//------------------------------// // Subject 229: Extra Assistance // Story: Interviews With Equestrians // by Jmaster49 //------------------------------// “Wait, you’re actually happy to see me here?” “Of course,” I said as I gave her a hug, “I wouldn’t have expected you to come all the way out here and protect me. Makes me wonder what the rest of your friends are doing.” Cozy let go, and hovered in the air next to me. “Well, no need to worry about that. I have a feeling that things are only going to get better once my plans are set into motion. For now, we need to keep moving so we don’t get caught up.” “There’s more to it than what we see here. Our enemies are going to try and get to you, kid.” She tapped the side of her head with her hoof. “Exactly. The last place they’d expect me to be is out here on the front lines with you. Don’t you get it? I’ve already thought three steps ahead.” Huh. Well then. Even I had to admit that that was an impressive stratagem. Risky? Yes. But she was the one who chose to stand and fight.with us. I wouldn’t let her waste this opportunity to make history. “Okay...wait a second--where’s Flurry Heart? Wasn’t she with you?” She waved her hoof downwards to dismiss my concerns. “Pff. Once again, you underestimate me, Pops. Flurry’s already long gone to uh...well, you’ll see. For right now, we need to focus.” I took a look around. The demons had closed in on our position and we were pretty much surrounded. My crewmates and I were separated from each other, but at least the main force had its efforts split across multiple sides. That way, we could focus on individual parts rather than brute force and strength in numbers. So, I’d give her that chance to take the lead. “Alright, kid. I know you have some experience with magic, but do you think you’re ready to actually fight?” Before I could blink, Cozy had already flew into the swarm of demons. She moved like a graceful swan against the wind as she spun around mid-fight. What was she doing exactly? I saw her feathers fly off in random directions, but I had to squint my eyes to get a better look. That’s when I caught it. She flew around and stuck one of her feathers into the manes of every demon she came across, just barely avoiding being bit and tackled by them all. Then, she flew up into the air, and pointed her hooves to the sky. “NOW!” ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! All around us, every demon that had been struck with a feather was shocked by a violently charged bolt of lightning from one of the clouds in the sky. Oh! That was it! Her feathers acted as lightning rods that channeled the magic from the clouds! Genius...but who had been controlling them from on high? Gah. That wasn’t important. What was important was supporting her, and keeping her safe until everyone else arrived. So I raced forward, and into the crowd of demons that were left over from her initial attack. In an effort to find the specific ones that I had been on the hunt for, I took a moment to properly inspect the faces of each of them before I properly disposed of them. I punched one into the distance--it wasn’t the one I was after. He was tried for smuggling of unknown magical substances into Equestria about ten years ago. Various mixtures of deadly potions that he experimented on other ponies with. Another tried to sneak up on me to which I retaliated with a swift dropkick to knock her into next week. That one was a thief. As soon as her operation to take and abuse various treasures of the Crystal Empire was busted, she took her own life to avoid facing the jury. I was on the ground for a moment, and I could feel the earth cry out in pain from another direction. Thanks to my senses, I was able to avoid the attack just in time when I rolled out of the way. Then I stood up to look at the assailant. It was a changeling--at least I think it was. From what I could feel, this one tried to escape the clutches of Chrysalis’ rule before Thorax took over. Unfortunately, he resorted to stealing the life force of whoever he came across which is what landed him a permanent stay in Tartarus. And to my left, I could sense the aura of another demon that Cozy had immobilized with her shocks. A griffon who abandoned her home of Griffonstone in search of a better life, only to lose her own at battle in a marketplace in the middle of Saddle Arabia for violating the laws they had set. As a result, she was unfit to pass on, and so... “Grrgh…” I had to be honest. This was a torment on my soul. To essentially relive the acts of those who should have been dead a long time ago, it made me realize just how unfair the world was beneath all of its shiny luster. Yes, some of these individuals were beyond repair, but at the same time, no one--absolutely no one was born a criminal. If so, society would have collapsed long ago. The ability to peer into the auras of others was both a blessing and a curse. But I wouldn’t turn a blind eye to such things. To do so would be ignorant at best, and callous at worst. What I needed to do was grant these souls the ability to return to their rightful resting place where they should have remained from the start. Grogar and psychological warfare...talk about a pair. “None of you deserve to be up here,” I mumbled to myself, “The least I can do is put you back where you belong.” Unfortunately, it was too much for me to handle--even with Cozy’s help. I could almost swear that we were going to get overrun because each time I took out one demon, two more rose to the battle. And more, and more...it got out of hoof rather quickly. “Come on, kid...your plans have been great so far. Don’t go soft on me now.” SHING! POP! My prayers were answered in quite possibly the most unexpected way. I watched as a few yellow beams of magic cut through, and hypnotized some of the demons into a harmless stupor. That’s when I turned my head to find. “...Ms. Cake?!” The young unicorn had taken the field of her own volition, and called out to me. “Your friends saved my life, sir. I won’t sit back and watch when I can help. Plus...I got some of my own friends to help out as well.” “You what?!”