They descended down the metal steps into the tunnel below. Each step brought additional warmth, the air blasting their faces in dry waves of heat.
Soft Mane held up a hand to shield herself as she advanced, "It's like all the fire put the burning part down here."
Fortunately, Twilight's protective magic held firm and kept the heat from actually burning flesh or fur. Opening from the stairs were the tunnels where the subway cars traveled, and where one rested, somewhat deformed in the heat.
"Halt," demanded a noble male voice, booming and loud. Emerging from the heat haze came a pony as large as Celestia. He had crimson fur and smoldering eyes. Smoke wafted upwards from his body in lazy curls and he had horns atop his head. He had clothing not unsimilar to Saddle Arabian finery. "You have gone far enough. I am Malik F'hauna, high prince of my people."
Twilight advanced to the front, putting her head up tall, "I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, of Equestria. We are here to restore order to our city. Will you stand aside and let us do this?"
The pony gave a low chuckle as he reared up onto his hind legs, truly towering over the party as he drew a large falchion from a sheath in his mouth. "So this realm has royalty brave enough to personally do battle with invaders? I had thought this a world filled with cowards and incompetents."
Long Road moved to place himself between Twilight and the menacing Malik, "Her majesty asked you a question."
"That she did," agreed Malik with a loud snort. "Perhaps I will concede to her wishes, or perhaps, she would rather hear what I may offer. You could pass without the violence you seem so ready for."
Twilight tilted her head, "What do you want?" Her tone dripped with the palpable wariness she felt towards the giant smoking pony.
Malik went to all fours and put his blade away before speaking, "It is not what I want, but what you want. You wish this place returned. I have little objection to this. This form displeases me."
Pinkie peered at Malik, "What's wrong with it, besides being on fire?"
"I am no horse!" roared Malik, striking the ground with a shattering blow, fire spewing up from the cracks for a moment before both it and Malik seemed to calm, "This universe has a corrupting influence. I will grant you wishes three, if the last is saved to send me back to the plane of fire."
Twilight looked back at most of her party before turning ahead to Long Road, then back at Malik. "I see nothing wrong in sending you home, but what do you mean, wishes?
Spike thrust a claw up, "He's a genie!"
The heat intensified as Malik glowered at Spike, "I should cut you down where you stand, impertinent dragon! I am a Efreeti, mightiest of the genie races, and a noble at that."
Pinkie was abruptly standing beside Malik, a hoof thrown over his withers as she petted over the front of his barrel, "Easy there, Malik. Spike's just being Spike. We're listening."
Malik started back at Pinkie's sudden movement, then snorted, "Princess, rein in your jester."
Pinkie stuck out her tongue but bounced back over to the group. Rainbow huffed, "So, what, any two wishes? Like I could wish for a million bits?"
"Done." said Malik, clapping his hooves together. Suddenly a trickle of tiny bits of metal began to rain on Rainbow, building rapidly into a mighty stream until she was buried in a million little scraps. "One more wish, then send me back."
Dash popped her head free with a scowl, "Hey, these aren't the bits I meant!"
Soft Mane offered a hand, helping Dash escape the small hill of metal bits as Twilight shook her head, "Bits are the coin of Equestria, not shards of metal."
Malik sneered, "It is not my responsibility to ensure your wishes are spoken carefully, just to grant them. I have fulfilled my end of the bargain. Make your second wish, then send me home."
Twilight looked ready to argue, but closed her mouth and turned around, waving for Long Road to join them. She spoke quietly, "We should be careful with this one. I think he'll probably try and twist it around, but he'll do what we ask, mostly. It's still better than fighting our way through him."
Long Road raised an ear, "His is a dark heart. If you do wish to do battle, I will face him readily, my princess."
Rainbow just huffed, "He deserves a black eye for burying me, but maybe we can get something sweet out of it?"
Spike reached over and poked Twilight, "Maybe he can give you and Pinkie your old bodies back?"
Twilight blinked, "Actually that's not a bad idea, if we phrase it right." Twilight span around to face Malik, "We have decided."
"Good," spoke Malik with a frown. "My patience wears thinner than a concubine's loincloth. What is your wish?"
Twilight nodded, "Before we first went to Everglow, our bodies were a bit more like that." she pointed at Rainbow Dash, "Though roughly the same size and exactly the same coloration. I still had my horn," she pointed at Pinkie, "And she still didn't have a horn or wings."
"This is good to know, but it is not a wish," said Malik in an irritated voice.
"I wish that Pinkie," Twilight pointed at Pinkie," and myself, " she directed a hoof at herself, "were restored to the appearance of our old selves just before we traveled to Everglow."
Clop! Pinkie inflated as if she were attached to an air hose before it escaped her in a thunderous belch. Her extra features were gone, restored to their original Equestrian norms. As Pinkie looked herself over, Twilight blinked, "Hey, what about me?"
"One wish, one customer. You have had your two wishes," said Malik, "Now send me home."
Twilight grunted in annoyance, "Fine, fine... I wish you were where you belonged."
"Done!" cried Malik with joy. With a last pounding of his hooves, he vanished in a puff of brimstone.
Rainbow gave Pinkie a poke, "I don't get it, you looked cooler with all the extra... stuff."
Pinkie stuck out her tongue, "It's easier to give somepony a hug this way." She hopped up and grabbed Rainbow, tackling her to the ground for sudden emergency cuddles.
Spike rolled his eyes as he stepped down to the bottom of the stairs and started looking around the empty platform before his eyes settled on the car. "I'm guessing our mare is inside or past that."
The others began to descend after him, Pinkie releasing Rainbow. Soft Mane shook her head, "I doubt she's inside or she would have heard us."
Rainbow zipped ahead while they talked and poked her head inside. "What the?"
Spike hurried up to see what she was looking at. Inside was a human boy seated on a cushion. There was a manacle on his right ankle running to the wall of the subway car. "Uh, hi?" offered Spike.
The boy woke up from his thoughts and peered at the dragon and pegasus before him. "They sent new creatures to torment me today..."
"Nah," said Pinkie, slipping between Spike and Rainbow easily to hop up to the child. "Hi! My name's Pinkie. What's your name?"
"I have no name," said the child, edging away from Pinkie fearfully.
"Aw, that's sad. Why are you scared? I'm your friend!" She brought a hoof down solidly, but the chain didn't give so easily, "Spike, take care of this, if you please."
Spike trotted up and grabbed the chain in his claws before sinking his teeth into the taught section between them, severing it instantly.
Twilight poked her head into the space freed by Spike's movements, "What's going on in here? Who's that?"
The boy rose to his feet and backed away from everyone, "I am no one. Please don't hurt me."
Soft Mane joined the crowd, squirming in. The boy's expression went to astonished at seeing her. "What have they done to you?"
"Done to me?" asked Soft Mane, looking herself over, "I look alright? What about you? Were you a prisoner or what?"
The boy shook his head slowly, "Something like that. It has been a very long time since I last saw family" He pointed at her pony legs, "You are tainted."
Soft Mane scowled, "I was born this way, from a mare." She crossed her arms as Pinkie moved between her and the boy.
"C'mon everypony, no reason to get all upset." She reached out a hoof and slowly put it on the boy's shoulder, "You're free now!"
"Free to do what?" asked the boy in an uncertain voice, shuffling in place.
Twilight grunted softly, "Too bad we don't have another wish to get you home to... wherever that is. I don't think you're supposed to live in the same place as that efreeti though?"
"Malik?" asked the boy, shrinking. "He will punish me when he learns I escaped."
"He is banished," spoke Twilight. "He won't bother you anymore. Have you heard or seen of a female, probably very violent, lives down here?"
The boy's eyes went wide as he fled into the farthest corner, curled into a fetal ball with a mournful wail.
Pinkie tilted her head at this, looking as perplexed as the others were. "Hey, you know we'll protect you, right? Nopony's gonna mess with you while we're around!"
A voice echoed in their heads, ~But who will protect you?~
Flame erupted from the ground as relatively tall mare stepped free of it, flanked by two stallions with beards that would put Starswirl to shame, filthy, unkempt, and seemingly twitching of their own volition. The mare was quite fetching, as mares go, though her visage was graced with bruises and small cuts. A horn jutted from her skull, making her a unicorn. With a glow of it, a bow was drawn from her back. "Please scream."
Her cohorts each held long glaives at the ready in their jaws, a manic and entirely unwholesome gleam in their eyes as they advanced on the party. Pinkie squealed and retreated as Long Road and Spike advanced to make a line. Rainbow zoomed in over them, looking ready for a scrap.
Twilight held up a hoof, "If you give up peacefully, we can send you back to your home. We don't have to fight."
The mare grinned, showing off her bright and perfect teeth, "No, I suppose we don't. I do love fighting, however. I will decline your generous offer. You look like you would be fun to see squirming... Don't die. I have special plans for you, little purple horse." Twilight went a little pale at the frank offer of the creature as Long Road snarled.
"They are creatures of hell," he spat. "Don't listen to a word they say."
~You will listen~ came the voice in their heads. ~Struggle. Fight. Fight as hard as you can. The fiercer the battle, the more delicious your defeat will be. Pray to your horse gods that you die before I teach you what torment really means.~