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// 85 - Fallen Angel 
// Story: A Dangerous Sparkle 
// by David Silver 
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Rainbow joined the crowd of pushing and jostling fire creatures. She gave an enthusiastic battle cry when she reached the demon-stallion and threw a punch as a way of greeting. Her hoof collided heavily with the distracted demon's head, forcing it back in time for her other hoof to come in and knock it back. "S'what you get for messing with us," she snarled as she pummeled it alongside her new friends.

Pinkie Pie sunk beneath the wave of hurrying little fire creatures only to emerge with a barely conscious Long Road. She dived away from him with a parting wave and went swimming through the crowd. Long Road looked baffled, "What happened?" He looked around and saw the demon was still standing, sort of, wobbling to and fro on its legs. He reached around the floor, searching for his sword with his hooves, "I'm coming, Rainbow, keep him busy." With consciousness returned to him, his wounds began to close under the golden light of his convictions. It seemed that Pinkie had managed to break through the demonic curse that held his wounds open.

Popping free of the rolling wave of creatures, Pinkie Pie appeared with a similarly revived Soft Mane. Soft Mane thanked Pinkie as she edged her way towards a wall away from the still rushing crowd. The crowd was focused on the demon, who took very little harm from any singular hit, but was being pelted by many eager bodies. Cursing vilely in its terrible tongue, the demon stallion had already abandoned its useless glaive in favor of raking at its many enemies. By the time it could force one small flame to withdraw, another was eager to take its place, to say nothing of the cyan pony known as Rainbow Dash raining more telling blows. Where did she go? He looked left and right, not seeing the cyan menace. Suddenly, the swarm above him parted. He looked up in time to see Rainbow come crashing down on him from above, rear-hooves first. A loud crack of his spine signaled his end. He dissolved in sulfurous fumes as he faded back to whence he came. The crowd began to cheer excitedly as Rainbow struck a triumphant pose.

Outside, Fluttershy flew faster than she ever had before. The sight of her falling friend was more motivation than any other. She was a mere foot away from the falling form when a length of rope snagged one of her legs and pulled her back away, leaving Twilight to plummet to the ground. ~Where do you think you're going?~ asked a strange voice in her mind as the rope tugged her further and further back. Fluttershy twisted on her tether to see the terrible alicorn that had hurt Twilight in the first place. She held the rope in her mouth, slowly reeling Fluttershy in. ~You look like you'd handle pain terribly. It will be such fun to begin.~

Fluttershy began to struggle frantically with a panicked squeak. She called out for help, but all of her little friends were underground, where they might as well be a world away, for all it felt. When she was close to the she-demon, the rope was released only to grab Fluttershy roughly by the scruff of the neck. ~Now now, no running. We are going to have so much fun, you and I. Have you ever broken a bone before?~ Fluttershy shook her head quickly back and forth. ~Of course not. You look pure as driven snow.~

The terrible mare brought Fluttershy to the same roof she had kicked Twilight off of. Throwing the pegasus to the ground roughly, the demon was on top of her quickly, sword drawn in a smooth motion. ~I hardly know where to begin. You're like a blank canvas. Ah, your wings, those pretty little wings. We can't have you trying to escape.~ She drew her sword high only to bring it down with a practiced motion. It cut into Fluttershy's flesh all too easily and the pegasus shrieked with a pain she never knew possible. ~From the first cut? You may die before I even get started. Don't disappoint me, little pony.~ Another cut, red darkening Fluttershy's feathers rapidly as her wings were crippled, tendons severed under the demon's gentle care.

"You... don't belong here," whimpered Fluttershy, trying to curl on herself, "You're too horrible for Equestria."

~Is that its name? It is a pathetic land, filled with soft little gifts like you.~ The demon brought down a hoof, punching Fluttershy in the gut. Fluttershy wheezed as tears flowed freely. Flutter's hooves weakly pushed against the hoof crushing her a moment before she flopped back, struggling for breath. The demon drew her hoof free, ~No passing out. We have much more to do before you're done.~ She leaned in, her snout touching Fluttershy's, ~Do you have a request? A pain you have always longed to feel but were too cowardly to experience?~

Fluttershy's eyes went wide at the question and fresh sobs burst free from her, wailing in pain and anguish as she tried to crawl away awkwardly on her back. The demon allowed her to struggle, seeming to take perverse pleasure in watching every painful motion. She suddenly hissed, face contorting with annoyance. Several long metal shards jutted from her back, thin lines of blood flowing from them. She spun around to find their source.

There stood Rarity on the edge of the ceiling. She had several more sharp shards of building held in her magic. "You back away from my friend, you wicked creature! I will not allow you to harm her any further."

~Full of little gifts,~ echoed the demon's fell voice in their mind as she raised her sword. ~Run away, little unicorn. I will play with you later.~

Rarity's mind was suddenly filled with snatches and flashes of memories. Dark places, horrible places. So many screams of pain, wails of terror. She could almost feel their bodies being abused, and her soul shrank as the terror threatened to become all consuming. The shards held in her magic fell to the ground limply as she took a step back towards the stairs she had climbed to get her, pupils shrunk to mere pricks.

The demon turned away from Rarity, confident that she would burst into a run at any moment. She stomped a hoof down on one of Fluttershy's wings when it gave a weak twitch. The crunch of bones made Fluttershy cry out and bat at her hoof with delicious weakness. "Leave me alone! Leave us alone!"

~Why would I do that? Your pain is so satisfying.~ She drew her hoof back in a grind and Fluttershy's cry couldn't even escape, coming out as a strangled gargle as bones were roughly shattered in the wing.

Rarity did not flee as the demon had intended. Marshaling herself, she fought against the terror within her. She focused her magic around the demon directly and gave a sharp tug, throwing her from the roof entirely. The demon's black wings spread wide and she recovered from the throw easily, soon returning to the roof level with a scowl. Rarity was already prepared and greeted the demon with a fresh wave of sharp metal debris. One caught the demon in the eye and she gave an altogether too sensual cry in her pain. ~That was delightful, but our play time is over. I have too much to do with the pegasus.~ She rushed towards Rarity, sword at the ready as her black wings bore her through the air with alarming swiftness.

A flash of prismatic colors was all she saw before Rainbow Dash crashed into the demon, driving them both onto  the roof of the building. "I don't even have a word for how big the hoof sandwich I have for you is," snarled Rainbow Dash. Spike arrived only moments later. His face was a mask of tearful fury.

"Back off, Dash. She's... I have to..." said Spike. Rainbow nodded at him and backed away as the demon regained her footing.

~Ah, the dragon.~ The demon looked between Spike, Rainbow, Rarity, and the fallen Fluttershy. ~Hardly a fair fight.~

Spike slammed his fore claws together, "I won't need their help to deal with you." He rushed at her, feet not touching the ground as he sailed with frightful speeds. The she demon's blade delivered a fresh cut into the charging warrior, but Spike was beyond the pain. He began to pummel her with his razor sharp claws, earning a throaty moan of a cry with every hit. He pulled her head closer and drove his into it, through it. His horns dug through her skull and she fell apart in his claws. The city around them shuddered violently as the flames withdrew with a great sucking sound. The unbalance had been defeated.

"yay," weakly sputtered out Fluttershy before she surrendered to the pain and passed out.

Rainbow noticed Fluttershy then and her eyes went wide. "Flutter! Dear Celestia!" She was at her side in a flash, but wasn't sure what to do. She paced back and forth in front of her mauled friend before taking off in a streak, "Help's coming!"

Rarity moved towards Spike, who had slumped to the ground in a limp crossed leg position. Rarity reached a hoof to set on his shoulder. "That was very brave, Spike. I'm so proud."

Spike gave a shadow of a smile before it fell away. "I failed." At Rarity's quizzical expression, he pointed over the edge of the roof, "Twilight, she's... I was supposed to protect her. Some number one assistant I am."

Rarity opened her mouth, but all that came was a wave of tears. She buried her face in Spike's neck and clutched him tightly. This felt different than her other tears, and she couldn't wail, just hold tightly to Spike and let the tears flow from her.

Rainbow returned with Soft Mane held in her hooves. She dropped Soft down a little carelessly before pointing at Fluttershy, "Do your hocus pocus! Quick! C'mon!" Her voice was frantic and worried. She noticed Spike, "Hey, Spike! Where's Twilight? She next?"

Spike trembled where he sat before he slapped a claw on the roof. He fought against the urge and ultimately failed, howling in anguish before it broke into a proper sobbing in Rarity's arms.

"Was it something I said?" asked Rainbow, confused. Soft Mane paused, looking at the crying Spike and wanting to join him more than anything. Still... She quickly touched Fluttershy, willing Lashtada's mercy. With a rush of soft pink energy, the most life threatening of Fluttershy's internal injuries eased and Fluttershy's sleep deepened into a restful one.

Soft Mane moved over beside Spike and settled beside him. She shuffled in to take a mirror of Rarity's position.

Manehattan had been liberated, but at what price?