Born In Light, Forged In Darkness

by Jest


Trial Eleven: Hostiles

The aged stallion rolled his shoulders and sat a little further back in his chair. “It's simple, really. The enchanted plates meant to house the city’s population of non-flighted ponies are tied together. The warrior houses seek to undue the magic keeping us from falling out of the sky, and I want to make sure that doesn't happen.”

“Can you be certain that it's not a band of demons doing that? Seems a bit over the top, even with everything that’s happened,” Rainbow Dash reasoned.

“I don't rightly care if it's Celestia herself mucking about,” declared the unicorn, thumping a hoof against the table. “Someone’s down there mucking about with something they shouldn't, and I want them either in the dirt, or out of the equation.”

“Relax. We can handle it,” Kanathara cautioned.

“I suspect you can. Unlike my own forces whose precious few sky carriages are being used to ferry refugees down to other settlements,” he continued, shoulders falling slack.

“So all we gotta do is go down there and kill a bunch of people? That doesn't sound too hard,” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“They’ll be expecting company though, so don't take them too lightly,” he cautioned.

“I assume you would be open to signing a contract to ensure both parties hold up their end of the bargain?” Kanathara offered, conjuring a sheet of paper as well as a quill and a pot of ink.

“As much as it pains me to say this, yes, I wouldn't mind doing that,” offered the stallion gruffly.

“Just a moment then,” Kanathara warned, her hooves becoming a blur of motion as she swiftly began to craft the necessary documentation.

What do you think of him? Kanathara asked while she wrote. Seems a bit too lenient on working with demons to be a high-ranking paladin.

I don't know. This guy is practical. That much should be obvious from his headquarters and the people he's filled it with, Rainbow Dash replied, her gaze never leaving the uncomfortable, but relaxed older stallion.

Though most of his features were hidden beneath a blue robe trimmed with gold, the vengant could still see two bright green eyes. His fur had likely been a deep aqua at one point, though by now it had faded until it was nearly white. The vibrant mane of electric blue hair had also faded, though it retained more color than his fur at least.

Very true, Kanathara admitted, pausing briefly as she considered a clause before deciding to not include it. What do you take him for? An ex scribe, or perhaps an enchanter?

Let's find out, Rainbow Dash stated.

“So, Dawn. What did you do before you found yourself the head of this little… organization?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

“I was the head mage for the Cloudsdale detachment. The name’s Dawn Hammer,” stated the unicorn with a hint of pride.

“A special talent for holy magic and enchantment, right?” Kanathara asked, glimpsing over the lip of the half-penned contract curiously.

The stallion nodded slowly. “Never did have much need for the former, but the latter though? Well, that was constant.”

“Gotta make sure noone falls through the damn floor, eh?” Rainbow Dash continued, leaning against the desk and causing it to groan loudly under her weight.

“Between that and keeping Cloudsdale from coming apart at the seams, I was fairly busy.” The stallion snorted. “Half this damn city is kept together with a little ingenuity, and a whole lot of unicorn magic.”

“I thought it was mostly pegasus infrastructure?” Rainbow Dash offered innocently.

Dawn Hammer chuckled darkly. “That's what they’d like you to believe, but the truth of the matter is that after the city reached a certain point in size, it needed magic to keep growing. This was supposed to be a shining example of harmony, and now look at us. Squabbling over its bones while a demon brings ruin to our nation and we all slowly freeze to death.”

“Well, we can help with at least one of your problems,” Kanathara offered, laying the contract down in front of the stallion.

Who raised his eyebrow. “Well damn. Here I thought I’d have to blast you two into next week, but this doesn't look half as one-sided as I anticipated. What's your angle here?”

Kanathara chuckled mirthlessly. “If you can believe it, we're actually here to destroy Nightmare Moon and bring back the day.”

Dawn Hammer blinked. “Really now?”

“Is it that hard to believe that we don't want an entire plane to perish and thus empower a prime evil?” Rainbow Dash countered.

“A prime evil, you say? Well, I had my suspicions…” He paused and brought the piece of paper within an inch of his nose. “No, no. This won't do at all. This clause is too open, that wording is too vague, and the timeframe is much too generous.”

Rainbow Dash growled. “That's mighty bold talk for someone within biting distance.”

Kanathara merely chuckled, holding out a hoof and stopping her familiar before she could get too aggressive. “That's fine, Rainbow. I was merely testing the old fart,” exclaimed the keeper.

Who swiftly stroked out the offending parts and adjusted what was needed.

“I still don't like your wording in section three here, but it's better at least. Now...” The stallion picked up his quill and narrowed his eyes until they were little more than twin slits. “Where do I sign this thing?”

“Right here.” Kanathara tapped an empty line at the bottom of the page.

“Alrighty then, and don't you worry. I’ll have all of our info catalogued into a nice neat folder by the time you get back,” Dawn Hammer stated, signing his name and pushing the contract back across the table.

“A pleasure doing business with you,” Kanathara exclaimed.

The keeper took the signed document and rolled it back up, the paper vanishing amidst a small puff of hellfire.

“I still would have preferred a fight. Oh well.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Ponies aren't strong enough to pose a challenge anyway.”

“I’m glad you’re such a sporting individual,” Dawn Hammer muttered.

“Now I assume these miscreants will be found at the bottom level?” Kanathara reasoned.

“You would be correct. Though I would check the central runic network for other spots to attack. I doubt they’ll commit themselves to only a single point,” Dawn Hammer replied.

“Then it seems as though our job is clear. Let's go,” Kanathara stated, her body rippling briefly before returning to her disguised form once more.

Rainbow Dash followed suit a moment later, her gaze lingering on Dawn Hammer. “You better not stab us in the back.”

“And risk what little I have left? You may not think me brilliant, but you musn’t believe I’m a fool,” spat the stallion.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Fair enough, old timer.”

Together the duo turned and left, slipping out the exit in a single, swift motion.

Once outside, they looked around and found that they were still alone, with everyone having departed during their conversation. The two demons shared a look followed by a shrug before proceeding on their way at a slow, steady pace. Upon reaching the main floor, they found that a path had been created for them, one flanked on either side by guards.

“We didn't give him enough credit,” Kanathara remarked.

“Go on now. Y'all got a job to do,” offered a random earth pony from within the crowd.

“That we do,” Rainbow Dash murmured.

Kanathara and her familiar left the building soon after, pausing after they did so to glance back at all the grim faces staring at them. Though wary, none held aloft a weapon or had begun to cast a spell, merely sitting calmly and observing the duo.

“What do you think? Secret button? Scrier in the other room?” Rainbow Dash whispered.

“As much as it pains me to say this, I don't know. Nor, am I afraid, do I care,” Kanathara answered.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Fair enough. Ready to move?”

“Let's work out some aggression,” Kanathara replied.


Descending down the exterior of the main non-flighted district, Kanathara extended her senses, feeling out the location of this central core the paladin mentioned. She was initially a little confused when she found nothing. Searching a little further, Kanathara was able to locate the familiar twinge of magic, though it was surprisingly small.

Inspecting the intricate weave of enchantments and complicated spells too numerous to mention, Kanathara was at a loss. This was no tangled mess too difficult to pull apart, but rather a perfectly ordered web which was completely self-contained. This made it harder to detect, more difficult to attack, and had no doubt caused its creators an endless number of headaches.

Her first instinct was to scan it, study it, and perhaps even pull it apart to see how it worked. That urge was stifled by a harsh reminder that they were here on a mission, one too important to waste time on. Pushing her senses downward, the disguised demon was able to locate the frazzled ends of the spell as it was being undone by a distant unseen hand.

Whoever was attacking the enchantment was no expert, and Kanathara could tell they were brute forcing it, rather than strategically picking it apart which would take much less time and probably be a lot less noticeable. Either way, it worked out for her, as at least now they could locate and attack these newest foes with relative ease.

So that's where they are. Interesting, Rainbow Dash thought.

I only sense one group. Dawn must have overestimated them, Kanathara reasoned.

Or they are waiting to see if the first bunch of sappers were successful before sending a back-up, Rainbow Dash replied.

Possible. Either way, we must deal with these ones, Kanathara stated.

Right you are, Rainbow Dash agreed

The pair swooped beneath a particularly desolate plate filled with smoldering buildings and the odd squatter. What was waiting for them was a little less obvious, as numerous small puffy clouds clung to the underside of a single much larger one. This enormous, slightly black bank of cloud cover was obviously what was supporting nearly all the levels above it.

To Kanathara it looked like a mass of zigzagging lines, bunches of hardened spell nodes, and a few errant bits of mana. To most it was simply a dark cloud which was adorned with numerous smaller, seemingly less important bumps. Rainbow Dash, however, only saw the perfect place to be ambushed, and no visible foes which she could immediately smite.

Where are they? Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered silently, eyes scanning the immediate area for any sign of trouble.

Up ahead, between those two lumps, but be aware that they have three groups waiting to ambush us there, there, and there, Kanathara replied, using her connection with her familiar to guide Rainbow Dash’s eyes to the places where their enemies were lying in wait.

Perfect. Let's get this done, Rainbow Dash stated.

As one, the demons pumped their wings and soared towards their destination, weaving or simply smashing through the small clouds which got in their way. As they flew, they began to make out what looked like a flat expanse at the bottom of the larger cloud. Surrounded on all sides by triangle-shaped bumps, the area contained the primary enchantment node Kanathara had been looking for.

“So you’ve come at last,” boomed a loud, masculine, yet familiar voice. “But it is too late! For you see, the second you attempt to incapacitate one of my puppets, I will cut its strings, and they will die!”

The voice cackled loudly, echoing from somewhere above them. “Now do you see the folly of your ways? Even if you succeed, you will be killing innocent ponies whose only sin was staring too long into the moon!”

Is that… Stygian? Rainbow Dash thought.

It sure sounds like it. Also sounds a lot like he was expecting some paladins and not us, Kanathara replied.

Let's show him the folly of his ways, Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Yes, let's, Kanathara agreed.

“Now you must choose between ending the lives of a dozen ponies to save countless more, or letting them all fall and keeping your precious hooves clean. It's not a hard choice, right? Let's see if you can live with yourself after you kill a-” continued the voice, only to be interrupted when a beam of energy cut off his possessed speaker’s head.

The pegasus body tumbled out of the sky, wings flapping briefly before falling still.

A second moon-touched pegasus emerged from the clouds a second later, her blank, milky white eyes replaced with ones as black as pitch.

“Wait, what? Who are…” Stygian murmured as Kanathara and Rainbow Dash shed their disguises. “What are you doing here?”

“A better question is how are you even alive?” Rainbow Dash retorted.

“Oblivion itself is not an obstacle to my mistress. Though that is a story for another time. Perhaps we could discuss something more pressing like-” His speech was once more abruptly ended as his puppet was immolated by a ball of hellfire.

A third pony popped out of the cloud cover with an annoyed expression on his face. “Would you stop doing that? There aren't a ton of moon-touched left, and the mistress has plans for this place,” Stygian demanded.

“What's in it for us?” Kanathara demanded.

“I was about to tell you that before you so rudely killed another of my puppets!” Stygian shouted. “Now then. Since you are so impatient, let us-”

A bolt of lightning incinerated the stallion, his ashes blown away by the slight breeze coming from below.

“Stop doing that!” Stygian shouted from the mouth of a new pony. “I was trying to tell you that we are hoping to aid you!”

“Then stop trying to wreck Cloudsdale!” Rainbow Dash yelled back.

“I cannot go against a direct order from Mistress Moon,” Stygian explained. “When the time comes though, you can rely on us to betray her!”

“And what's stopping us from telling our mutual overlord of your coming betrayal?” Kanathara replied.

“Beyond the obvious reason that you two are both planning on doing the same?” Stygian retorted.

Kanathara glanced up at the small group of pegasi who were swinging clearly enchanted pickaxes at the center of the node. Their method was crude, but given the fact that chunks of cloudcrete were coming off with each hit, their attacks were bearing fruit. In time, they could potentially destroy the underlying structure which the enchantments were layered atop of.

“Who said we were going to do that? We are just here in order to make sure Nightmare Moon’s will is carried out. Isn't that right, boss?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“What? Oh yeah,” Kanthara murmured. “Let's get this over with. We have things to do.”

“Wonderful. Let us join force-” Stygian’s offer of alliance was severed, as were the wings of his puppet which plummeted out of the sky, a startled scream exploding from his lips.

Rainbow Dash slammed into one of the workers a second later, reducing him to a mass of blood and fur upon impact. His ally wasn't much better off, as a hoof through the chest stopped his heart and caused him to fall from the sky. The rest were finished off in short order, their feeble attacks doing little to a fully armed and armored vengant.

Those reinforcements who went in to help were similarly cut down just as quickly. Wielding only daggers, short blades, or handheld crossbows and wearing at most studded leather, they were no match for the demons. With blade and spell, the pair cut through their enemies like a thresher through a wheat field.

Blood, body parts, and corpses fell down from the heavens so constantly that to most it would appear as though it were raining. Even Stygian’s intervention did little, as the shadow demon’s connection was tentative, Kanathara reasoned. Only a few rays of negative energy and several meager attempts to trick the two demons with illusionary clones.

Within minutes, almost the entire force of pony puppets had been killed, leaving Stygian with only a handful of slaves left. Rainbow Dash was covered in blood, but otherwise completely uninjured, while Kanathara was in the same boat, minus the layer of crimson. The entire debacle had left them in a foul mood however.

“Fly, my servants! We will return to wreak havoc soon enough!” Stygian shouted.

Kanathara grunted and deflected the half dozen shadow bolts launched her way before recalling a familiar spell. With a flash, one of the pegasi was imprisoned by a glowing orb of faintly purple energy. His fellows quickly succumbed to the same fate, their bodies floating in the air, trapped in time and unable to move.

“Good thinking. That whole fight left a bad taste in my mouth and not just because that one guy bled all over my face,” Rainbow Dash muttered, hovering next to Kanathara.

“I should have probably done this sooner, but I kept assuming that Stygian had something more up his-” Kanathara paused, spun around, and hit another fleeing pegasus who had been lying atop a cloud.

“Stars damn-” Stygian muttered before he was cut off from the now imprisoned mare.

“Like I was saying,” Kanathara picked back up. “I had assumed he had some kind of ace in the hole. Though I guess the whole ‘You have to kill innocents’ thing was just that.”

“Doesn't really have the same effect on a couple of demons,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Not really, no,” Kanathara replied, glancing around at the floating orbs hovering around them. “This sucks.”

“Yeah I’m not usually one to regret killing someone who was trying to do the same to me, but this was just sad,” Rainbow Dash declared.

“Next time this happens, let's just knock them out anyway. Let Stygian kill them and not us,” Kanathara remarked.

Rainbow Dash bobbed her head eagerly. “Good plan. Maybe then I won't feel quite so bad about it all.”

Kanathara cleared her throat. “Either way, we’ve completed our end of the bargain and can head back to Dawn Hammer victorious.”

“I suppose,” Rainbow Dash murmured. “I can't wait until we fight something big again. I’m starting to get disappointed.”

“Maybe we should make it a challenge then?” Kanathara replied, redoing her disguise and beginning to fly back the way they came.

Rainbow Dash joined a second later, her demonic form having been replaced by one much less panic-inducing to the average viewer.

“What kind of challenge?” she asked, eying her mistress closely.

“If we are fighting something much weaker than ourselves, we will do everything we can to not kill them. If you do, then you get negative one point,” Kanathara explained.

“Oooh, a game,” Rainbow Dash murmured excitedly. “When does it end and what does the winner get?”

“How about… we reach Canterlot and the loser gives the winner a full massage treatment?” Kanathara offered, flashing her familiar a wry smile.

“Oooh, something we both want. I’m in,” Rainbow Dash declared.

Kanathara chuckled. “And here I thought you’d opt to lose, Miss I-just-really-like-licking-your-hooves.”

“Hey, that was one time!” Rainbow Dash shouted, diving down to punch the keeper in the shoulder.

“What about that time after that when I stepped in that--Yipe!” Kanathara yelped in surprise, ducking under a fireball thrown her way by an annoyed Rainbow Dash.

“Not another word!” Rainbow Dash shouted, swooping down on the keeper with a mostly silly glare in her eye.

“What are you going to do about it? Suck my hooves off?” Kanathara teased.

“I’ll make you eat those words!” Rainbow Dash bellowed.

Kanathara giggled as they dove and weaved through the cloud cover, leaving behind over a dozen bodies and far fewer glowing orbs.


“Would you quit trying to tickle me!” Kanathara shouted, rolling over in the air and trying to shake Rainbow Dash’s constant, hounding presence.

“I’ll stop when you quit making adorable noises,” Rainbow Dash replied.

Kanathara giggled uncontrollably as Rainbow Dash somehow managed to tickle the undersides of the keeper’s wings while flying. The spellcaster was slightly less adept at flight though, and after twisting to try and escape Rainbow Dash’s assault, veered off to one side. Crashing through a window, Kanathara tumbled across the ground. She swiftly hopped back up.

Looking around, Kanathara found herself in what had likely been someone’s apartment, though they had evidently not returned to it for some time. Food covered in mold sat on the counter, and mail had piled up on the welcome mat. Alone and slightly confused, Kanathara turned towards the sliding glass patio door and the vengant flying right at her.

“Yipe!” Kanathara yelped.

A second later, she was pinned beneath the bigger demon’s weight, their disguises falling away. Immediately their lips met, and Kanathara reached up, caressing the vengant’s armored chest and scaly, yet soft neck. Rainbow Dash lowered herself atop the other female, all but restraining the keeper under her larger bulk.

“We should stop,” Kanathara murmured unenthusiastically.

“We should,” Rainbow Dash agreed, even as she continued to pepper the other demon’s neck in small, rapid-fire kisses.

“Dawn Hammer will be waiting,” Kanathara pointed out.

“He will wait,” Rainbow Dash replied.

Kanathara giggled, her hoof wrapping around the familiar’s neck and pulling her in close. Back and forth they kissed, with neither holding full control for long before giving it to the other. As time passed, things began to heat up, and just as they were both wondering if the couch could support their combined weight, they heard a scream.

Sitting upright, Kanathara glanced at the broken window.

“Don't. Its probably just another lynching,” Rainbow Dash remarked with a shrug.

“Or someone’s seen us and they’ve rallied a bunch of paladins,” Kanathara retorted.

Rainbow Dash sighed and stepped off to one side. “I doubt it, but I know better than to get between you and whatever has piqued your curiosity.”

Kanathara said nothing as she donned her disguise once more and made her way to the balcony. Peering over the side, she was able to make out what looked like a fight occurring right in the middle of the street. Over two dozen flightless ponies belonging to both tribes had formed into a tight ball while half as many pegasi hounded them from above.

The unicorns and earth ponies looked the part of volunteers, as their weapons and armor were rather poor. Unlike the pegasi who seemed to be well drilled and were outfitted with some of the best gear Kanathara had seen since she came to the cloud city. They were also ruthlessly cutting down any who attempted to flee the entrapment, slitting the throat of a young stallion who tried just that.

“That's harsh,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“These aren't a random bunch of hoodlums out to start trouble,” Kanathara added.

Below them, a unicorn cast a lightning bolt spell which was dodged remarkably swiftly by their arial target. Who then swooped down and tried to cut the offending unicorn’s horn from their head. Thankfully one of the spellcaster’s allies swiftly brought up a shield, blocking the strike and saving the unicorn in the process.

“They are well-trained. Assassins?” Kanathara offered.

“From one of the warrior houses?” Rainbow Dash added.

“Seems likely,” Kanathara reasoned.

“Should we help?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Kanathara hummed and hawed, watching as the two groups continued to battle with neither gaining a leg up on the other. Only for an earth pony to slip up and get dragged away from his fellows. The group tried to move in order to help, but the other pegasi were swift to harry their movements and force them to stop.

“Why not?” Kanathara replied. “We can start our little game earlier than anticipated and have some fun with a foe actually worth fighting.”

“Hell yeah,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her armor crawling up her body and forming into a helmet which clanked audibly over her face. “Let's go kick some butt.”