“That was some excellent forethought with that noble,” Rainbow Dash remarked, giving Kanathara an appreciative smile. “Let's hope we’ll actually have the chance to cash in on that later.”
Kanathara nodded grimly. “Perfect’s wealth and influence will come in handy once the world isn't ending, but as you mentioned, we need to stop that from happening first.”
“A good thing too, ‘cause something tells me demons are going to be enemy number one in Equestria after this,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
Kanathara sighed as she plodded slowly through the forest. “That is quite true. I can definitely see some kind of even more zealous version of the paladins get formed once this is all finally settled.”
“If it gets settled,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Nothing is set in stone yet.”
“True,” Kanathara admitted. “Let's make sure the chips fall in our favor and pick up the pace then.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Rainbow Dash replied, opening her wings wide.
Kanathara allowed her body to turn to mist and seep between the seams of her familiar’s armor. Now inhabiting the winged demon’s corporeal form, Kanathara stared out through the vengant’s eyes. She also remained quiet as Rainbow Dash ascended through the treetops, with Kanathara soon busying herself with observing their surroundings.
The first thing she noticed was how many trees had begun to wither without the sun’s light, their leaves folding inward. Some plants were in a similar unfortunate position, their color having been drained from the lack of nourishment. Mushrooms, on the other hoof, grew incredibly large, overtaking their neighbors and beginning to dominate small sections of the forest.
The creatures they spotted were much the same, with some appearing weary and tired while others were energized. As Kanathara observed the wave of green beneath them, she could see several wild-eyed, and abnormally large wolves chasing an exhausted trio of rabbits. As Kanathara continued to watch the land below, she came to an unpleasant, though unavoidable conclusion. The moon was driving some of the creatures mad or at least frenzied with its constant presence while weakening others.
“Not a nice sight, huh?” Rainbow Dash remarked.
It certainly is different, Kanathara replied. Some species have adapted quite quickly while others are seemingly doomed to extinction if this keeps up.
“Makes me wonder how much of a mess Equestria will be even after we deal with Nightmare Moon,” Rainbow Dash added, banking around a small, solitary storm cloud.
Either way, it won't be our problem, Kanathara pointed out.
“True. Though maybe we could help a bit more once all things are said and done,” Rainbow Dash offered.
Enjoying the hero treatment,are you? Kanathara teased.
“Kinda,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “I know you’re supposed to choose between being feared and loved, but I say why can't you have both? People should be scared because of how much they love me.”
Kanathara snickered to herself. Maybe we’ll do some more heroics in the future then. If nothing else, it would help alleviate suspicion that may be directed our way, should our involvement with Nightmare Moon get out.
“Yeah, and if a few irredeemable jerks get their souls eaten and end up disappearing in the process, then who would complain?” Rainbow Dash declared.
Plus if they just so happen to give away all their worldly possessions beforehoof, then all the better, Twilight stated.
Rainbow Dash bobbed her head vigorously. “Exactly. We would make a killing.”
That pun was bad, even for you, Kanathara groaned.
“Oh pisha, that was hilarious,” Rainbow Dash retorted.
Kanathara put her familiar’s bad puns out of mind and went back to closely observing her surroundings. As she looked from one mutated plant or animal to another, the demon idly wondered what else had changed with the moon’s ascension.
“We are coming up on the gorge now,” Rainbow Dash remarked.
Kanathara immediately perked up, brought forth from her musings by her familiar’s voice. Looking out through the vengant’s eyes, Kanathara found that they were indeed nearing the strange location. The distinct zig-zagging crevice cut a wide swath through the surrounding greenery, drawing the eye towards the red river at the bottom of its dark depths.
Though any normal creature would struggle to glimpse the deepest reaches of the gorge from such a height, Kanathara had no such troubles. Her familiar’s keen eyes pierced the gloom with ease, allowing the pair to notice several things that looked out of place.
The most obvious of which was the primitive dirt road that emerged from the forest, wound down the side of the gorge, and somehow clung to its side. After passing the lip of the crevice, the path turned to stone as it traveled along the eastern side, eventually disappearing around a distant bend. Work was evidently not complete on that particular project, and Kanathara spotted several piles of dirt sitting unused next to the roadway.
“I guess Applejack was right. Rarity really must be trying to establish some kind of new town out here,” Rainbow Dash remarked.
It seems so, Kanahtara agreed.
The keeper was about to request a closer look at the single solitary sign post she could see, only to be distracted by a flash of red. Directing her attention downwards, Kanathara noticed that the river she thought she saw earlier was not actually a body of water at all. Rather it was a sea of long scarlet and lavender eels engaged in either a giant fight, or a single massive orgy.
Either way, Kanathara diverted her focus elsewhere, studying the path they had seen earlier.
“Do you hear that?” Rainbow Dash whispered.
Kanathara ignored the distant roars and angry squabbling of the many gigantic eels, focusing instead on what seemed like shouting. In the common tongue no less, and though the distinct words were not audible over such a great distance, Kanathara could tell they were frantic.
Let's hurry. Rarity might be in trouble, Kanathara declared.
“On it,” Rainbow Dash replied.
The vengent tucked her wings against her sides and dove downwards, gaining speed at an incredible pace. In seconds she had descended down to the point that her hooves nearly touched the tree tops, her ears sticking straight up in the air. As they closed the distance, the sounds became clearer, and soon they could make out more yelling.
“Hold it, hold it!”
“I can't keep a grip, it's too strong!”
“Don't give up yet, darlings, we’ve got this!”
That was definitely Rarity, Kanathara pointed out.
“Going in hot!” Rainbow Dash declared.
Pumping her wings hard, Rainbow Dash burst through the tree cover with an explosion of hellfire. Her incredible momentum gave her mere moments to assess the situation before she was forced to put that speed to use. Thankfully for the demon, the situation seemed fairly standard, as there were a small pack of diamond dogs near the edge of a cliff and a giant monster a dozen metres away.
The dogs numbered only about twelve, two of whom were off to the side, either injured or treating the one who was. The sole pony in the group was Rarity, who wore lightweight chainmail, unlike her compatriots who were decked out in shiny platemail. The unicorn also had a ring over her horn, which made her eyes glow faintly, most likely giving her the same night vision that her companions had. Everyone present wielded some manner of blunt weapon or net, unlike the monstrous green creature at the edge of the gorge.
The only defences this strange abomination had were its clawed hands, large fang-filled maw, and titanic bulk. Easily as long as an ancient sea serpent and wider than a train, the beast looked almost like an enormous snake. Except this monster had two arms that ended with four clawed fingers, a thick green membrane connecting the curved digits.
Its face was also quite strange, with a trio of long grey fins extending from the top of its head. Beneath those protrusions were more membranous growths, except these were a bright crimson and were fully extended in a threatening display. Its jaws had only four fangs visible, though Kanathara suspected that there were more hidden within the creature’s enormous maw.
You go high, I’ll go low, Kanathara exclaimed as she turned to mist and slipped out of Rainbow Dash’s body.
The familiar didn't slow for a second, merely grunting in affirmation as she flew directly at the monster. By the time she punched the creature square in its scaly cheek, Rainbow Dash was covered from head to hoof in thick plate mail. Upon connection, the vengant found that her strength was more than enough for the monster, as it was knocked back several feet.
Confused by the sudden appearance of a more dangerous foe, the beast screeched, the sound clawing at the skulls of the mortals who heard it. The noise didn't last long, however, as Kanathara reformed a moment later and launched a potent ball of hellfire at her foe’s side. The explosion rocked the monster back even further, threatening to push it over the side of the gorge.
“Don't worry, we’ve got this,” Kanathara declared as she trotted through the crowd of stunned diamond dogs.
Horn ready to send the beast flying into the abyss, Kanathara prepared to finish the fight in short order. Only to be interrupted when someone attempted to tackle her from the side. Rather than hit the ground in a tangled heap, Kanathara let her magic fade and glanced over to where Rarity was hanging off her torso.
“What are you doing?” Kanathara demanded.
“Oh my, I thought for sure I could at least knock you over,” Rarity muttered, clearing her throat. “Saving you from doing something terribly silly, I’m afraid.”
“Boss, it's getting away!” Rainbow Dash and the tallest of the diamond dogs exclaimed in near unison.
“Blast, not again,” Rarity cursed. “Try to cut off its escape before it-”
The creature smacked Rainbow Dash to the dirt with a thunderous backhand before turning and diving into the ground like it was water. In mere seconds the creature was gone, it's incredible bulk sliding into the narrow hole it had somehow made for itself.
“...Gets away,” Rarity muttered, kicking the ground. “Darn it all to Tartarus.”
Kanathara plucked the unicorn from her back and deposited the mare on the ground before fixing her with a firm look. “Can you please tell us what's going on? We assumed you were in trouble,” Kanathara exclaimed.
“Well, you were wrong,” interrupted the towering female diamond dog Kanathara hadn't initially noticed.
Now much closer, the keeper immediately felt an odd sense of deja vu as she gazed upon the bipedal creature. Her jowls hung down the side of her face, and her pointed ears grew directly from the sides of her head. Her fur was also incredibly dark, adding to the overall intimidating physique that the diamond dog boasted. In addition, she also had shoulders wider than most males and sported a long jagged scar that ran down her forehead, across one eye, and ended just above her nose.
“You look familiar,” Kanathara remarked.
The diamond dog snorted. “If Lady Rarity’s stories are to be believed, then you likely met my older sister back at our old home. Though I didn't see that particular interaction.”
Rainbow Dash landed next to her mistress with a loud thump, her helmet retracting down into her gorget. “You mean that ugly bitch that fought Shining Armor before having her own run in with us?” Rainbow Dash remarked.
The black dog growled and gripped her mace a little tighter. “Yes, that would be her,” she admitted.
“Darlings, please, now is not the time to bring up such foul news. Besides, dear sweet Daisy here is only half related to that brutish sister of hers,” Rarity interrupted, interposing herself between the demons and the dog.
“Yes, why don't we all just take a step back, hmm?” Twilight offered, noticing that the rest of the pack had assembled around them.
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Sure, but you gotta tell us why you stopped us from putting that beast in the dirt.”
“For one, that would have been a waste, and secondly, you wouldn't have succeeded,” Daisy declared.
“Precisely, darling,” Rarity added. “A grootslang is not to be trifled with. Careful teamwork is necessary to capture such a beast.”
“Wait, that was a grootslang?” Kanathara exclaimed, gesturing to the hole the monster left behind. “But I thought they lived way underground, and had, like, an elephant face.”
“Some do,” replied Daisy. “As for why they are so close to the surface, well, isn't it obvious?”
Kanathara glanced around to the dark forest and ultimately the moon which hung high above them.
“That makes sense. Though I’m curious as to why you were trying to capture such a creature,” Kanathara inquired.
“It's simple. As we are new to this neck of the woods, we simply hoped to get this monstrous snake to clean up the neighborhood as it were,” Rarity answered.
“What were you going to do, ride it into battle?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“No no no,” Rarity quickly replied. “Nothing so beastly. We were merely going to capture its egg, which would convince it that we were part of its family, so to speak. I’m not exactly sure how or why, but she would think we were to be defended as if we were her own.”
“Sneaky. Though I’m curious as to how you intended on getting around the grootslang’s natural chaos magic,” Kanathara added, glancing around at the relatively well-armed host of diamond dogs. “Last I heard, just hitting it over the head wasn't enough to knock out such a beast.”
“‘Course we thought of that,” Daisy stated, hefting one of the few nets they had left. “Which is why we were using these.”
Twilight glanced at the net, noting that it had several black spheres tied along its ends. “Anchor stones, curious. Where did you find them?”
“This land is brimming with such wonderful magical items,” Rarity answered, gesturing a hoof out over the gorge. “Which is why I spent my life savings buying it. With Daisy’s pack, we will be able to start a fine mining village and give a home to any wayward dogs seeking freedom.”
“Our pack,” Daisy corrected, pulling Rarity tight against her side. “You were made co-alpha, remember?”
Rarity’s face lit up with a bright red blush. “Oh, pish posh, darling. I merely provided the land. It is your people that have done and will do all the heavy lifting. My own contribution is negligible.”
“Wait, are you two a thing?” Rainbow Dash blurted out.
“It was a political marriage,” Rarity quickly replied. “The Equestrian government wouldn't let me set up such a settlement without some manner of legal tie to the pack, and, well… it seemed the most expedient of solutions.”
“And that night we spent together after you rescued me and the rest of the exiles from the Equestrian authorities had nothing to do with it, right?” quipped Daisy, who ran a finger around Rarity’s ear.
Rarity blushed even harder while a couple of the diamond dogs snickered. “I don't know what you are talking about,” murmured the pony.
“Damn, this girl moves quick,” Rainbow Dash remarked. “What's it been, like a week?”
“There were extenuating circumstances, now get off me, you brute!” Rarity shrieked, shoving Daisy away with all her strength.
Which meant the diamond dog barely moved and merely snickered as she voluntarily took a step back. “Whatever you say, Lady Rarity,” she remarked.
Kanathara cleared her throat. “Perhaps we should continue this conversation at whatever passes for your camp or town.”
“Of course. Right this way, darlings,” Rarity announced, turning towards the gorge. “I shall introduce you all once we have returned to our little bolt hole.”
Together the small group followed dutifully behind, with the majority of the dogs creating a long line at the back, allowing Rainbow Dash, Kanathara as well as Rarity and Daisy to take the lead at the front of the pack. Though all were silent, Kanathara gleaned quite a bit of information from just the way Rarity and Daisy interacted with one another.
Whenever they neared a narrow ledge, Rarity walked a little closer to the female dog, a hoof occasionally gripping a strong black paw. The owner of which made sure to keep a close eye on the two demons, clearly protective over the unicorn. All while they continued to wind their way deeper into the gorge before suddenly turning into the wall and entering a cave.
Though initially it was only wide enough for a single dog to walk comfortably, it swiftly grew wider until the entire pack could walk beside one another. Kanathara also noticed that although well-worked, the ground wasn't quite even and there remained several stalactites that had yet to be cut down. It was also rather damp, and it only grew more so when a side tunnel bearing a swiftly moving river in its center appeared before them.
“Woah,” Rainbow Dash remarked.
Rarity stopped next to the edge and smiled. “Isn't it lovely? The water is crystal clear, and ultimately winds to the other side of the gorge and comes all the way back.”
“It tastes real good too,” Daisy remarked, which a few of the other dogs agreed to.
Kanathara peered into the clear water and noted that it did indeed seem to be quite pure. Not only that, but small shimmering silver fish darted about its depths, unbothered by the rushing water. That wasn't the only life within the depths, however, as several strange green mushrooms grew along the bottom as well as the sides.
“Quite an interesting little ecosystem,” Kanathara remarked.
“It is, isn't it?” Rarity declared somewhat proudly. “There should be enough food in this river to support a population ten times our current number.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Daisy quickly interrupted. “We got a grootslang to capture, a home to defend, and a world-ending threat to deal with.”
“Then you know about Nightmare Moon?” Kanathara asked.
Rarity shook her head. “I did not know her name, though the second I saw the moon rise unnaturally, I assumed it was something truly dreadful.”
“You don't know the half of it,” Rainbow Dash remarked.
“Oh, do tell,” Rarity encouraged, gesturing down to the left.
“Alright, so Nightmare Moon is actually Celestia’s sister, but she was…” Kanathara began, trotting behind the pony at a slow pace.
“And that brings us up to now,” Kanathara finished.
“That is seven different kinds of messed up,” Daisy declared.
“I wouldn't have put it quite so crassly, but you are not wrong, darling,” Rarity added.
“Which is where you come in. We need all the help we can get to fight the Nightmare’s forces, and then we need you specifically to end that overblown imp’s reign of terror,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, stomping her hoof against the ground in emphasis.
“Help us capture the beast, and I can personally guarantee that just about every last able-bodied dog will join your cause. Ain't that right?” Daisy shouted, raising a paw over her head.
“Hooah!” shouted the small gathering of dogs.
Kanathara nodded. “Good, and you, Rarity? What do you say?”
“I suppose if it's to save the world,” Rarity replied with a small smile. “So long as I get to keep my knight in shining armor with me.”
Daisy blushed. “Of course, my lady. I wouldn't dream of leaving you.”
“Well, that was simple enough,” Rainbow Dash declared. “Now, how do we get this egg thing?”
“Just a minute, darling, we are almost there,” Rarity exclaimed, eagerly trotting ahead of the group.
Kanathara raised an eyebrow but said nothing, walking after the unicorn as she made one final turn. Still with the river at their side, Kanathara walked out into a large open cavern, one dominated by a small lake at its center. To the left side of it all was a tiny village of mostly wooden structures, though there was a single stone one near the middle.
Most of the buildings were only half constructed, though they at least had walls as well as roofs. Even though they weren't complete, Kanathara could tell that their building supplies were of very high quality. Pallets of wood, drywall, and tin for the roofs lay spread out in a small alcove filled with over a dozen dogs.
Though the town was intriguing, that wasn't what grabbed and held Kanathara’s attention, as the object across the way was much more interesting. It looked at least on first glance to be a naturally forming castle, but closer inspection revealed that it was indeed artificial and merely very, very old. Though ancient beyond measure, the walls had stood the test of time, as had the small inner keep, though the bars used for the portcullis were almost entirely rusted away.
The only other mark of habitation that had survived over the eons was a stone bridge that crossed near the left side of the lake. Kanathara could tell that the crossing had once been decorated with extensive carvings, though they had all been worn away to almost nothing.
“Fascinating,” Kanathara muttered, eyes sparkling with excitement.
Rarity smiled and clapped her hooves excitedly. “Oh, it's like something out of the fantasy novels I read as a foal. An ancient mysterious castle beneath the earth, and a fantastical treasure contained within. Now all we need is a dragon.”
Daisy snorted. “Let's hope not. I’d rather not get enslaved to another of those overgrown lizards.”
“Don't be such a spoilsport, dear,” Rarity whispered.
“So where did that castle thing come from?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Looks like it's been down here a while.”
“I think it was an earth pony fort used during the migration to Equestria over two thousand years ago,” Rarity began. “Though that is only a guess.”
“It's a damn good one though,” Daisy exclaimed. “The stonework wasn't done by paws or hands. Kinda surprised that a pony could manage something like that. No offence, Lady Rarity.”
“None taken,” Rarity quickly replied. “The stone structures seem grown from the very ground, as if coaxed forth by some kind of magic.”
“Earth ponies are capable of such feats, though the art of stone manipulation is mostly lost,” Kanathara replied, shaking her head. “But let's not get too distracted.”
“Right, I almost forgot to introduce you all,” Rarity smiled and waved a hoof over the town. “Welcome to Belegost, my friends.”
“It means great fortress in the old tongue,” Daisy quickly explained.
“Everyone, this is Kanathara and Rainbow Dash,” Rarity exclaimed, gesturing to the growing crowd of dogs surrounding them from all sides.
“Hello.”
“Hiya.”
“Welcome!”
“Wait, weren’t those the bunch that stole our stuff back at our old place?” asked a random voice.
“Hey, we only stole one thing,” Kanathara retorted.
“And a sword for that one guy. Though I guess that wasn't our fault,” Rainbow Dash remarked with a shrug.
“I was there when these guys busted out,” Daisy quickly interrupted, stepping to the forefront of the crowd. “They didn't do much more than spook everyone.”
“Don't forget the maiming,” Rainbow Dash stated.
“And some minor maiming,” Daisy added somewhat angrily. “The paladins killed far more than these two demons did, that's for sure.”
“If it's any apology, here's a bunch of gold,” Kanathara exclaimed, opening a dimensional pocket and letting a couple thousand coins cascade onto the ground.
Though there were far more where that came from, Kanathara stopped the flow of valuables rather quickly, closing the portal.
Why'd you do that? Rainbow Dash asked, shooting her mistress a curious look. We don't owe these dogs anything.
I wanna be able to come back to study that castle, and it would be easier to do that if they were still here, Kanathara replied, smirking at all the stunned faces. Plus it's funny.
“We can't accept all this!” Rarity declared. “How ever will we repay you?”
“Normally I’d never turn away free money, but we already owe Lady Rarity like a hundred thousand bits,” Daisy added.
“Let’s just say this is an investment in your rare archeological find,” Kanathara replied. “One that I expect to have first dibs on studying, if you find such an arrangement acceptable?”
“I…” Rarity exchanged a glance with Daisy, who merely shrugged. “I don't see why not. Though if you find anything of value, I would appreciate it if you gave it to us, or at least gave the pack a cut of the profit.”
“Seventy thirty split, and I won't go any lower,” Kanathara exclaimed.
“I suppose that is… acceptable,” Rarity replied.
“Excellent!” Kanathara declared, gesturing towards the crowd of houses. “Now then. Shall we continue our planning somewhere more comfortable?”