//------------------------------// // Trial Seven: Laughter // Story: Born In Light, Forged In Darkness // by Jest //------------------------------// A zap of magic was all it took to blow the handle clean off the door and allow the two demons to slip inside the next car. Where they were immediately overwhelmed by the sound of intense fighting between a squad of paladins and a horde of imps, though Twilight’s attention was drawn elsewhere. Looking around, Kanathara found that the space within the car was much larger than it had appeared to be from the exterior. Once fully inside, the demons realized that all the dimensions were doubled, with the ceiling being tall enough that numerous imps could fly about. Though the majority of the space was dominated by the spell matrix which suppressed all high-level casting, the back of the car was filled with crates. Which had at one point been piled into neat rows, but were now scattered all over the place, some having been destroyed during the fight that was still playing out before them. Twilight’s gaze was drawn to the front of the car which was split between the enormous magical matrix, and a bright yellow dome surrounding a single peice of jewlery. A gold necklace within which was bound a brilliant teal gem cut in the shape of a single balloon. Just outside the barrier stood a familiar unicorn, her horn glowing and her gaze fixed on the Element just outside her reach. Everywhere she looked, Kanathara saw more wards, steel reinforcement, and numerous other measures to keep out enemies. This car was obviously intended to serve as a mobile bunker of some kind, one that had evidently been sabotaged from within. A gaping hole in reality had been torn just above the magic-suppressing rune, from which poured a seemingly endless stream of imps that filled the air, covered the ground, and generally occupied seemingly every bit of space available to them. All save for the back few feet of the train, where four paladins were desperately holding out against the tide of demonic bodies, their fallen allies resting unconscious behind them. So numerous were their enemies and so hectic the fight that none of the golden-armored ponies seemed to notice the two demons who were now behind them. For a moment Kanathara considered striking the ponies down, but quickly reconsidered, and not just because she saw that a leather-armored Pinkie Pie leading them. The earth pony’s crossbow twanged loudly with each shot, her bolts piercing three, four, sometimes even five enemies before finally losing their kinetic energy. While the rest of the soldiers were able to cover one another, Pinkie Pie herself merely dodged out of the way of every imp who attacked her. The pink pony somehow managed to always stay just out of reach, reloading her weapon with deft and careful hooves while she flitted about the area. Ponies shouted, imps died, and over the course of mere seconds Kanathara made several realizations. The most important of which was that if it were only Rainbow Dash and her, it would take far too long to cut a swath through the imps. If the keeper had her magic clearing out such fodder would be a simple matter, unfortunately she didn't, and Rainbow Dash was best at dealing with single targets or small groups. If they went at it alone, Kanathara had little doubt they would succeed as there only seemed to be imps answering the demonologist’s call. What she didn't know, however, was just how long it took until the white-furred and golden-maned unicorn mare at the front got through the barrier. With so many variables up in the air, Kanathara felt herself gripped by a moment of indecision. What do we do, boss? Rainbow Dash asked, the vengant’s wings twitching as she observed the desperate melee occuring mere feet away from her. ‘Cause I got a feeling you already know that we won't be able to cut through this mess very quickly even if we ghost over them. I am indeed aware of this, Kanathara replied. Charge into the middle of the swarm of imps. I will speak to Pinkie Pie and broker a temporary peace. On it, Rainbow Dash declared, the vengant opening her wings wide and leaping into the air as her helmet reformed and engulfed her head once more. The imps, which had ignored their presence, seemed thrilled by Rainbow Dash’s arrival, right up until the vengant slammed into their front line with all the force of a wrecking ball. Hooves punched, hellfire erupted, and for a moment the front wave of imps tried to run while the line behind them pushed forward. Crushed between the mass of demonic bodies, the lesser demons flailed uselessly, making them easy prey for the vengent who tore through. Kanathara stepped forward and telekinetically lowered Pinkie Pie’s crossbow which had been pointed at Rainbow Dash’s back. “I wouldn't do that if I were you,” Kanathara declared. The earth pony leapt to the side, her entire body pivoting in mid-air, allowing her to land with her weapon raised and ready. The fury in her eyes vanished the second they landed on the keeper however, and the ranger raised her hoof, signalling her paladins to stop. “What are you doing here, and make it quick,” Pinkie Pie snapped, turning and firing her crossbow into the horde of imps without looking. Kanathara idly noted the pony’s deadly accuracy, as three more imps tumbled from the air, impaled on the same enormous crossbow bolt. “Does she know long-range teleportation magic and how to get through the magical suppressor?” Kanathara inquired. “Unfortunately!” Pinkie Pie shouted while reloading her weapon. “Then we need each other, peace until it's closed?” Kanathara pressed, the demon firing off a scorching ray and killing a pair of imps that had landed on the back of a paladin. Pinkie Pie bit her lip and nodded. “Until it's done,” she declared. Kanathara didn't waste any time and after making sure the paladins had heard Pinkie Pie’s declaration, she jumped into the fray. Just in time too, as Rainbow Dash was being all but smothered in over a dozen imps who had managed to bury the vengant with sheer numbers. Kanathara could see hellfire occasionally burst from the pile killing a handful each time, but there were simply too many of them even for her familiar to eliminate in a timely fashion. Now working against the clock, Kanathara fired off another beam of concentrated negative energy, killing a handful of imps before bringing her grimoire down on the head of another. Behind her the paladins pushed forward, bolts flying and swords swinging, their leader firing bolt after bolt, killing dozens in seconds. Focusing her attention on the mass of imps trying to bury Rainbow Dash, Kanathara used her telekinesis to lift a majority of them into the air. Though she couldn't get more than five of the flailing things off the vengant due to her magic being suppressed, that was all Rainbow Dash needed. With a heave, the demon emerged from the pile, flames bursting from her maw and a dozen points in her armor, clearing away the rest of the lesser demons. Now free, Rainbow Dash bashed an imp’s head against the ground, splattering its brains over the floor before its body quickly turned to dust. The vengent fought fiercely, leaping ahead of Kanathara and the paladins in order to get the majority of the attention. Sure enough, the imps attempted to pile onto her several times, only to end up killed by hellfire, spellfire, or bolt fire. Though it took time to cut through the imps, the pair of demons had been more than enough to turn the tide, allowing the small group to slowly push forward. A change which the traitorous unicorn seemed to notice as her attention flickered from the rapidly shrinking barrier to where her soldiers were being slaughtered. Seeing the coming danger for what it was, she turned back to the barrier and with a flash of her horn began to pull the portal open even more. On the other side Kanathara could see a great host of imps and other slightly larger creatures jockeying for their chance to enter the portal. Most numerous, save for the many red-skinned imps, were the dozens of quasits who stood a few inches taller than their slightly smaller cousins. Their skin ranged in colors from bright blue to sickly green, signifying that they had begun the transition from lowly imp to true demon. Their forms varied wildly, with some having dozens of horns while others had none, though all had a vaguely humanoid appearance as well as two arms and legs. Seeing that the portal could now allow their larger forms through, the quasits surged forward, brushing aside their smaller cousins. In response the demonologist merely stepped further behind the portal and continued to feed magic into the tear in reality, forcing it ever wider. At this point, Rainbow Dash neared the halfway point of the car, her hoof punching straight through an imp’s chest while her jaw clamped down over the throat of another. Growling to herself, Kanathara fired off a trio of magic missiles before stepping back behind the paladin line. “Shoot the traitor! My spells can't get through this many enemies, but your bolts can!” shouted the keeper. Pinkie Pie shook her head and let loose another projectile. “Can't. Standing order is to bring traitors in alive for questioning, and I can't trust my aim with so many imps in the way.” “You won't be alive to bring her in for questioning if we don't stop her!” Kanathara shouted back. “Sorry lady, but orders are orders and these come all the way from the top,” Pinkie Pie replied, the earth pony rapidly reloading her crossbow while dodging a stray imp. Kanathara growled and took a moment to vent her frustration on one rather unfortunate imp who had leapt over the paladin line. Using her magic, Kanathara gripped the demonic creature tightly before pulling its arms and legs off with a single powerful tug. Though the paladins were visibly disgusted with this display, they didn't falter in their push, giving Kanathara only a brief glance. Kanathara was about to command her familiar to simply turn to mist and land atop the demonologist until she realized what position that would leave the paladins in. Together they were making forward momentum, but without Kanathara’s pinpoint spells and Rainbow Dash’s raw strength, they would crumble in no time. A fact which wouldn't have bothered Kanathara a few months ago, but now gave her pause and made her rethink her strategy. Can I get a hand here, boss? These quasits are everywhere! Rainbow Dash exclaimed. I’m on it, Kanthara replied, firing off a lance of solid magic into the chest of a quasit clawing at the back of Rainbow Dash’s helmet. Immediately the long-horned and green-skinned creature crumpled to the side, its body dissolving as it gave its final breath. Rapidly rethinking her plan of attack, Kanathara’s gaze flickered this way and that over the battlefield, trying to come up with a way to keep her new allies alive while accomplishing her goal. Upon seeing the magical array, Kanathara got an idea and hastily trotted over to Pinkie Pie as she finished bashing in the head of an unfortunate imp. “The array, how do we disable it?” Kanathara shouted while firing off more spells. “We don't!” Pinkie Pie replied, ratcheting her crossbow. “Because if we did, this entire space would rapidly collapse back to its original side.” “Which would kill everyone in it and probably destroy the car,” Kanathara finished, clenching her jaw tightly. “Which may include the Element itself.” “Plus the gate would likely grow rapidly without the magic of the car keeping it from being opened from the other side,” Pinkie Pie added. “It's always something, isn't it?” Kanthara muttered as she bashed two quasits’ heads together, impaling each other on their fellow’s stubby red horns. Still, though their progress was now noticeably slower, Kanathara could tell that their enemy had been forced to temporarily abandon her attempts at trying to break through the barrier. With that in mind, the keeper decided that they would merely try to break through at the earliest opportunity and until then they would continue on without change. Relaying this message to her familiar, Kanathara trotted confidently towards the fighting, firing off spell after spell and generally doing her best to support the vengant. Up ahead of the main force, Rainbow Dash fought alone, her armor having grown extra spikes on just about every available surface. A change which Rainbow Dash put to excellent use as she threw herself into one pack of enemies and then the next without pause. Remembering the fury the berserker had shown earlier, Rainbow Dash did her best to channel that same intense rage. Letting loose a wordless battle cry, the vengant surged forward, ramming a freshly grown head spike through the stomach of a quasit. The creature flailed in panic atop the larger demon’s head, its clawed hands scraping uselessly against Rainbow Dash’s armor. Black ichor poured from the creature’s gaping wound while Rainbow Dash continued to fight on as if she didn't notice the added weight. She kept her head ornament until she saw a good opportunity to throw it into a group of its allies and cause them to fall over one another. Knowing that this was going to be a slog, Rainbow Dash decided to use her most potent untapped ability in her arsenal, fear. Willing the helmet to recede back into her gorget, Rainbow Dash roared in rage, spitting fire from her mouth and smoke from her nose. Before the mass of lesser demons had a chance to react, she reached for her nearest enemy and tore its arm off before throwing it aside. Kanathara frowned as she saw their unicorn enemy scramble back to the golden barrier. The demon fired off at her a trio of magical bolts which were absorbed by a personal anti-magic field. Though a part of her wanted to push this field to its limit, Kanathara chose instead to focus back on supporting her allies. Only to be surprised when she noticed that there were a handful of lesser demons scrambling to get back into the portal, most missing limbs or sporting gaping wounds. She watched as her familiar tore the arms off a quasit before headbutting it back into its allies, dazed and panicked but very much alive. The ensuing tangle of limbs that came from the demon retreating back the way it came gave Kanathara an idea, one she quickly put into practice. Blasting an imp in the face with a ray of frost, Kanathara purposefully didn’t put everything she had into the spell and ensured that just the eyes as well as the majority of its face froze solid. Screaming in agony, the imp flailed its arms in panic and inadvertently saved a paladin who had been about to be stabbed by a quasit wielding a small shard of bone carved into a dagger. The imp ran into the other demon’s arm and caused the larger demon to snarl in rage before burying its weapon in its former ally’s face. Which had the adverse reaction of letting that same paladin regain his footing and ram his longsword through the other demon’s chest. Seeing the effect this had on her enemies, Kanathara grinned cruelly, aiming her bolts of magic to blind and maim rather than kill. “What are you doing, you’re supposed to kill them!” shouted a female paladin who cut down a green quasit Kanathara had torn the eyes out of. “And if we don't, they try to retreat in order to heal, causing problems for their allies!” Kanathara yelled back. The paladin seemed ready to argue until Pinkie Pie shot a quasit square in the crotch, causing the demon to howl in agony and topple to the ground. Just like that, the armored pony spun in place before rejoining her companions, her attacks gaining a brutal edge they hadn't contained a moment earlier. Like a ripple falling over the line, the ponies charged forward, their strikes wounding and maiming while leaving the demons alive and scrambling to escape. While the paladins were unintimidating to the demons, Pinkie Pie and Kanathara were far scarier than them. The keeper frequently pull an imp into the air where she yanked off one or more of its extremities or simply allowed Pinkie Pie to disembowel it with a well-placed shot. Even still, the effect they had on their enemies paled in comparison to the sheer dread which Rainbow Dash elicited in their foes. Where before the imps and quasits only had to fear a quick death before being sent back to Tartarus, now they had to fear being torn apart and left alive. Something Rainbow Dash did with terrifying efficiency, with the vengant ripping and tearing her enemies with her armored hooves. Not only that, but the demon had also altered her appearance in order to better scare her enemies. She did this by growing plenty of unnecessary spikes as well as constantly shooting hellfire from her open maw. On her shoulders were two long spikes on which several screaming demons were impaled, their otherworldly blood pouring down the armored demon’s form in waves. In under a minute the tide of demonic flesh turned not because they were losing, but because they feared the enemies they stood against. Imps were trampled, quasits were tripped and left behind, the force of lesser demons fleeing en masse in the face of such atrocities. For a bit it seemed as though the demons who pushed forward were going to win out against their terrified allies, and then they too broke when several levitated spears were thrown into their ranks. The mass of tangled limbs, torn flesh, and brutalized demons scrambled back towards the portal, throwing themselves through the entrance. Though thrilled that her plan had been a success, Kanathara noted that it worked almost too well, and she had to smack a paladin who was leveling a spear at her familiar. “Cut it out, we got bigger fish to fry,” Kanathara shouted. The paladin grumbled and readjusted their helm, but ultimately said nothing. “Subdue the traitor, quickly!” Pinkie Pie shouted. In front of them, Rainbow Dash was busy pushing the last of the lesser demons through the portal, assisting an imp by throwing him like a javelin through the narrow opening. Kanathara followed her familiar’s lead, tossing smaller demons out of the way with her telekinesis and finishing off a few who lay broken but not killed. Once clear, she too charged the unicorn, launching a trio of firebolts followed by a ray of frost, each one aimed at a vital area. Gritting her teeth, the other pony fired off a quick shield spell, blocking the ray of frost but not the firebolts, which fizzled upon nearing her. For a moment it looked like the pony was going to be caught relatively easily, captured by Kanathara and the paladins. That was until everyone in the car heard a blood-curdling roar so horrible that even Kanathara glanced nervously to the portal. Rainbow Dash stumbled back as the pile of lesser demons seemed to stop before turning and running back towards her. For a moment Rainbow Dash merely observed, confused by the sudden shift and curious as to what had caused it. That was until a rather unfortunate imp had its skull crushed in the jagged claws of a much larger demon, answering the vengant’s unspoken question. “Blood fiend!” shouted the former pegasus, who stumbled back from the portal. Where a hulking, four-armed monster was holding the dead imp above its head, maw open wide as blood and viscera poured into it. The creature had several rows of sharp, shark-like teeth in a lipless mouth that dominated the creature’s face. It lacked a nose and ears, its large mouth only leaving enough room for a pair of beady red eyes which glowed fiercely. It must have been attracted by all the demons we injured, but didn't kill, Kanathara thought. The demon towered over the portal’s entrance, its skinless body caked with fresh blood and gore which also stained the claws that adorned all four of its arms and even its feet. Shifting her attention, Kanathara swiftly moved to back up her familiar, the keeper’s magic grasping at the edge of the portal. Powerful magics coursed through the demon’s body, yet the runic array beneath her stopped Kanathara from being able to close it in time. “I can't stop it. You guys take the traitor!” Kanathara shouted. “Right, leave her to us!” replied Pinkie Pie. The unicorn scoffed as the earth pony’s bolt bounced harmlessly off her shield. “And what do you intend on doing, bleed on me? I have magic, and you have nothing!” A bolt of lightning sprung from the pony’s horn and slammed into one of the paladins, a golden shield springing up and deflecting most of the blow. Some still managed to get through, however, sending the pony to the floor where she writhed in pain, electricity pouring through her body. Gritting her teeth in rage, Pinkie Pie fired off another bolt, her soldiers charging into the fray, swords swinging and spells firing. What little magic they could bring to bear did little against the unicorn’s shield, though at least their weapons cut chunks out of her personal magical barrier. The demonologist saw this and reacted quickly by releasing another storm of lightning, this time in a large section in front of her, hitting all of her enemies. Magical energy danced over the paladins’ forms, with most able to rely on the enchantments placed on their armor to save them. The pony on the ground was not quite as lucky, as her own defences had already been worn down, the lightning attack causing her skin to burn and smoke profusely. Pinkie Pie immediately dropped her weapon and leapt to the fallen mare, pulling her out of the field of electricity with a sharp tug. Once her companion was safe, the earth pony retrieved her crossbow and loaded a special projectile armed with a black tip. “You’re going down,” muttered the earth pony before leveling her weapon. How the hell do we beat this guy? Rainbow Dash mentally shouted, the vengant ducking and weaving out of the flurry of swipes leveled her way by the larger demon. All I remember is that this guy really freaking loves demon blood. Kanathara continued to cycle through all the low-level spells she knew, casting small beams of heat, cold, and supercharged mana, all to little effect. The larger demon simply shrugged off everything Kanathara fired at him, what little damage she accomplished being healed mere moments later. While this was happening, Kanathara was racking her brain, trying to remember anything at all about this strange monster. It has an intense craving for the blood of demons like you said and is able to freeze the lesser-willed with its intense gaze, though that won't affect us, Kanathara replied while using her magic to hold one of the demon’s arms away from her familiar and allowing the vengant to duck out of the other two swings. It has some powerful regenerative abilities, though from my understanding, it's not the smartest. Does it only have normal senses? Rainbow Dash pressed, the vengant weaving between the larger demon’s attacks before unleashing a torrent of hellfire into her enemy’s chest. I think so, why? Kanathara answered. I have a plan, Rainbow Dash declared as the blood fiend stumbled back, wiping a hand across its chest and clearing the dead flesh away. Pinkie Pie leveled the black bolt at her enemy, taking only a moment to line it up with the pony’s midsection before releasing it. Though it pained the mare to be unable to help her fellow paladins, the earth pony knew the unicorn wouldn't be able to keep up her attack for long. A fact which turned out to be true as the traitor continued to pour her magic into the attack, ignoring the bolt streaking towards her. It pierced her barrier with startling ease, leaving behind a tiny hole in the shield before slamming into her barrel. Though most of the kinetic energy had already bled away, the bolt still sunk a good inch into the mare’s body, shocking her out of her attack. With magical lightning no longer hitting them from all directions, the paladins picked themselves off the ground and renewed their assault. Almost immediately cracks began to form along the traitor’s wall of magic, swords and spears removing large chunks out of it within only a handful of seconds. Inside, the unicorn grunted and pulled the bolt from her side, her magic returning to her control once it was removed. Seeing her enemies close in on her, the unicorn raised her hooves, lit her horn, and brought them down hard, her shield bulging before exploding outwards. “Enough!” she bellowed, her barrier erupting with enough force to send the paladins stumbling back and even inadvertently bring down the final shield between her and the Element. Kanathara grinned as she continued to build magic at the base of her horn, overcharging her primitive spell as far as she dared. In front of her, Rainbow Dash continued to fight the blood fiend, her attacks doing significant damage, though nothing that seemed permanent. Chunks removed from its chest healed in moments, claws grew back in seconds, and even cauterizing the wounds with hellfire only slowed its regeneration for a short while. In time Rainbow Dash knew she could best the demon, but time was something they didn't have a lot of at that moment. Rising onto her back legs, Rainbow Dash opened her wings, hiding her mistress from the other demon’s baleful gaze. Though the stance meant she took more than a few hits, some of which even managed to pierce her armor, Rainbow Dash endured, the familiar waiting patiently for the signal. Now! Kanathara mentally shouted. The vengant dropped to the ground and closed her eyes, leaving the blood fiend to stare at where she had been standing and where a golden orb now floated. The single second of confusion that came from this action was just barely enough to allow the spell to finish and explode outwards. Intense searing light blinded the frenzied demon, singing its eyeballs and burning its retinas to the point that it stumbled back, howling in pain. The attack also managed to catch a certain unicorn who had been about to grab the artifact, though it was only out of the corner of one eye. Though not injured by the holy energy the overpowered light spell emitted, the pony also lacked any of the regenerative abilities of a demon. So when her one eye was burned shut, it was rendered useless until such point that she could find someone to heal her. Neither Pinkie Pie or the other paladins were injured by the burst of light, the attack inadvertently giving the injured ponies enough time to pick themselves off the ground. Pinkie Pie was the first to do so, the earth pony leaping for her fallen weapon and leveling it at the screaming mare clutching her burnt eye. A twinge of sympathy shot through the young pony, though that feeling was stifled when she noticed the traitor was reaching for the Element once more. Pinkie sighed and aimed once more, releasing her shot and watching as it flew straight and true. Piercing the unicorn’s hoof, the bolt continued through the mare’s soft flesh until fletching met flesh. Which was too rigid and caught fast in the mare’s open wound, the leftover kinetic energy carrying the bolt head into the wall, pinning the pony in place. Kanathara ignored the screaming mare and finished her casting just in time to see that the blood fiend had managed to regrow its burnt eyes. When it next looked upon the pair of demons, it did not charge, merely standing there in confusion as it gazed upon two normal-looking ponies. Though taller than average, the fiend lacked the mental faculties to figure out what had just happened and where its quarry had gone. Seeing that her quick disguise had worked, Kanathara used her magic to grab a curious imp that had peeked through the barrier and toss it at the blood fiend. The red-scaled and bat-winged creature let out a cry of confusion before slamming into the hulking beast’s muscled back. Spinning on its heel, the blood fiend grabbed the fallen imp and bit off its head, chewing noisily until it turned to dust. Spitting out the offending detritus, the blood fiend looked back towards the portal where a small host of lower demons had been peering through. All of whom scrambled desperately away the second the four-armed monster let loose a roar and then charged back through. The second the towering demon had squeezed its massive bulk back through the portal, Kanathara sprinted over to it and, using what little magic she had, began to close it. “I can't believe that worked. You just made us all pastel-colored,” Rainbow Dash remarked, extending a hoof which did indeed look nearly the same, having only been turned a bright teal. Kanathara grunted and dispelled the simple illusion the second the portal was completely gone. “Anger is a wonderful blinder,” she muttered. Together the two demons turned towards the unicorn who had just had her horn bound by a jade ring before being rendered unconscious by a spell. Most of the small group of remaining paladins were busy restraining the traitor, save for one who was tentatively reaching for the element. All while Pinkie Pie stood back, her hoof on her loaded weapon and her gaze fixed securely on the two final demons. For a moment neither said anything, then Kanathara lit her horn and tried to grab the artifact with her magic, only for the paladin to get to it first, wrestling the jewelry from the keeper’s aura. Weapons were raised, spells primed, and muscles flexed, every unrestrained individual in the car ready for a fight. In an instant all the feeling of camaraderie was gone, the air itself becoming heavy and tense. Each side looked to its leader, the paladins to Pinkie Pie while Rainbow Dash glanced expectantly at her mistress, waiting for the order to strike. Kanathara knew her familiar was ready to attack at a moment’s notice, but she could also tell that the demon was resistant to the idea. Even the keeper herself hesitated to commit to an assault, fresh memories of fighting side by side with the strangely chipper pony flashing through her mind. Even still, the two demons knew that this only ended one way, with the Element in their possession and all who got in their way defeated. Pinkie Pie chuckled suddenly, the pony’s laugh starting off as barely above a whisper before slowly rising to a full-throated giggle. The laughter spread through the other ponies strangely quickly, and even Rainbow Dash herself began laughing nervously. Confused and slightly annoyed, Kanthara was surprised when she too began to snigger unexpectedly, her muscles slowly beginning to relax as her laugh grew to a titter. All around her the paladins lowered their weapons while Rainbow Dash’s armor slowly receded back until it was a mere breastplate. Kanathara herself felt her spell unwind until the magic left her horn entirely, her plans of attack slipping from her grasp like sand through a sieve. By the end of it both parties were laughing with such intensity that neither could hold a weapon or entertain a negative thought. Struggling to a stand, Pinkie Pie suppressed a giggle and shook her head. “This is downright silly. We were just allies, we shouldn't fight,” she exclaimed between bouts of laughter. Kanathara pushed down the urge to keep laughing. “I know, but we can't leave without the Element.” “Haha, Pinkie, do you think-” The pony stopped and covered her mouth with a hoof, resisting the desire to giggle that had been about to burst forth. “Do you really think we should fight them? We got a lot of wounded in here.” “Nah,” Pinkie Pie replied, extending a hoof. “We might have a chance of winning, but there is also a good chance we would all die needless deaths and you remember what Celestia always said about that.” “Just because your life was given to you freely doesn't mean you can spend it freely,” muttered several of the paladins. “Exactly,” Pinkie Pie declared. “We’ll take our prisoner and call it a partial victory.” “That's… really nice of you,” Rainbow Dash murmured. “I really didn't want to fight you all anyway.” “Me neither.” Pinkie Pie reached out and grabbed the Element before tossing it at the keeper. “Here, catch.” Kanathara’s smile vanished when she noticed the small flash of light that came from the artifact before it soared through the air. Catching it in her magic, Kanathara inspected the piece of jewelry and noticed the faint pink glow which lingered within the gem. Putting that bit of strangeness out of her mind, the demon opened up her dimensional pocket and threw it inside, sealing the hole a second later. “So, I guess this is goodbye,” Rainbow Dash remarked with a hint of sadness. “For now, anyway,” Pinkie Pie corrected, the earth pony leaning on her enormous crossbow, an easy smile on her face. “Come on, Rainbow, let's get out of here,” Kanathara declared, sparing one last glance at the earth pony and her paladins. “You have some more injured further back by the way. Though we did our best to help out your side when we could.” “You did?” asked a skeptical pegasus paladin. “Go see for yourself. It's just back there” Rainbow Dash offered, before taking wing and flying out the open door. Kanatharta smiled, giving the ponies one last nod. “For what it's worth, I appreciate you doing this.” “Yeah yeah, now get outta here before I have any second thoughts,” Pinkie Pie replied, a smile on her lips. The keeper smiled back and shut the door.