle suit for me if we ever find him, too?" Rarity asked.

"Uh… I don't think you'd want that. You see, while the suit gives the user enhanced speed, strength and reflexes, as well as absorbs all battle damage, no matter how big it is, it's got one big flaw," Heat said.

"What would that be? Looking too awesome?" Rainbow asked jokingly.

"No! At first, the suit worked fine, but one day, there was a shootout in a neighborhood between these two gangs. People were pinned inside their homes and… Eternal's suit was linked with his hidden anger and took out the gang members. But… some of those gang members almost ended up as casualties. He almost killed them. When he realized the severity of his actions… he took the suit off and had hidden it in a place where no one will ever find it or use it. Even I'm not sure where it is, but it's for the best." Heat explained.

"Damn, that's scary," Rainbow said.

“He must have felt pretty awful after that.” Fluttershy said

"He was. But dad thought that kind of aggression was what he should have if he was to take over the tycoon business. Eternal hated him for that. And to be honest, I can't condone what my dad said when he found out about that suit," Heat said.

“Did Eternal destroy it before your father can get to it?” Twilight asked.

"No, like I said. He's hidden it in a place where no one can find it. He kept the suit because he wanted to perfect it. Make it to where he can have the user fight without losing control of their own sound mind and body," Heat said.

“Did he manage to perfect it?” Rarity asked out of curiosity.

"No. Our dad got too hard on him, always forcing his ambitions on him or he wouldn't amount to anything… like any other middle child out there. Dad had the nerve to insult his own son, my own brother. My mom eventually divorced him a few days before Eternal ran away," Heat said.

“That must’ve been a rough life.” Inferno said, feeling sympathy towards the young man. “Good thing that our Eternal never went through that; however he went through worse.

"Was his dad different?" Heat asked.

“Yeah. Of course, I never met him, but Eternal said that his father was a very good person; would always be there for his children.” Inferno stated. “Of course, that life was cut short when his father was murdered… And I took the blame for it.”

"Oh no. The poor guy. I feel sorry for Eternal and his father. No one should go through so much like he did. Did they ever find out who killed him?" Fluttershy asked.

"No. The Royal Guard found no trace of him because they, including their so-called princess believed I was the murderer," Inferno said. “And for the next 10 years, I was branded a criminal and I lost everything dear to me. No doubt, Eternal doesn't even trust his own mother anymore. If his father were still around, it'd be a different story. He would've given me the benefit of the doubt and searched for who the real culprit was.”

"Maybe when all of this is over, we can talk the princess into dropping the charges and give you a clean slate," Starlight said.

“Oh yeah… try telling that to all of Equestria.” Inferno said with doubt.

"If they won't listen, maybe Eternal can. I hear those of Canterlot royalty have loud, booming Canterlot voices that can make others kneel," Twilight suggested.

“How do you know? You’ve never been to Equestria.” Inferno asked.

"Sunset told me a lot about Canterlot since she was born and raised there. She studied under Princess Celestia when she was little and got to witness Celestia voice firsthand," Twilight explained with a slight giggle.

"Well, anyways, now that we have what we need, we should find a way to head out to the Shadow World and get Eternal before his coronation," Twilight said.

“And we should hurry, cause by the look of the time; we have 16 hours til the coronation.” Inferno stated.

"Alright then, everyone… let's bring our boys home," Twilight said, determined. Everyone smiled and nodded in reply.

“Well if you’re going to invade Grogar’s home turf, you’ll need a guide to get you there.” A familiar, deep raspy voice spoke to them. The group turned around and saw a tall scrawny man, Inferno and Starlight recognized the man from the gun shop; however the voice of the man was all too familiar. It was the voice of the Grim Reaper himself.

“Death?” Heat said with surprise. "Thank god, you're here! Is Harmony here with you?"

“She’s in Equestria, hoping to gain some more allies to help us in the fight against Grogar.” Death replied. “As for me, I will take you to the Shadow World to save your friends. After all, I was once imprisoned there for 1200 years, so I know my own ways of being able to get in and out of there.” He stated.

“Well, that sounds very helpful.” Fluttershy said.

"I do what I can to help in any way possible. I won't allow an already tainted soul to become an evil king and take over all life on Earth and Equestria. And besides, it's thanks to your smart friend here that made me realize something," Death gestured to Heat.

"Me? What did I do that made you realize something?" Heat asked.

"Some lives, no matter how young or old, are too precious to be lost. Eternal's life is one of those many lives," Death said.

"I knew you weren't bad," Heat said. With nothing more to say, Death led the group outside and into a dark alley where no one could see them. He then opened up a portal, leading into the Shadow World, showing the entire group what lied ahead. A giant, dark castle in the middle of an endless void where no life could flourish.

"One more thing before we go," Death said. He aimed his hand at the group and sent a wave of magic coursing through their bodies. "Now, you'll be able to float inside the Shadow World. Had you stepped in, you would've fallen into the abyss below us and never returned. Now come on, follow me."

As instructed, the group follows the powerful deity across the vast, endless realm which is the Shadow World. Although they may have had a few difficulties adjusting to levitation but they were able to get the hang of it. Even Rainbow Dash did the moonwalk as they went.

Unbeknownst to them, Grogar could feel them coming. He storms out of his throne room and teleports down into the training room where Eternal Flames is sparring with all 5 of the Fallen Souls, barely holding his own against all five. "Halt!" Grogar proclaimed.

"Master, what ills you," General Frostbite asked.

"Prepare the Drakai pack… with the Alpha. We have intruders," Grogar commanded.

"As you command. Mages! You know what to do!" the general said, turning to both mages Copper and Israel.

"Yes, sir," the mages replied in unison. They teleported down into the den and approached a massive crimson double door with a skull lock on it. The mages approached the door and pointed their staffs at the lock. Their staffs flashed brightly, lighting up the two eye sockets on the skull lock. The lock then made an unlocking sound and fell to the ground.

Soon, the door opened up and from inside, multiple shined within the darkness along with multiple growling noises. "Your orders are as follows: find the intruders… and capture them," Mage Israel ordered. Soon noises of footsteps and metal were coming towards the two mages.

Out of the shadows, came a Drakai; only it was different. It was a foot bigger than the others and its gray skin also had black stripes on them. It wore golden armor all over its body, except for the helmet that it had in its claw.

“What… Are the intruders that the master has summoned me for?” The Alpha Drakai spoke with a deep, demonic voice.

"Should any intruders try and take our future king before his coronation… you are to capture them, imprison them and make them watch the crowning of our new king. He also says you should beware of the one called the Shadow Knight. He had slayed many demons before," Copper said.

“The hunter is here? I… have waited for our long encounter. Consider it done.” The Alpha replied as he places his helmet over his head and then roughly walked past the mages and then towards deep within the den; there 10 Drakais were waiting instructions.

The mages pointed their staffs at the other end of the den, opening up a large portal leading outside the castle. "Sniff out the intruders, capture and bring them to the dungeons," Israel commanded, pointing his staff to the outside.

“They do not obey you, mage. They only obey the Alpha.” The Alpha Drakai spoke, then he let out a fierce howl which later caused the other Drakais to howl as well. Then the Alpha starts off in a sprint on his arms and legs, then the others follow pursuit; leaving behind the mages as they go hunting.

Meanwhile, as the group arrived on castle grounds, they scaled the stairs, approaching the front door, about to open it. "Must be a pain to get groceries in a dump like this," Rainbow jokes, staring up at the castle in question.

"I'm surprised the door is the same size as Grogar's ego," Rarity pointed out.

“Well, he loves to intimidate his enemies; inflict any fear upon them.” Inferno replies as he draws out his revolvers, just a precaution for what awaits them. Death then extends his hand out, aiming at the large double-door, then uses his powers to open it up. The doors emit a deep creaking noise as he opens the doors, revealing a long carpet in the middle of the doors, leading into an even deeper darkness of the castle.

"Everyone, proceed with caution. Grogar knows we're here, so let's get Eternal and get out of here as soon as possible before we run into trouble," Death whispered.

“Trouble has already found you.” A deep voice calls out to the group.

"Who's there? Show yourself, you coward!" Rainbow called out, putting her dukes up. Then the group hear heavy footsteps coming towards them, along with many other footsteps closing in around them. Out of the darkness, came 10 Drakais; snarling at them with hateful, angry and hungry expressions. Soon another appeared from the shadows, it looked a foot bigger than the others, had black stripes on its gray body, and was wearing golden armor all over its body.

“The Shadow Knight…. We will finally meet... at last.” It spoke to them, or Inferno as it pointed out. With the similar demonic deep voice they heard earlier.

“Uhhh Inferno, darling. Who is this ruffian and how does it know you?” Rarity asked the assassin as she continued to stare at the large armored Drakai in front of them.

“That is the Alpha Drakai, Grogar’s most loyal and strongest demon warlord of Tartarus; fought a thousand battes for him. He's gonna be a lot harder to fight. He knows his way around a battle and if you're not careful, this monster will turn you into his next treat.” Inferno explained.

“Well that’s comforting.” Heat replied with an anxious tone.

"And word on the street is that you're trying to disrupt our master's plan. And I, for one, will not allow that to happen. So say your prayers, puny humans. Drakai, take them down to the dungeons!!!" the Alpha commanded. The other Drakai howled and charged at their so-called meek prey. But the group fought back with a really strong defense.

Inferno immediately engages the Alpha in combat; who proves to be a formidable foe. Inferno aims his pistols, but the demon warlord knocks them away and tries to claw at the assassin; however, Inferno grabs the demon’s arm and hurls him over his shoulders, as the two engage in close combat. The alpha made a swing of his tail at the assassin, but he quickly dodged with a front flip jump.

Rainbow Dash uses her speed to evade and attack the Drakais from every direction while Applejack uses her superstrength to quickly overpowered two Drakais as she swung them around by their tails.

Pinkie was tossing explosive sprinkles at two other Drakai, blinding them in a puff of pink smoke before she unleashed a cupcake-gatling attack on them. "WHEEEEE!!!" she exclaimed, pinning the two Drakai against the wall with her barrage of cupcakes. She giggled so excitedly, she sounded almost psychotic.

Rarity tried pushing back one of the Drakai away using her diamonds the same way she used them on AJ by accident back at camp a few months ago. This time, Rarity pelted her enemy in an elegant, but deadly diamond storm. The diamonds immediately sliced through the Drakai’s body, cutting it into pieces until finally ending it with a decapitation.

“Well… ahem. Never mess with a lady.” she said, while still feeling a little uneasy from the brutal effects of her attack. After killing off the drakai she was fighting, its dead body then turns into a strange black mass, which charges over to the alpha, seeping deep within him and somehow boosting his power. He howled and swatted Inferno at high speeds that even he couldn't react fast enough to dodge. The assassin crashes into a nearby wall and impacts it with a force that would have been enough to shatter the spine. However, Inferno manages to get up from the attack and groans in pain from the hit.

“Ok… That’s new.” He said with a surprised tone.

"You fool. When you destroy my own kind, you only strengthen me. A drakai's body turns into black mass, the source of energy for us demons. And by killing a member of my pack, you've sealed your doom!" the alpha said, grinning.

Inferno gets up from the impact and faces the alpha, but he feels something in his mouth and reaches his fingers inside to see what it is. Soon he finds the object and pulls it out of his mouth; which is revealed to be a loose tooth from his jaw, all bloodied.

“Damn,” He said as he turned his eye on the demon warlord, while showing his tooth to him. “Tooth… ya happy?” he said with an annoyed tone as he flings his loose tooth to the demon’s face, making it growl.

"Not until I've wiped you out of existence!" the alpha snapped, lunging at Inferno. Meanwhile with Twilight, she's making good use of her telekinetic powers to send one of the drakais crashing against the walls and the floor hard.

As for Heat, he was surrounded by 3 drakai. All closing in on the fellow. He couldn't focus on sending just one of them flying, he had to find some way to get all of them. Then, he got an idea that just might work. He looks at the ground, then checks the three drakai surrounding him as if he's analyzing them. With a nod, Heat channels his energy into the palms of his hands, lifts them up in the air and then slams them both to the ground, sending a large shock wave that blasts all three drakai away from him.

"Ever heard of personal space, boys? Oh wait, that's right, you're cramped in that crappy cell all the time," Heat .

“Hey Heat! A little hand here!” Inferno calls out to the boy while he was holding back the Alpha’s jaws as it was trying to bite at the assassin’s head.

"I'm on it!" Heat shouted, leaping into action and grabbing onto the alpha's back. "Bad dog! No more treats for you!" Heat began channeling shockwaves all over the alpha's body inside and out, making it screech in agony. But sadly, it shook Heat off and made him slam against the wall with a loud thud. He yelled in agony before falling to the ground, grunting. Right as the Alpha turns to assassin, Inferno quickly takes his Kukri blade and slashes at the demon warlord’s right eyes, causing him agonizing pain while Inferno rushes over to Heat.\

“Hey kid. You good?” Inferno speaks to the young boy as he shakes his shoulder.

"I've been pushed around a lot in my childhood, but I'll be alright," he strained to speak. He picked himself up, only for the alpha to grab the boy and pin him back down and roar in his face. "Ugh, man these guys have really bad breath," he said, trying not to freak out.

Inferno spotted one of his revolvers on the ground, he rushed over to pick it up and then opened fire on the Alpha Drakai. The alpha demon roars in pain as he lets go of Heat and evades the remaining bullets.

"Heat, are you alright?" Twilight asked.

"Don't worry about me, but P.U, he needs a breath mint!" Heat replied, getting away from the alpha's grasp.

“They’re demons, Heat!” Inferno shouted as he continued to keep the Alpha drakai at bay with his gunfire. “They don’t worry about brushing their teeth!”

"Ugh, how utterly putrid!" Rarity commented.

The alpha was becoming more and more agitated. If he doesn't do something soon, he's gonna get killed. His eyes scanned for any possible windows of opportunity. His eyes locked on Fluttershy and used his tail to sweep Inferno's feet swiftly. He leaps over to Fluttershy and grabs her in his claws.

"ENOUGH!!!" the alpha shouted, getting the group's attention. "I will make this painfully clear to you mere mortals: Surrender now, or I will personally kill this friend on yours… slowly and painfully."

"Fluttershy! Let her go, you rotten freak!" Rainbow shouted.

"Rainbow, stop! He's not playing around, he'll kill her if we try to make a move!" Heat said, holding her back.

"There must be another way!" 

“SURRENDER NOW!... Or your friend dies. Make your choice! And to make sure that my point is made...” The Alpha then howled, ordering two more drakai to show up, both with Flash and Halo in their grasp. "Now… call off your attack, or my pack will kill these three without a second thought." he growled impatiently.

The girls saw no way out of this. They couldn't risk their friends dying at the claws of the Drakai just to save one of their other friends. "We… we surrender. Just please, let them go," Heat begged on his knees.

The alpha smirked. "Take them all to the dungeon, but leave this one to me," he points over to Heat Blitz. "The master has been dying to get his hands on him," 

With the battle over, the two other Drakai growled in agreement and took the group off to the dungeons while the alpha grabbed Heat by the neck. "Wha… what are you gonna do to me?" he asked.

"As if you even need to ask. The master says he wants you, so I'm ordered to bring you to him personally. Now shut up and prepare for your own coronation… prince," the alpha smirked when saying that.

Heat's eyes shot wide open as his own fears were being made a reality. The alpha left with his target in claw and made his way up to the top of the castle from the outside.





With the group helplessly trapped in the dungeon, the drakai left back with their leader now that their mission was a success. AJ tried to break out of her cell, but her magic was failing. She had no trouble with breaking or lifting things before, but this wasn't the case.

"It ain't workin'. Why can't Ah break this open?" AJ asked.

"Don't bother. Those cells cancel out all magical abilities, including those little trinkets of yours. You think we'd throw you in the dungeons without planning ahead? Not even the terrible Death himself can escape this, even if he was at full power," said a voice. The group looked out their cells and noticed a mage. They couldn't see his face because of his hood, just his demonic red eyes and silver hair hanging out of his hood.

"Wait a minute… no, it can't be… Israel Yabuki?" Fluttershy asked. "Is that really you?"

The mage then lifted his hood off of him and revealed himself. "You have a lot of nerve, breaking into our master's domain without permission. But to answer your question, the lesser man you knew as Israel Yabuki is gone. I have become much stronger. Once our new king has been crowned, we will finally exact our revenge on those who wronged us," he said, though his voice was distorted and demonic.

“Oh really? Then what excuse do you assholes have in wiping out innocent people in order to achieve your revenge?” Inferno replied in anger. “From the sound of it, you and your pals are no better than those who screwed you over!”

"Who said anything about destroying a world? Why destroy perfectly good worlds when we can enslave and take over. But for those who have given us a personal grudge… they will die," Israel said.

"He speaks for all of us," another voice called out, followed by multiple footsteps. Soon, the 4 other Fallen Souls arrived and all of them removed their hoods and helmets, showing who they really were: Lightning Burn, Blazing Waters, Copper Plume and Frostbite.

"It IS them! The missing boys! Blazy, can you hear me?" Rainbow called out.

"Do not address me as if you know me," Blazing replied in a demonic voice. "The Blazing you knew is long gone. I have grown stronger… more than enough to destroy those who bullied and abused me."

"Though some of us were brought here against our will, we don't care anymore. We vow to exact our revenge and take over this world and the next. Under the guidance of our new king, you mortals won't stand a chance against us," Lightning Burn said.

“Uhhhh spoiler alert, dumbass! You got our buddy, Heat Blitz upstairs; close to your new king.” Inferno stated. “And we all know he won’t accept joining you fuckers. And he could take out your king with a single punch,” he bluffed.

"We know, but there's more than one way to make him our prince. And for the record… we've seen how he fights: He couldn't throw an effective punch even if he tried. Sending out shock waves and healing pulses won't do him any good against… this," Copper then showed the group what looked like a purple, glowing stone with small traces of black mass inside it, radiating with intense power.

"What is that?" Fluttershy asked.

"This… is the Demon Mind Gem. Once Heat Blitz is given this crown with the gem embedded on it… his mind will warp and placed under our master's control, becoming the new prince of the Shadow World," Frostbite said.

“You heartless sons of bitches.” Inferno replied.

"You leave the little guy out of this! He's done nothing to you!" Flash yelled out.

"This isn't the way! You guys are much better than this! You were our friends, why would you guys throw away your lives to join the bad side?" Halo asked.

"Why, you ask?" Lightning asked, in his demon voice. "Simple… We're through with reality taking away our happiness."

"We've suffered for far too long because we were too weak and helpless to stop those who have bullied and abused us!" Blazing added.

"As well as those who brought shame and despair to our families," Israel added.

"Never stopping until they took our happiness," Frostbite said.

"And worming their way into uncharted territory. Now we're going to pay them back tenfold," Copper added.

"And no one is going to stop us from reaching our goal!" The Fallen Souls said in unison before they all left the dungeons.

“HEY! What about your father, Blazing?” Inferno shouted out to one of the Fallen Souls. The Elite halted in place after the assassin said that, turning towards him with a confused yet emotionless expression.

“How do you know who my father is?” he asked.

“Flash Magnus, owner of Ammo-Lot: Guns and Ammunitions; the man that offered to help me to protect Eternal and the man who had searched for you for a long time.” Inferno explained. “After you disappeared, he was heartbroken; desperate to know if you were still alive each day. Hell, he still keeps photos of you on his walls; so that he’ll never forget you. You didn’t know it, Blazing… none of you five do! You guys disappearing hurt everyone you loved, and you were all too blind to see that! Hell, you all never even visited them for once… to tell them that they don’t need to worry about you and that you would never leave them!” he stated. “But what would you guys know about family! You rather served a demon lord who doesn’t give a crap about any of you; than to see the people that you all hurt for years!”

"WATCH YOUR TONGUE MORTAL!" Israel shouted, forcing Inferno against a wall using his magic from his staff. "If our families had any idea of the struggles and torment we've had to endure before all this, they would've prevented it already, but they were too stubborn and caught up in their own troubles to even give us a 2nd thought. You would never understand!"

“SHIT HAPPENS! That’s how life works! You can’t change that. I couldn’t! BECAUSE THAT MASTER OF YOURS, KILLED MY FATHER… THE ONLY HAPPINESS I HAD! HE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!… STOLE THAT FROM ME!... KILLED THAT FROM ME!!!! And you fuckers are defending him! So that makes you all murderers as well! Preventing a son to ever find peace for his deceased father!” Inferno in rage; a rage that was so deep and bold that even the Elites were a little intimidated. “And I will not stop until he’s dead!... EVEN IF I HAVE TEAR THROUGH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!.... IN FRONT OF ALL OF TARTARUS! SO THAT NO ONE WILL EVER DARE TAKE ANYTHING FROM ANYONE EVER AGAIN!!!”

"A very juicy thought… perhaps after the coronation we will… put that to the test," Frostbite said before the group left the room. "And one more thing… you watched Eternal's father die because you were too weak to stop him." Soon… there was silence.

Inferno growled in anger as he slammed his fists against the bars of the cell before sliding down onto the ground, for his anger began to diminish. Though he kept slamming the bars with his fist, bruising it with each slam, until he gave up doing it once he was on his knees.

"Hey, Inferno. You can't let them get to you. We'll find a way out of this, I promise," Starlight said, going over to comfort him.

"Those guys really got to him. I've never seen anyone so angry before," Halo said.

"I can't imagine what you must be going through, Inferno," Flash said.

“They… didn’t even… understand my pain. They just… passed off my father’s death like it was nothing to them.” The assassin said to himself. “They… aren’t human anyone…. They are now the very creatures I swore to destroy.” he stated.

"That wasn't them talking," Death stated. "Their human selves are still laying dormant, unable to escape their own pain and suffering. You can't let their demon sides get to you like that. Demons thrive on lies and deception. If there's still a chance they're still human inside, then it's up to all of you to reach out to them. That spell of yours hasn't been used yet, but I guarantee that with all of you working together, you can free them."

“But… how? You've seen what they’re like. They won’t allow us to even get close to them.” Rainbow said.

“Actually, they just invited us.” Inferno stated as he got up from the floor. “You heard what Frostbite said; ‘after the coronation we will… put that to the test’; which meant all five of them wish to challenge me after the coronation… which meant all five of them will be in one place… at the same time.” Inferno explained.

“Yes… That means they’ll be focusing on you rather than pay any attention to everything else around them.” Starlight pointed out what Inferno meant about his statement. “That would give us the opportunity to give them the memory potion while they’re fighting you.”

“Wait, so you’re saying you are gonna act as bait?” Flash asked Inferno.

“Yes.” the assassin replied.

“Well… damn.” Halo said with a surprised expression on his face.

"That's crazy, even for me! These guys are the most elite soldiers, they'll eat you alive!" Rainbow protested.

“I fought 50 demons each day, and many other dangerous creatures Equestria has to offer… I can hold my own against them… maybe.” Inferno replied. “Besides it’ll only be a for a short time, enough for each of you to save them.” 

"Let's hope you're right about that. The last thing we want is to lose another friend," Pinkie said.

"You won't lose me, we'll win," Inferno said. 'I hope so,' he thought to himself in his mind. 





Time passed by pretty slow, but eventually, one of the mages arrived back in the dungeon. "The hour is upon us… it's time," he said. He activated his magic and teleported himself and the entire group up to the top of the castle. The mage, however, still had them contained in anti-magic cells.

"Master, I've brought the prisoners you asked for," the mage said.

"Good. Now we can begin," Grogar said.

"Wait! Where's Heat Blitz? What have you done to him?" Twilight asked.

"Oh… you mean… him?" Grogar asked, pointing at Heat, who's pinned against a stone tablet via magic.

"LET HIM GO, YOU MONSTER!!!" Twilight shrieked out in utter rage. "YOU BETTER OR ELSE I’LL RIP OFF ALL YOUR LIMBS AND SHOVE THEM DOWN YOUR FUCKING THROATS!!!”

Inferno shed tears of pride from Twilight’s words. “I’m so proud of you.” He said while wiping away the tears.

"Ah've never seen Twilight this angry before," AJ said, intimidated by Twilight's anger.

“I know… and it’s awesome!” Rainbow stated.

Grogar stared at the group unamused by their conversation. "Bring the crown," he said. The mages brought the crown with them as well as the Demon Mind Gem. Grogar took both items and walked over to Heat. "All hail… Prince Heat." Grogar said, putting the crown on Heat's head, followed by the gem. Next thing he knew, Heat was in excruciating pain as the magic flowed throughout his body. He screamed in pain, jolting his body from left and right, flailing in the vein hope of trying to break free.

But all too quickly, he stopped flailing and went limp. Grogar signalled the mages to release him and so they did. Heat fell to the ground, then rose back up to his feet. His body radiated with demon aura. His beautiful purple eyes were replaced with blood red color and slit pupils. His expression was devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

"Heat!!! Heat, speak to me! Are you okay?" Twilight asked, panicking, unable to break out of her cell, reaching out to him.

"Save your breath, he's no longer the same boy you fell in love with. He is now one of us. As is Eternal Flames. Speaking of which," Grogar snapped his fingers. In a puff of purple smoke right in the center of the room, Eternal appears, walking over to Grogar. His expression, still filled with that undying, calm rage. "The time has come for you to achieve your goal. And take your place as the rightful ruler… your majesty." Grogar then grabbed the crown that was on top of his head, about to put it on Eternal's.

The Fallen Souls and many other demons in the room kneeled and bowed. Finally… Eternal was finally crowned… King of the Shadow World. The group watched in shock as the other demons chanted this weird chant: "He is the power." All the while, Grogar used his magic and surrounded Eternal in a black mass for a bit. Then, the black mass vanished and Eternal was now heavily armored, brimming with even more destructive power. His armor was black and red.

"No… Eternal!" Sunset called out. Her pleas fell on deaf ears and Eternal finally sat on his new throne as did Heat, sitting next to his brother.

"COMMENCE THE CORONATION!!!" Grogar shouted.

"Oh no," Death said to himself. The mages used their magic and their combined strength, teleporting the castle to the human world on an island a little ways away from the Canterlot beach, which was deserted. The city could be seen from the top of the castle. 3AM roles by and sure enough… it began.

Grogar used his magic and opened multiple portals, allowing his demons' entry back into the human world while also using his magic to bring out the evil spirits of the deceased humans from their graves to gather together to worship their new master.

The creatures of evil quickly arrived at the castle in mere minutes, dancing furiously for their new master. The group had never seen anything like this before. They watched in horror and terror this coronation was bringing. What was worse is Eternal, grinning in enjoyment from his loyal subjects dancing for him. Whether in the air or on castle grounds, they didn't stop dancing for their new master.

Inferno however, doesn’t really much pay any attention to the coronation. Instead he was more focused on saving Heat and the Elites from Grogar’s control, preventing Eternal from beginning the invasion on Earth, and killing Grogar once and for all. As the event was going on, Inferno reaches into his pocket and pulls out a… hairpin? Which he nabbed off of Rarity when they were all captured. While everyone is distracted, Inferno quietly undos the lock of the cage he’s trapped in. These demons really believed that they could cage him… Oh, they’re so gonna regret it. Once he unlocked his cage, he silently exited out of the cage. Starlight notices him escape, but Inferno gestures to her to keep quiet and sneaky hands her the hairpin. After that, Inferno sneaks within the shadows of the castle while the coronation is still going on.

"Hey! What are you doing out of your cage, mortal?" a demon asked, approaching him from the dark, its back hunched, down on all fours, meeting Inferno eye-to-eye. The assassin remained silent and immediately he pounced on the demon and then snapped his neck before he could give off a sound. He then proceeds to drag the body away, hoping that no one spotted him.

After that he then walks towards the opening of the castle, where the demons were dancing. Without any care or worry, he just strolled out of the darkness and revealed himself to everyone.


“HEEEEEEEEEEY! What’s up, everybody!” He shouted in an excited tone like he’s at a party. Catching the attention of every demon in the castle, the Fallen Souls, Grogar, Eternal, and even his friends. “Nice party you got here! Too bad I wasn’t invited, so I thought I'd crash.” 

"...Kill him," Eternal commanded.

“Hate to break it to you, Eternal! But I'm already taken!” Inferno replied, while he pointed at the Fallen Souls. “Yeah, your five Elites there wish to settle that little bet with me and I'm a man of my word! Unless you wanna come down from your little throne and fight in their place; then that means they’re a bunch of cowards!” He taunted.

"Be careful what you wish for. And do NOT speak ill of us or our master ever again!" Frostbite said, as he and his elite team charged at the assassin. Inferno smirks and then uses his magic to teleport away before the Elites could reach them.

He then appears behind them, now carrying his twin revolvers which he stole back while he was sneaking around. “Hiya.” he said as he opened fire on the five. When the five were struck, they all let out ear-splitting demonic roars. Copper and Israel combined their magics together and struck Inferno with a large magic beam.

"That was your last mistake! Now we're gonna obliterate you!" Lightning shouted, extending his wings and approaching Inferno at lightning speed. However, Inferno manages to step to the side and then grabs onto Lightning’s leg and then swings him around and tosses him towards a charging Frostbite, causing the two to fall to the ground.

“I was trained by many creatures in Equestria; Dragons, yaks, griffons, hippogriffs, changelings, and kirin. And I had years of experience on my belt…. And you five are just a bunch of teenagers who chose the wrong side,” Inferno stated as he pulled out two dual swords from his back, the steel of the swords forged from moonstone and were blessed with holy light. He charges at the two mages and clashes his twin swords against their staffs, engaging them in melee combat.

While the 5-on-1 duel rages on, Starlight manages to pick the lock in her cage and escapes; she then begins to unlock the other cages that her friends are in while all the other demons are focused on the battle below.

Her friends all sneak out of their cages and regroup. "Remind me to come to you the next time I get locked out of my own house," Rainbow said.

“Maybe later. Right now we need to free the Elites from Grogar’s control before Inferno kills them.” Starlight whispered.

“Really? I'm more worried about what they’ll do to Inferno.” Flash stated.

"Then we'd better go help. There's no time to waste… let's go," Sunset said. Soon, everyone marched forth, heading on their way to take down the demon army. This fight will decide the fate of their friends as well as Equestria and the human world. Will they succeed? Only time will tell.