//------------------------------// // Part 2 - Chapter 1: How Bizarre // Story: Pony May Cry: Brotherhood is Magic // by Joey JoJo //------------------------------// Part 2: Demon Days It was a cold and brisk night as arid winds stirred clouds of dust across the barren desert bordering the outskirts of Appleoosa. A single set of railroad tracks ran through the small western town, stretching farther out into the dusty wasteland. Along said tracks, a lone and modest passenger train could be seen passing through the small, quaint apple-farming town, chugging its way out into the desert; its driver removing his cap and leaning out the window to take in the chilly yet refreshing night air. The train’s engineer was a large seasoned stallion named Smoke Stack. His pelt was a light shade of khaki and he had a dark black mane pepperd with streaks of white, no doubt a clear indication of the pony’s age, complimented only by his rugged exterior. Within minutes the locomotive approached a large canyon, directed by the carefully constructed train tracks to guide it between the walls of the enormous rock formation. Unbeknownst to the passengers, though, ominous figures moved through the night, darting atop and across the surrounding cliff sides, preparing for the trains’ inevitable passing. The illuminating glow of the moon, now shining through the clouds down onto the canyon, revealed these anxious creatures to be an organized band of Satyrs and Jackals, the most common, and arguably the lowest of Tartarus’ recent escapees. A solitary Satyr then stepped forward, carrying a translucent container of sorts; its contents seemed to hold a black gaseous substance glowing with a blue phosphorescent light. Without a single word, the group hastily took the single Satyr’s lead and descended the rocky crevice just as the train came into sight, ready to take the vehicle by storm as they skidded down the slopes of the canyon. With agility rivaling a feral predator closing in on its prey, the leading groups of Jackals were the first to board the locomotive, bounding onto the roof of the passenger cars while the trailing Satyrs leaped and latched onto the sides of the train; their staffs and claws digging into the metal of the cars. Swiftly, the creatures climbed into the cabin, alerting the unsuspecting passengers with their sudden and forceful entry. The innocent ponies on board were immediately sent into a panicked frenzy as the train cars were filled with their shrill horrified screams. The demons quickly invaded each and every car before the train itself came to a screeching halt, due to the actions of one of the Jackals barging into the engine room and pinning the shocked yet even more irate engineer, Smoke Stack, to the ground. “What in the blue blazes is going on?” Smoke Stack shouted before he was tackled to the floor by the demon that now bore its teeth mere inches from his face. Twist and kick as he might, the engineer pony couldn’t for the life of him budge the snarling Jackal on top of him; no matter how much he writhed against his demonic oppressor. “And what on Luna’s glorious moon are you supposed to be?!” he questioned further, his southern drawl becoming more apparent as he struggled to keep the beast from making a meal of his face. Just then, one of the Satyr’s strode into the engine’s cab with a somewhat clear container held in its claws. The demon walked with purpose, marching past the Jackal and Smoke Stack without so much as a passing glance before coming to a halt in front of the train’s furnace chamber. Finally acknowledging the two struggling within its presence, the Satyr then turned to the Jackal that held Smoke Stack captive and performed a gesture that consisted of the demon holding up its claw, and with one of its fingers, curled it inwards towards himself repeatedly in a come-hither fashion. The Jackal begrudgingly obliged with a nod before glancing back down at Smoke Stack, growling with resentment at the captive pony. The feral dog demon lifted itself off the the sneering stallion, stood up on its hind legs, and without the slightest strain, picked the train’s engineer up by the back of his light blue scarf and made its way to the commanding demon. “Hey! What’s the big idea, ya darn flea-bitten, mangy mutt!?” the brazen stallion demanded as he helplessly wriggled in the air. “Put me down or I swear on my great-granpappy’s grave you’ll regret it!” The Satyr merely let out a sinister cackle as he came face to face with the firey engineer. Raising his claw up high, the Satyr then brought it down onto the pony’s head, causing Smoke Stack to wince in fear from the oncoming blow. Only there was none. And instead, Smoke Stack felt the demon’s claw firmly grip the hat on his head before swiftly snatching it off and placing it atop his own. Satisfied with his new fashion accessory, the Satyr, after adjusting the hat to his liking by wedging the bill between the two horns protruding from his forehead, then pointed to the stallion before quickly waving his free arm over to the open window. Without hesitation, the Jackal obeyed and tossed the engineer straight out the cabin. “You no-good, lily-livered, sons a- WAAAAAAAH!” Smoke Stack yelled just before he was ejected from the train. The airborne pony then landed flat on his flanks with a muffled thud as he collided with the dusty desert ground. Dusting off his dirtied pelt, the engineer pony picked himself up off the ground and was met with both a shocking yet even stranger sight. From out of the train cars, screams of protest and fright echoed throughout the canyon as every single passenger was being thrown, tossed and kicked out by the brutish assailants; their empty luggage quickly following suit as numerous bags and pillaged suitcases crashed into the crowd of disoriented ponies. The last two ponies to land face first in the dirt were Smoke Stack’s coworkers: a young, fit, grey earth pony with a slicked back black mane named Silver Shovel and another unicorn stallion with a slim build, chocolate brown pelt, and a neatly kempt, short blonde mane who served as the train’s conductor. His name was Stop Watch. The two stallions, after regaining their footing, traded confused looks with one another, and then back to the train before rushing over to their boss, Smoke Stack, who seemed more irritated than distressed about their current situation. Inside the engine room, the Satyr who had taken charge of the train then opened the hatch to the steam engine’s firebox, and looked down at the translucent container he was cradling in his other arm. The murky black cloud within the jar seemed to shift wildly in the presence of the heat emanating from the train’s engine while its sparse blue light began to pulsate with excitement. The Satyr grinned mischievously as he forcefully chucked the container into the firebox and slammed the hatch shut with a loud clang. Back outside, Smoke Stack had regrouped with his employees to perform a headcount on the distressed passengers who all, thankfully, were unharmed for the most part; save for a few minor cuts and bruises. Before any of the few disgruntled ponies could voice their complaints to the engineer, everypony’s attention was suddenly drawn to the train’s engine as the metal writhed and groaned, assaulting the eyes and ears of the bystanders. The locomotive’s black iron outer casing then twisted and contorted into an unnatural shape, the likes of which most ponies would find ghastly or down right nightmarish. The plow at the front of the train had cracked horizontally across the middle in a sharp, jagged pattern, resembling that of a set of iron teeth. The headlight increased in intensity and shined a ghostly blue light instead of its typical yellow hue. The cabin itself suffered the most changes as cracks formed all along the engine, throbbing and pulsating like veins as they glowed with the same eerie blue light that shone from the train’s distorted headlight. Lastly, the train’s chimney unfurled in such a warped fashion, that it looked as though the top of its smokestack had burst open. “What in Celestia’s name did they do to our train!?” Silver Shovel cried in awe, gripping and shaking the gaping stallion, Stop Watch, in disbelief. After the train had finished its unsettling transformation, a pillar of black smoke and blue fire billowed from the newly formed chimney as the razor-sharp coupling rods quickly began to rotate, accelerating the train’s wheels to the point of grinding sparks off of the railroad tracks. Suddenly, the lead Satyr poked his head from out of the window and cried out with an insane cackle, “ALL ABOOOOOOOORD! HAHAHAAAA!” He then pulled the engine’s whistle which released a piercing otherworldly, high-pitched screech so loud that it forced the onlooking ponies to cover their ears in distress. In a burst of incredible speed, the train took off with an impossible acceleration; the passenger cars it toted filled to the brim with the silhouettes of rowdy Jackals and Satyrs celebrationg the acquisition of their new form of transportation. The demonic train then blazed off into the desert, trailing behind it twin streaks of blue fire as it sped out of sight. Smoke Stack simply just sat by the side of the rails, mouth agape and utterly dumbfounded at the spectacle he had just witnessed. “Boss, you ok?” muttered the shaken chocolate unicorn, Stop Watch, as he approached Smoke Stack from behind. “W-what just happened?” “More importantly,” interjected Silver Shovel as he joined Stop Watch’s side. “How in tarnation did that just happen!?” “Boys,” Smoke Stack finally spoke up after a brief period of silence to compose himself. “I do believe we’ve just been train-napped.” the engineer stated pensively as he turned to face his two employees. “Um, sir?” Stop Watch spoke up. “I think the word you’re looking for is hijacked.” he said matter-of-factly. Before Smoke Stack could retort, Silver Shovel quickly chimed in to correct his co-worker. “Wait! Wouldn’t that mean we got train-jacked then?” “No, you twit,” Stop Watch chided the earth pony. “We were hijacked. Our train was stolen from us.” he further argued. “That’s what I just said, ya moron,” Silver Shovel grumbled in irritation. “Those things done snatched our train. We were train-jacked! Right, boss?” Smoke Stack, unable to endure the constant bickering any longer, furiously snapped at his two empoyees. “Will you two nitwits can it already!? I don’t care what ya call it; our darn train just got stolen before our very eyes by a bunch of scraggly monsters.” His chest puffed in and out from the shouting, but Smoke Stack soon caught his breath. “Round up the passengers, Silver Shovel, we’re gonna have to make our way back to the nearest town.” he calmly instructed to the grey earth pony, regaining control of the situation. “Was it Appleoosa we just passed?” he pondered, placing his hoof under his chin. “Yes sir, it was.” Silver Shovel confirmed. “I’ll be sure to alert the sheriff of what happened once we get back there.” “Alright then, Stop Watch,” Smoke Stack then turned to his conductor with a stern look in his eyes. “As soon as we get to town, I want you to send a message to the Princesses immediately. Call me crazy, but I think those things we saw back there might’ve been demons.” “Surely you’re mistaken, right, boss?” the train conductor stuttered nervously as he and the engineer pony trailed far behind the group. “Aren’t demons in Equestria just a myth? Ya know, an old mare’s tale? Besides, they’re supposed to be locked away in Tartarus after all… aren’t they?” “Tartarus or not, I’m pretty sure that I didn’t just get tossed out on my rear by some dadgum fairy tale. Them’s were demons if I ever saw ‘em.” Smoke Stack claimed with the utmost conviction. “Not tryin’ to worry ya too much, though. I’m certain that the Princesses’ve got a couple of guards or somethin’ who’ll have this whole mess cleaned up in no time.” The engineer pony said reassuringly. “Demons, huh?” Stop Watch muttered to himself in disbelief while Smoke Stack trotted ahead to rejoin the group. “Even if the boss is right about them runnin’ loose, I can’t say I envy the poor schmucks that’ve gotta hunt those monsters.” Two days have passed since Dante and Vergil’s chaotic clash at the Gate of Tartarus, spurred only by the simple bond they shared as the twin sons of Sparda. Because of this everlasting blood feud, Equestria has found itself immersed in a new brand of turmoil. Countless demons, having made their escape from Tartarus amidst the warring brothers, are now free to wreak havoc across the land. However, thanks to the Elements of Harmony’s interference, the two brothers’ bloody battle had been subdued for the most part, allowing the Princesses to intervene and formulate a plan to remedy the recent outbreak of demons. In lieu of Celestia’s and Luna’s royal duties, Dante and Vergil were tasked with hunting down the escaped demons under the supervision of the Elements of Harmony. While Dante willingly volunteered to perform the task, Vergil was forced into the ordeal as punishment for his past transgressions. After the task was administered and the terms were agreed upon, all that was left was to do for the Elements was to wait diligently for the princesses’ orders. With time to kill, Twilight took it upon herself to gather her friends, along with Dante and Vergil, within her home at the Golden Oaks Library. There she planned to question the demon twins further in the hopes of obtaining possible new information concerning both of their backgrounds and their anatomy as devils. Needless to say, the ever studious unicorn was more than hesitant to bring the sons of Sparda together under one roof. But considering they’d be within the midst of her friends, Twilight was hopeful the two would at least refrain from any unwanted conflict during the interview. Everypony was seated at the center library table, where Twilight Sparkle had been questioning Dante and Vergil about the events of the Temen-Ni-Gru incident for the past hour. “So after you two ventured into the demon realm and reclaimed your amulets, you were both able to continue your struggle for Sparda’s power undeterred, correct?” “Just about.” Dante replied, resting his chin on the hoof of his foreleg that was lazily propped up on the table. “Yes,” Vergil concurred. “With that treacherous Arkham out of the picture, our father’s sword would be contested by the ones who were truly worthy of inheriting Sparda’s legacy.” he stated rather coldly. “Some good that did us.” Dante muttered snidely under his breath. Vergil shot a deathly glare towards his brother, who only sneered in response, obviously expecting him to go off on a tangent regarding his flippant remark. Instead, though, Vergil would not dignify Dante with such a response, or any for that matter, and simply remained silent while shifting his attention back to Twilight. Fluttershy exhaled, letting out a sigh of relief as she watched Vergil turn away from Dante while retaining only a slight look of irritation. For what it was worth, she was at least happy to see the half-demon show some control around his antagonistic brother. “I know how ya feel, Fluttershy,” Spike whispered as he gently nudged the pegasus with his elbow. “Having those two together in the same room is like waiting for a bomb to go off.” the young dragon further explained. “Anyways,” Twilight began, clearing her throat. “If I recall, Vergil, in your story, the twins’ final clash at the gates of Hell ended with the younger brother as the victor. Is that what really happened back in your world, or are there some outstanding variants that should be brought to light?” “No,” Vergil replied coolly, averting his gaze from Twilight’s. “That is exactly what happened.” Twilight was visibly surprised by the half-demon’s unexpectedly calm and timely response to such an obviously touchy subject. Dante however, wasn’t sure whether or not the prideful pony’s answer was a sign of his resignation to those catastrophic events that unfolded between them back in the demon world, or that Vergil simply wished to move the discussion along as fast as possible. Knowing his brother, though, Dante was willing to bet on the latter. “I see,” Twilight muttered as she wrote down her personal assessment of Vergil’s answer. Rainbow Dash grinned mischievously upon hearing Vergil’s reply before deciding to speak up, “Way to go, Dante!” she congratulated the demon hunter as she held up an outstretched hoof across the table, obviously expecting a high-hoof in return from the light yellow stallion. “Can we not antagonize the demon pony, RD?” AppleJack scolded her rainbow-maned friend. “Dante already does it enough as is.” “AJ’s got a point there, Dash,” Dante admitted, waving aside Rainbow Dash’s hoof. “Maybe another time.” “Aw, horse feathers.” the cyan-blue pegasus groaned. “No worries, Dashie. I got ya covered.” Pinkie Pie said as she stretched out her hoof underneath the table towards the rainbow-maned pegasus. Rainbow Dash happily took the opportunity Pinkie had presented her, and gave the pink party pony a down-low hoof bump beneath the library table; a muffled clop sounding off as the two hooves collided. Vergil merely shook his head at the two mare’s shameless display. “Perhaps we should avoid any further outbursts,” Twilight politely suggested, directing her gaze to both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, whom playfully looked away from each other in a vain attempt to feign innocence. “Anyways,” she resumed, cheerfully shifting her attention back to Vergil. “I really am thankful that you and Dante were both able to clear up any confusion that had arisen concerning the Legend of Sparda. However, I do have one more question that I hope either of you could answer.” “And what would that be?” Vergil asked, genuinely interested in Twilight’s inquiry. “Considering the fact that you’re obviously alive, not to mention that you and Dante wound up here despite all that transpired at the Temen-Ni-Gru,” Twilight stated. “I simply must know; just what happened after you fell into the depths of the demon world?” Dante’s ears perked up instantly upon hearing the question. He quickly looked over to Vergil, whose brow simply rose in response to Twilight’s bold inquiry, leaving more of a quizzical look upon the light grey pony’s face rather than the expected scowl Dante had come to expect from his brother. The two devils then met each other’s gaze, both exhibiting looks of confusion and bewilderment, neither one daring to utter a single word. A tense silence blanketed the room as the girls leaned further into the table and onto the edge of their seats, expecting some sort of answer from either brother. Twilight herself bit her lower lip in anticipation, as she had fervently sought for the slightest hint of clarity. This fixation of hers had persisted ever since she managed to piece together the correlation between the reality and the legend of Sparda’s sons. Now was the time where she could lay any and all speculation of their reunion to rest. Noticing Twilight’s anxious demeanor, the two brothers finally parted their inquisitive looks from one another and silently turned to face the girls. “Nothing really,” Dante casually shrugged, his vague answer deflating Twilight’s enthusiasm. “Nothing of importance, at least.” Vergil remarked, the hint of ice in his tone proving a tell-tale sign that Twilight might have unknowingly triggered some less than pleasant memories. The girls sat dumbfounded by such a blunt and fabricated answer. There had definitely been something going on between Dante and Vergil when they exchanged glances. AppleJack was the first to notice how the two looked to each other almost knowingly before answering Twilight’s question. However, before the skeptical farm pony could object to their obvious lie, Twilight had already beaten her to the punch. “I don’t quite follow.” she said. Even Dante’s gaze now grew cold as his eyes rested upon the lavender mare. “What’s there to follow?” he asked, crossing his forelegs. “Nothing happened. Besides, didn’t I already tell you how Vergil and I wound up in your world when I first got here?” Rarity then spoke up to add her own speculation, “But that doesn’t explain how both of you could be here togeth-” “It’s alright, Rarity.” Twilight interrupted the fashionista pony, having come to terms that she wouldn’t be getting any more answers from either brother concerning Temen-Ni-Gru. Judging from both Dante and Vergil’s expressions and tones, Twilight understood that she had obviously dug too deep. Thinking back, it should have been evident the night they returned from Tartarus, especially considering how defensive Vergil was when it came to his role in Sparda’s Legend. Not to mention how even now, Dante continued to either play ignorant or respond with vague answers. Twilight finally relented and let out a defeated sigh, figuring whatever may have happened after Vergil’s defeat probably should stay between him and Dante. “Neither of them are obliged to answer such intimate questions.” she said with the utmost sincerity before looking to Dante and Vergil with a weak smile. “I’m sorry if either of you felt that I was being too intrusive.” “Ah, don’t sweat it, bookworm,” Dante lightheartedly grinned as he raised a hoof. “You were just curious, that’s all. Right, Vergil?” The light grey stallion said nothing and simply shook his head in disapproval. “I’ll take that as a yes,” Dante chuckled in an attempt to downplay his brother’s rude response. “Anyways, Twilight, is there anything else you need to know?” “As a matter of fact, yes, there are a few physical traits I’d like to examine and assess.” Twilight answered excitedly, her high spirits resurfacing at the prospect of furthering her research on the two devils. She then stood up from the table and trotted over to the chalkboard she had set out prior to the meeting. “Now could both you and Vergil step over here, please?” she then instructed the two half-demons, gesturing for them to stand up. Without objection, Dante and Vergil did as they were told. The two got up from their seats, and walked towards the front of the room where Twilight stood. “Spike, take notes.” Twilight announced as she levitated a piece of white chalk up to the board with her horn. “On it.” The young dragon saluted before taking a seat where Twilight once sat and readied the freshly dabbed quill, hovering the writing utensil over a new sheet of paper next to the one on which the unicorn mare had written her notes. “Alright then,” Twlight began. “Concerning your relationship as twins, most ponies could quickly draw the conclusion that your silver-white manes, equal size and physique, blue eyes, and your status as earth ponies are the only similarities you two share.” “Aren’t those the only things they share, though?” Rainbow Dash asked, fidgeting about in her seat. “Normally, you’d be right, Rainbow,” Twilight answered as she drew a picture of Dante and Vergil on the chalk board, listing off their similarities and differences within a venn diagram she had made above the drawing. “However, there is one piece of crucial evidence that I discovered after spending these past few weeks with Dante and Vergil.” Twilight then stepped between the two brothers. “Now if either of you wouldn’t mind, I simply need to lift your coattails. Only for a moment.” “I knew you girls were tryin’ to get a look at my ass!” Dante jokingly exclaimed, trying his best to sound offended by Twilight’s request. “And thus the puerile antics begin anew.” Vergil groaned exasperatedly. “Danteee,” AppleJack reprimanded the demon hunter with a grumble, the irritation in her voice emphasized only by her furrowed brow and searing glare. “I’ll behave.” Dante sighed, rolling his eyes. “Now then,” Twilight started. Utilizing the magenta aura from her horn, she then lifted the brothers’ coattails to expose their flanks to the group. “If you’ll notice, we can clearly see that Dante’s and Vergil’s cutie marks take the shape of an intricately designed amulet. Vergil’s being that of a golden amulet with a red jewel in the center, while Dante’s amulet is of the exact same design, only instead of gold, his is silver.” She then pointed her hoof above Dante’s cutie mark. “As you can see, Dante’s fur is a bright shade of yellow, while Vergil’s coat is more of a silver or light grey, giving their respective cutie marks and pelt colors an inverse pattern in relation to one another. Quite an intriguing palette swap for twins, to say the least.” Twilight explained. Some might even say bizarre. She thought to herself, glancing back and forth between the two devils. “That…actually makes sense.” Rainbow Dash said in astonishment. “Now, ‘why an amulet for their cutie mark?’ you may ask,” Twilight continued. “Simple, really,” she then turned to address the brothers. “As you’re both probably aware by now, neither of you physically hold the two halves of the perfect amulet that once belonged to your father, Sparda.” Vergil and Dante nodded in agreement. “Then it’s quite evident that those cutie marks are no ordinary cutie marks, but actually your amulet halves that were embedded into your very beings upon your arrival,” Twilight said as she trotted over to the chalk board and turned to face her friends who had been listening on with intense fascination. “Which would also explain how they’re able to utilize their demonic powers in their current state,” she then began to write in the the two overlapping circles with the brothers’ corresponding names. “I had taken notice of this during their fight at the Gates of Tartarus. Everytime Dante or Vergil would summon a demon weapon, their cutie mark would glow for a brief moment before the weapon physically manifested into their possession. Fascinating to say the least.” “I keep hearing all this talk about ‘cutie marks’,” Dante spoke up. “What’s exactly the deal behind them anyways? Only explanation I got was Applebloom telling me they were a symbol of a pony’s talent.” “Well, Dante, you’ll be happy to know that Applebloom gave you a sufficient answer,” Twilight replied with a smile. “But, to expand on her rather simple explanation, whenever a pony discovers their special talent, a mark signifying said talent will magically form on their flanks.” And here I thought they all went out to get tattoos, Dante thought, suppressing a snicker. “Your special talents in this case,” Twilight continued. “Considering the significance of your amulets, most likely coincide with the traits and attirbutes you and Vergil exhibit as the half-demon sons of Sparda…at least from what I can assess.” “Impressive,” Vergil complimented Twilight, who was now beaming at the light grey stallion’s comment. “You certainly wouldn’t be wrong in your deduction. Though in hindsight, it is a rather obvious conclusion to draw when given the context of our identities alongside our ‘cutie marks’.” He shuddered upon prounouncing the term “cutie mark”; a word he felt was disgustingly inadequate when used to label one’s talents. “As if you’d have figured it out, Mr. Know-It-All,” Dante grumbled, vexed by his brother’s tone that was practically oozing with condescension. “As a matter of fact, I did.” Vergil retorted. “Perhaps if you were more observant of the world around you, Dante, you might not have needed an explanation in the first place.” “Alright then, smartass, Pop-Quiz: If you’re so observative, then what do all of their cutie marks mean?” Dante asked, pointing his hoof in the direction of the girls. “And here I thought this would be a challenge,” Vergil chuckled. He then looked to the girls, save for Spike who was scribbling down the last of Twilight’s notes from the board, before addressing them, “If you all wouldn’t mind, could you please stand up?” he politely asked. “I simply wish to humor my brother’s request.” With no real objections and after a few exchanges of nods and shrugs, AppleJack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash all stood up from their seats, and trotted around to the front of the table. Twilight, having decided to partake in Dante’s little quiz, joined her friends at the center of the room, their cutie marks now in clear view of Dante and Vergil’s gaze. “I’ll start with Ms. AppleJack first,” Vergil began. “Her cutie mark’s symbol is that of three red apples. Seeing how her occupation and lifestyle happens to revolve around apple farming, it’s safe to say her special talent obviously lies not only with her namesake and family’s lineage, but also her knack for harvesting apples.” “Ya certainly hit that one right on the nose.” AppleJack smiled, confirming Vergil’s analysis with a tip of her Stetson hat. “Then there’s Pinkie Pie,” Vergil resumed as his sights rested on the pink party pony. “As Ponyville’s local caterer, she organizes social gatherings and prepares confectionery treats for the festivities. Thus, would explain the three balloons that make up her cutie mark, which signifies her affinity for organizing such events.” Pinkie Pie suddenly fired off a party favor in front of the light grey stallion, decorating Vergil’s coat and hair with a burst of rainbow colored confetti and miniature streamers. “Yup yup yup!” Pinkie exclaimed as she hopped up and down in celebration, her long, cotton-like tail and magenta mane bouncing in rhythm. “You got it right, Vergy!” Vergil, much to everyone’s surprise, silently dusted off the kaleidoscopic shreds of paper and glitter from his azure jacket before briskly running a free hoof through his mane. All the while, he was leering fiercely at the bubbly mare, his cold eyes never once breaking contact from Pinkie Pie’s own innocent yet somewhat nervous gaze. While Pinkie might not have grasped the full magnitude Vergil’s disgust, she couldn’t help but feel the demon pony’s intense glare burning into her. It wasn’t until Vergil had completely cleaned himself of the party favor debris, that he finally turned away from Pinkie Pie and focused on Rarity with a much more controlled and inviting expression. “Next is Rarity,” he said, nodding to the alabaster unicorn. “An elegant mare who’s made a name for herself and her boutique thanks to her artistic qualities with a needle and thread, as well as her impressive knowledge of fashion design. Further adding to the implied meaning of the diamonds on her flank, she also represents the element of generosity.” A rather interesting contrast to say the least, Vergil thought to himself. Rarity smiled modestly at Vergil’s assessment before stepping forth and clearing her throat, “If I may be so bold, Vergil, darling, I would like to make an addendum.” Vergil raised an inquisitive eyebrow towards the mare, “Proceed,” he replied before finally giving the floor to the fashionista. “Thank you, darling,” Rarity began, brushing aside her neatly curled purple mane. “For starters, your evaluation was both accurate, and quite honestly, rather flattering. However, there is one thing that I do need to mention. While my friends know a little of my personal history, I'm afraid you'd be unaware of the origins of my mark and why it looks the way it does. Needless to say, I ended up being dragged halfway across the countryside by my dreadfully forceful horn, only to find a wealthy cache of gems hidden inside of a mundane boulder.” she explained, softly giggling at the fondness of such a memory. “And thanks to my newly found talent, I was able to finally able to finish the costume designs I had worked so tirelessly on for the school play, brandishing them with those brilliant gems that had served as my inspiration.” “So, not only was your cutie mark earned through your work in tailoring outfits, but because of your horn’s unique ability to locate precious gems as well?” Vergil asked Rarity. “Precisely.” “Fair enough,” Vergil admitted as Rarity rejoined her friends. Clearing his throat, he then extended a hoof to Twilight. “Onto Twilight Sparkle. Her cutie mark’s shape resembles that of a six-pointed star, obviously signifying her impressive aptitude in the use of magic. After all, seeing how she does represent the element of magic, her talents should go without saying.” “No arguments here.” Twilight smiled proudly, letting out an audible squeak in the process. Nodding in agreement, Vergil proceeded onto the next mare. “Then there’s our dear Fluttershy,” he said as he trotted up to the timid pegasus. “Her cutie mark is a pattern of three butterflies, no doubt serving as a direct correlation to her unrivaled kindness.” He said as he looked to the mare with a heartfelt smirk. Fluttershy smiled bashfully at the sincerity of Vergil’s words, slightly reeling back in embarrassment. “Get a room already.” Dante groaned as he rolled his eyes. Vergil flashed his twin a contemptuous glance in response to his unruly comment before continuing, “To add to her warm and compassionate nature, one would infer that her cutie mark also represents her uncanny ability to nurture and care for animals that happen to find themselves within her midsts, not to mention her unparalled bravery when taming even the most wild of beasts.” “She bagged you after all, didn’t she?” Dante commented with an impish smile plastered across his face. Without wasting a single movement, Vergil trotted over to Dante, yanked the still sheathed blade of Yamato from his side with one hoof, twirled it as he pulled it across his body, and smacked his brother over the back of the head with his weapon. *THWACK* “YOW!” Dante yelped in agony, gripping the back of his head as he crouched down onto the floor. AppleJack stifled a laugh as she watched Dante rub the back of his head in an attempt to alieviate the throbbing pain. It might have sounded cruel to the others at the time, but she couldn’t help but feel that the demon hunter was pushing his luck, and honestly, he might have deserved it. Dante, gritting his teeth, looked up as his brother was walking away. “Gettin’ reeeal sick of your shit, Vergil.” he growled lowly. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted,” Vergil resumed, placing Yamato to his side as he walked back over to where the girls stood. “Was my evaluation of your talents correct, Fluttershy?” he asked the butteryellow pegasus. “Oh, um, yes, it was,” Fluttershy replied, nervously looking down and pawing at the ground with her front hoof. “Although, I feel you might have embellished my talents a little,” she mumbled uneasily as she glanced at Vergil before looking away again. “Sorry, it’s just that I wouldn’t say I’m really all that brave.” “Nonsense, my dear,” Vergil politely objected. “During my time here, Twilight has informed me of you and your friends’ numerous accomplishments, such as talking down a dragon for instance. The very fact that you convinced such a massive beast to leave without resorting to violence is an accomplishment in and of itself. Not to mention that you managed to handle Cerberus on multiple occasions when all other methods, including one of my brother’s crude strategies, failed.” He then gently cupped Fluttershy’s chin in his forehoof and lifted her head so that her eyes met his own. As soon as the pegasus made eye contact with Vergil, she could feel her heart pounding away in her chest, her excitement growing exponentially by the second. “So with all due respect, my dear, you are brave,” Vergil began, bringing his face closer to Fluttershy’s. “And I find your resolve in the face of such adversities to be truly admirable.” “Th-thank you, Vergil,” Fluttershy stammered, her cheeks now burning red as she smiled at the light grey stallion. “It really means a lot that you’d say something like that.” Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash, having grown weary of Vergil and Fluttershy’s sickly sweet romance, silently exchanged a series of nauseated looks with Dante before finally sticking her tongue out and pointing a forehoof down her throat as though she were going to vomit. The demon hunter couldn't help but chuckle at her amusing behavior. After a few more moments, Dante then finally decided to speak up, “You about ready to move along, lover boy? You still got one more left.” Ignoring Dante’s irksome insult, Vergil decided to cut his chat short. “My apologies, Fluttershy, but it appears that my impatient brother lacks the common decency to stay his tongue.” “It’s alright; we just got caught up in the moment is all,” Fluttershy admitted sheepishly, her long pink mane covering one of her eyes. “Though, Dante is right. You still have to list off Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark.” “Riiiiight,” Vergil droned on in a less than enthused tone, his deadpan expression now turning over to the rainbow-maned pegasus. “Might as well get this over with.” “Don’t get too excited, ya jerk.” Rainbow Dash muttered just out of earshot. Vergil then trotted back to the board where Dante stood, and held out a hoof towards the cyan-blue mare. “Lastly, we have Rainbow Dash, whose cutie mark resembles a blue, yellow, and red-striped lightning bolt surging forth from a cloud. Knowing that she represents the element of loyalty, we can infer Rainbow Dash’s talents to be…” Vergil paused. Despite his astute observation of the girls, he honestly did not know, let alone cared, what Rainbow Dash’s talents were. At first, he figured it might have had to do something with her being a weather pegasus, but then he remembered Fluttershy previously telling him that there were many pegasi who regulated the forecast. Out of all of the mares here, why does she have to be the one I can’t figure out? Vergil chastised himself, gritting his teeth in frustration. Is her talent really all that important, though? Or perhaps it’s something so incredibly mundane no one could guess it without some sort of insight? “Any day now,” Rainbow Dash griped, interrupting Vergil’s train of thought. “Listen, pal, we get that you’re some really stuck-up know-it-all, so don’t bother patronizing me. I kinda wanna get on with the rest of my day.” she said, impatiently tapping her front hoof on the wooden floor. “Actually,” Vergil spoke up. “I honestly do not know what Rainbow Dash’s talents pertain to.” He admitted flatly before the group. “Well, that’s a shock.” Dante commented in genuine surprise. Guess the snob doesn’t know it all; Rainbow Dash chuckled triumphantly to herself. “Though, I doubt it’s hardly all that important.” Vergil snubbed, turning his nose up to the air and his back towards Rainbow Dash. “Why you arrogant, pompous little fop!” Rainbow Dash shouted indignantly as she flapped her wings to fly above the group before boldly whizzing forward to attack the half-demon. The mare’s aerial assault was cut short, however, thanks to AppleJack leaping up and yanking Rainbow Dash’s tail with her teeth. “Simmer down there, Dash,” she cried through clenched teeth as she planted herself firmly on all fours to hold back her furious friend. “Don’t let Vergil get ya all riled up. He’s just bein’ ignorant.” “Yeah, Dash,” Dante agreed as he tried to coax the peeved pegasus. “You and I both know Vergil’s just being his typical douchey self.” He chuckled, eliciting a huff and a sneer from his brother. Rainbow Dash begrudgingly let up after a few more tugs on her rainbow-colored tail, fluttering her wings and lowering herself to the ground next to AppleJack. “Sorry, guys. Guess I lost my cool.” She apologized, slumping her shoulders. “Think nothin’ of it, RD,” AppleJack smiled, flicking her tied back blond mane over her shoulder and giving Rainbow Dash a comforting pat on the back. “’Wasn’t yer fault after all.” She then turned her attention over to Vergil, who had so arrogantly and disrespectfully dismissed her friend. “As for you, Mister,” she said, scolding the light grey stallion. “I think you best be changin’ yer attitude. Rainbow’s talent ain’t exactly nothin’ to scoff at.” “Is that so?” Vergil asked, turning towards the freckle-faced mare. “Actually, it is,” Twilight stated matter-of-factly as she, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity joined Rainbow Dash and AppleJack’s side. “Believe it or not, had it not been for Rainbow Dash obtaining her cutie mark, none of us would have found our true talent, or have gotten our own cutie marks.” “Enlighten me then,” Vergil demanded, a semblance of impatience echoing in his voice. “Gladly,” Twlilight replied assertively as she stepped forth to confront the devil pony. “While she was enrolled at Cloudsdale’s Summer Flight Camp, Rainbow Dash had challenged the two pegasi who had been bullying Fluttershy to a race. With Fluttershy’s honor at stake, Rainbow Dash had all the motivation she needed to stand up to the two delinquents.” I certainly can’t say she’s not loyal to her friends, Vergil thought to himself as he rolled his eyes. “Anyways,” Twilight continued. “It should go without saying that Rainbow Dash not only won, but did so by achieving a high enough velocity to break through the sound barrier. What then followed was an iridescent flash, the likes of which had never been seen before, as well as a sonic boom that was both seen and heard throught the land. That's when Rainbow Dash's cutie mark appeared on her flank, as a symbol of her unmatched speed both in flight and haste to rush to the aid of friends in need," she declared, holding out a hoof to Rainbow Dash who smiled proudly at Twilight’s proclamation. “Besides, if it weren’t for Rainbow Dash, I wouldn’t have discovered my untapped potential for magic, or become Celestia’s pupil for that matter.” Vergil merely scoffed in response to Twilight’s explanation, obviously not impressed. Rarity then chimed in, adding to the conversation, “If it weren’t for Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom shattering that silly old rock, I would have never found my true calling. As if on cue, Pinkie Pie piped up as well, “Yeah, if it weren’t for Dashie, I wouldn’t have known the joys of all those stupenderifically vibrant colors, or all the smiles they could help me bring to other ponies.” Vergil sighed in exasperation. “If ah remember correctly,” AppleJack spoke up, tilting her hat back, “Had it not been for Dash’s fancy little Rainboom, I wouldn’t’ve remembered where I truly belonged: with my family at Sweet Apple Acres.” Fluttershy then quietly shuffled up to Vergil before speaking her piece, “I’m sorry, Vergil. It’s just that Rainbow Dash’s talent is just as important as everypony else’s. If she hadn’t defended me that day in that race, I wouldn’t have discovered the beauty of nature. And if it weren’t for her Sonic Rainboom frightening away my new animal friends, I wouldn’t have been able to calm and soothe them, and discover my talent you think so highly of.” Vergil watched as Fluttershy and her friends gathered around Rainbow Dash. Reflecting on the girls’ explanations and just how truly indebeted they were to their loyal pegasus friend, the devil relented, “I stand corrected.” He admitted. However, Vergil thought to himself. If it weren’t for Rainbow Dash’s impulsive and impetuous nature outweighing whatever favorable traits she possessed, I might actually consider her tolerable. The girls beamed upon hearing Vergil’s acknowledgment. “Glad you see it our way,” Twilight said before congratulating the light grey stallion, “Still though, I have to admit you were quite perceptive, Vergil…despite only getting one wrong.” “Which makes you five for six,” Dante smiled as he wrapped his foreleg around his brother’s shoulder. “Better luck next time.” “Touch me again, and I promise to shave off more than few years of your already dwindling life expectancy.” “Pinkie Promise?” Dante retorted, grinning deviously. “And remember,” Pinkie Pie joined in next to Vergil as well, wrapping her foreleg around his unoccupied shoulder. “A Pinkie Promise is forever.” “Tch,” Vergil clicked his tongue in annoyance as he calmly brushed off the two nuisances. “Party Pooper,” Pinkie Pie frowned. “Speaking of lifespans,” Twilight started as she approached Dante, levitating a small notepad and quill next to her. “Exactly how old are you two anyway? Silly question, I know, but it is a rather important piece of biographical information I forgot to ask.” “Nineteen.” Dante answered flatly. “Really?” Twilight asked in astonishment. “Considering the grandeur of Sparda’s legend, I never would have expected his sons to be so…young.” She then wrote down the twin’s ages. “Though, it certainly does explain your maturity.” Vergil smirked at Twilight’s offhanded comment. “Both of yours.” The unicorn mare added. The light grey stallion’s face suddenly scrunched up in offense. “Who the hell are you calling young!?” Dante griped. “We’re probably the oldest ones here.” “Actually, that’s where you’re wrong,” Twilight retorted. “I happen to be twenty years old.” She then pointed her quill over to Pinkie Pie. “Twenty!” The bubbly, pink party pony exclaimed. “Rainbow Dash?” Twilight called over to the cyan-blue pegasus. “Also twenty.” The Rainbow Dash said as she raised her hoof. Twilight then pointed to Rarity. “I’m twenty-one, darling.” The fashionista modestly admitted. Next, Twilight pointed over to AppleJack. “Twenty-two.” The orange farm pony answered. “And what about you, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. “Um, I’m um, twenty-one.” Fluttershy mumbled quietly. Twilight then turned back to Dante, a triumphant smile strewn across her face. “I guess that makes you two the youngest out of the group, save for Spike.” “Awww,” the small purple dragon groaned dishearteningly from the table. “Whatever,” Dante sighed dissmisively before directing his attention to Vergil. “Though, you surprised me, Vergil. I had no idea you were into older mares.” he chuckled as he nodded his head towards Fluttershy while gently nudging his growling brother’s side. Without missing a beat, Vergil silently raised one of his hooves and delivered a quick jab to the demon hunter’s jaw, never once making eye contact with his obnoxious sibling. “Asshole.” Dante grumbled as he rubbed his cheek. “That’s enough out of you two,” Twilight quickly reprimanded the twins before trotting over to the table to check on her assistant. “Did you get everything down, Spike?” she asked, looking over the young drake’s shoulder. “Yep, got it all here,” Spike declared, holding up the sheet of paper for Twilight to see. The writing on the parchment was small and neat, mostly due to him getting in a lot of practice after having taken countless letters on either Twilight’s, or the girls’, behalf. “Thank you, Spike,” Twilight replied after inspecting his work. She then set the paper down and magically returned the notepad and quill to her side. “All that’s left to do now is examine their demon forms and we can call it a day.” A palpable silence suddenly blanketed the room just as Twilight finished those words. The girls’ eyes rested worriedly on Dante, who could only look back at Twilight in confusion. “Uh, Twi,” AppleJack spoke up. “Ya sure that’s a good idea? You remember what happened last time that dork turned into a demon?” she said as she looked over to Dante. “Ya darn near lost yer throat.” “Don’t forget how he fought Vergil like a wild beast,” Fluttershy quivered with fear. “It was so horrible.” “Simply dreadful.” Rarity chimed in. “Alright, we get it,” Dante groaned. “You’re all still on edge after my little episode. In my defense, I wasn’t completely myself at the time. Besides, I’ve been getting used to this new, and rather adorable, body.” He explained, inspecting his body and pawing at his slim barrel with sly grin. “He does make an excellent point,” Twilight agreed. “While Dante certainly had no control over his demon form, we could possibly chalk that up to the immense damage Vergil had inflicted upon him. Still, though, rather than hazarding a chance with Dante, perhaps Vergil could demonstrate his transformation?” “No,” the light grey stallion answered coldly. “I am a son of Sparda. I do not galavant my abilities, let alone my demonic power, on simple whims as if I were some sideshow attraction.” He then leered at Twilight. “Although, if you absolutely must have a clown parading himself around, then look no further than my brother.” “That’s it!” Dante yelled, furiously stomping his front hooves on the floorboards and catching everypony’s attention. Of all of Vergil’s offhanded comments and condescending insults he had put up with, this was the straw that finally broke camel’s back. The light yellow stallion then stormed over to Vergil until he was face to face with his twin. “You wanna dance, pretty boy?!” he barked as he reached for the handle of his massive sword, Rebellion, holstered onto his back. “If you’re lookin’ to cut a rug, just say so.” “Oh boy,” Spike sighed as he hid under the table. “And now we’re back to square one with these two,” AppleJack groaned, pressing her front hoof to her forehead in exasperation. Vergil looked at his disgruntled brother with a sadistic smile as he ran his hoof over Yamato’s scabbard tethered to his side. “I thought you’d never ask.” “Well then, ladies first.” Dante retorted. “Don’t mind if I do!” Twilight interjected as she swiftly projected the magical aura from her horn around both Dante and Vergil’s heads. Nodding her head forward, she then forced the two brothers to headbutt each other with considerable force; a muffled thunk echoing from their skulls colliding. The twins both grabbed their throbbing heads in agony as Twilight pranced between the two. “Let that be a lesson to the both of you,” she declared. “Think before you speak.” “Duly noted,” Dante replied as he continued to hold his head. Vergil merely huffed and avoided further eye contact with either Dante or Twilight. “Way to defuse the situation, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash congratulated the unicorn mare. “I thought for sure we were about to see some blood.” “Now then, Dante,” Twilight began, looking the demon hunter squarely in the eyes. “Since your brother isn’t willing to cooperate, and you claim to have a full grasp on your demonic abilities, can we all trust you to demonstrate your transformation for us?” “Yeah, yeah,” Dante waved a hoof dismissively. “I got this.” “If you’re absolutely sure, then I’m going to need everypony else to take a seat behind me while I ready a spell,” Twilight announced. Vergil and the girls obliged to Twilight’s request as they returned to their seats at the library’s center table. Vergil, however, instead took his brother’s empty seat, which allowed him to sit next to Fluttershy in peace. Fluttershy silently greeted him with a smile, to which Vergil responded with a simple nod. “Now then, everypony,” Twilight began as she turned to face the group. “Since there are obviously still some concerns that Dante’s transformation might go awry, I shall remedy the situation with a magically reinforced barrier.” “So much for trust,” Dante sighed. “It’s merely a precaution, Dante,” Twilight explained. “After all, we can’t risk you running amok in my library, or mauling everyone present should you lose control over your higher brain functions.” “Implying he had any to begin with,” Vergil remarked in quick wit, eliciting a series of lighthearted chuckles from both AppleJack and Fluttershy. “You’re awful,” Fluttershy giggled playfully as she lightly nudged Vergil’s shoulder with her forehoof. “Aren’t I?” the half-demon replied with a charming smirk. “Oh brother.” Rainbow Dash grumbled in irritation, crossing her forelegs and rolling her eyes as she shifted in her seat. Ignoring Vergil’s comment, Dante decided to go along with Twilight’s method of research and stood before the unicorn mare as she readied her spell, her horn glowing bright and brilliant as a magenta aura encased the appendage. “Thank you, Dante,” Twilight said. “Safety and precautions must be taken very seriously if one is to conduct proper research under the scientific method after all.” “Better safe than sorry,” the demon hunter admitted with a shrug. “This is gonna be so cool,” Spike bounced excitedly up and down in his seat as he braced himself to see Dante’s transformation again; this time, in much more favorable conditions than when he had first witnessed the stallion’s demonic form arise. His anticipation was building and he felt ready to burst when suddenly, the young dragon was lifted out of his seat as he let forth a powerful belch of green fire. From the magical fire, a sealed scroll formed almost instantly before falling onto the table in front of the young drake. The sudden interruption snatched everyone’s attention, including Twilight’s, away from Dante and towards the rolled up scroll that sat at the center of the table. “I wonder what this could be about,” Twilight muttered as she curiously levitated the scroll towards herself, broke the seal, and unraveled the parchment. “What the hell is that?” Dante asked as he trotted up behind Twilight, who was scanning her eyes across the letter with such studious intensity. After a minute of silence, Twilight finally looked up from the scroll at her friends. “It’s a letter from Princes Luna,” she said with a worried expression. “And she says there have been numerous demon attacks all along the railroads outside of Appleoosa.” The girls let out a collective gasp, while Vergil only raised an inquisitive brow upon hearing the news. “So what’s the plan, bookworm?” Dante asked as he propped himself against the table. After looking back down at the letter in her hoof, Twilight raised her head and saw not just Dante, but also her friends and Spike awaiting her response; no doubt ready to take action at the drop of a hat. Letting out a heavy sigh, Twilight finally spoke up with an unrivaled determination and confidence, “Pack your bags, everypony! We’re going to Appleoosa!”