The crowd was entirely too stunned to move... until the first line of the demons reached them. Magically charged nets flew from incubi hooves and horns, catching dozens of ponies and flinging them to the ground, helpless to escape. Beams of paralysis lanced out from their tridents and spears; the police ponies were the first to fall, their armor and shields little protection to the battle-hardened demons. Those that did not fall in the first wave did their best to fight back- earth ponies formed solid walls of muscle, kicking and biting and pummeling any demon within reach. But even earth pony stamina had to fail at some point, and their lines quickly fell under the weight of the demon horde.
The few pegasi in the city predictably leaped into the air, only to be tackled by dozens of batponies restraining with bits, bridles, and lengths of rope. A few of the more advanced fliers and weather ponies were able to outmaneuver or out-fly the batponies... only to crash into a wall of flying lust devils, their magicks easily able to restrain and lower them safely to the waiting demons below. Many seemed stunned to find that the demons were, in fact, not feasting on their entrails or killing them; they weren't quite sure if capture was preferable, admittedly.
Those unicorns not affiliated with or clustered around the Nobles did their best to help the other ponies of their city; magic, untrained or otherwise, lanced up to strike at demons, and for a time, it was somewhat effective. Arcane magic struck down several waves of the charging soldiers, and even took out a few of flying succubi. Shields from Twilight and Rarity protected the batponies, and many used this to their advantage to snatch up unicorns and carry them off for frolicking among the clouds and rooftops. But even with all of their magical power, even unicorns ran out of steam before too long, and the wave of lust demons washed over them like a flood. But for the nobles, the distraction had been long enough.
Flinging the crowd around them out of the way or back into the laughing, cheering horde of demons, the Noble Council raced towards the gates of the city, many of the nobles having to be carried by their personal guards or hired mercenaries to avoid being trampled. Unbeknownst to the crowd, they were being followed by seven amused little hell-denizens, leaping nimbly over or flying above the tightly clustered buildings. The Nobles were, of course, running straight into a trap. Twilight Sparkle was nothing if not a planner, and there was not a single escape route out of the city that she had not planned for. But there was one contingency she had not thought of, at least...
********************************
"Just... a little... more..." Applebloom gritted out, grunting as she and Scootaloo worked a crowbar at the stubborn, blackened suppressor attached to Sweetie Belle's horn.
They were made to never come unattached without the command phrase or touch, but this one was weakened and damaged. And with each shove, it was moving just a few inches up her horn. Sweetie winced and whimpered quietly with each twist and pry of the crowbar, her eyes locked on the road.
"Come on, girls, we gotta stop those things, or those ponies are dead!" Sweetie implored, eyes wide as she stared at the line of grinning, net-wielding demons.
The noise of the invasion had awoken the trio from their slumber in the department building, and they had immediately set out to discover its source. To their horror, they had watched first-hoof as a number of earth pony workers were snatched up by flying demons with nets, or yanked up into the sky by a dragon-like wyvern. It didn't seem like the demons were killing ponies outright, but... They still had to do something! With a small screech and a wince of pain from Sweetie Belle, the suppressor flew off into the shadows, pinging across the stones. And the floodgates were opened.
Power. All the power that had been building up in Sweetie Belle for the past decade roared to life in her horn, and for a moment, all she could do was scream. Her friends jumped back in surprise as fire licked up from the ground around Sweetie's hooves; but they were not the only one's who noticed the building magical power. Several of the waiting demons turned towards their alley in surprise, grinning widely at the further catch they were going to get.
"Let's go," Sweetie Belle growled, her voice crackling like a flame itself.
*******************************
"Guys, look!"
Rarity blinked in surprise at Rainbow Dash's shout, quickly enchanting her eyes to see farther as she peered down at their planned ambush. Or what was supposed to be a planned ambush, at any rate. Three ponies in black cloaks were battling the twelve succubi and incubi Twilight had ordered to the area, and the demons were most definitely losing. One was an earth pony, and she a powerful one at that: rolling about and kicking out with her hind legs, she sent several incubi flying into brick walls or into tumbles down the street. As one succubus flung her net towards the rambunctious pony, she leaped under it with a nimbleness that belied her size, and punched the offending succubus into a nearby wall.
Close by, a small pegasus was stunning in her speed and maneuverability, twirling and flipping over the backs of her fellow fighters, hard hooves smacking more than a few demons into the ground or even snapping necks, causing the demons to disappear in a flash of red. Rarely did her hooves touch the ground for more than a second, and not a single demon was able to catch her in their nets or bat her down with a weapon. There was a small, confused noise from Rainbow Dash.
"That's my style..."
Hrm.
The one that had Rarity's main attention was the unicorn of the group. Fire lanced out from beneath her hood in great, barely controlled blasts, frying both nets and demons alike. She was not as fast or maneuverable as the other two, and many times she burned straight through nets encasing her, or stumbled from strikes to her side and back, only to quickly barbecue her attacker. The magical signature felt so... familiar, but it was hard to place. It would have been fascinating, and more than a little impressive... if it wasn't so damned disruptive.
The Noble Council and their entourage spotted the battle ahead, and quickly split into three group, two smaller groups of nobles heading down different side streets, while the main group steamrolled right through the melee, practically trampling their rescuers and tossing them aside with bursts of magic. Turning to Twilight to get her orders, she was surprised to find her eyes following one of the side groups, a faint frown on her lips.
"What should we do, MIstress, go after them?" Rainbow asked her quietly, wings flaring.
"No," Twilight replied quietly, "Let the Nobles go. We will deal with them later. AJ, Rainbow, Rarity, chase those interlopers down and take them, alive. Fluttershy, Pinkie, chase down the group that went do Westerly Lane. Cadance... come with me."
"Yes mistress."
"Okie dokie!"
"As you wish."
Like a well-oiled machine, the group quickly split up, with Rarity teleporting herself and Applejack down to the site of the melee, while Rainbow Dash zoomed after them, a little contrail of rainbows and enraged magic coiling after her. Spotting their own cloaks of deep red and black, the interlopers took off in a flash, splitting up as they raced into a set of alleys.
"I got the earth pony!" Applejack hollered, dashing quickly after the larger cloaked pony as they raced towards the Industrial section of the city.
"That pegasus is MINE!" Dash answered, diving hard towards the Merchant District, with its many hiding places among the shops and stalls.
"Then I suppose that unicorn is mine," Rarity muttered to herself with a satisfied grin, teleporting again down the alley the cloaked figure had taken, and quickly racing after her as well.
The old Rarity had despised such physicality of sprinting and battle; Tartarus did much to change a pony of habits, however. With a flick of her horn, her protective, yet heavy, cloak fluttered into the breeze, and Rarity began to gain on the smaller pony. Over the rushing air, Rarity's ears caught the sound of heavy panting and deep sobs- her opponent was exhausted. That would certainly make things easier. Rarity's magic flicked out, tripping the unicorn into a tumble, crashing through a set of old boxes.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Fire roared out of the pile of trash, and Rarity's defensive shields flickered into place in an instant, scattering the magical fire around her. It was quite strong, really. Not nearly enough to break her shields, but to an untrained attacker, it would have smashed through lesser shields easily. But a squeal rose up just as the fire sputtered to a stop: the figure's cloak was engulfed in flames, and she was stomping about in a panic.
"HothothotOW!"
That voice...
Quickly ripping the cloak down the middle, Rarity flung the fiery piece of fabric aside and readied a stun spell... only to stare in wide-eyed shock. Sweetie Belle, taller, gorgeous, and older certainly, stared back at her with panicked, pain-filled eyes. Her familiar two-tone mane was hanging down limply around her head, and her alabaster pelt was covered in soot and grime, bu it was definitely her little sister. To Rarity's delight, she had a cutie mark- a fiery microphone.
"N-no... no, s-stop it! STOP IT!" Sweetie Belle yelled at her, voice ragged and choked with emotion, "S-stop wearing her face, you f-fucking DEMON! Just STOP!"
Fire raged out of her horn like a wildfire, and Rarity cursed as she quickly raised her shields, stepping back under the extreme force and heat of the conflagration. Reacting quickly, Rarity's left hoof gleamed as a magical circle formed underneath, the line of power lancing out to painlessly strike Sweetie Belle, and silence her magic. With a surprised yelp, Sweetie Belle tumbled back onto her haunches, staring wide-eyed at the devil as she stepped closer.
My poor Sweetie Belle...
Pain and love battled in Rarity's mind with each step, face scrunching up slightly and tears filling her eyes. Three hundred years had not eased the pain of losing her only family in the world; Sweetie Belle was practically her daughter. She loved her so much...
"I always knew you'd grow up beautiful, Sweetie," Rarity whispered softly, smiling as she stepped in front of her, "Beautiful and talented... I've never been more proud of you than I am right now."
Sweetie Belle's emerald eyes stared into her maroon orbs, and a low whimper rose out of Sweetie Belle's parched throat.
"R-rari- mmmph!"
Sweetie's eyes widened to practically saucer-sized as Rarity clutched her tight, kissing her firmly. Magic curled around the two, and the smaller mare trembled as Rarity's experienced tongue powered into her shy mouth, battering her stunned tongue aside. Little points of magic knew all the spots to rub and stroke to keep Sweetie Belle a pliant little ball of mewly fur in her big sister's arms. Corruptive magic poured down into Sweetie's body, and Rarity reveled in the ecstasy of the act. Shifting slightly, she pressed Sweetie Belle against the warm rock wall of the alleyway, deepening the kiss, and delighting at the ragged moan from Sweetie Belle, the heat wafting away from her little sex. Desperately, the urge to bond to her sister rose up in Rarity's mind like a tidal wave, but Rarity forced it down.
No, that moment demanded- DEMANDED- the proper setting. Rose petals, wine, fireside... not a dirty alley.
A little spark from Rarity's horns arced into Sweetie's horn, and the stunned little unicorn went limp in Rarity's grip, safe at last.
*****************************
"Git back here, you lil' varmint," Applejack growled softly, nimbly leaping through the bars and piles of crates; the Industrial section was a cluttered place, and her opponent was trying to lose her in the mess.
But Applejack had never lost something she had been chasing after, not once, and she was certainly not going to start now. As the little cloaked figure ducked into a factory, Applejack smirked.
Gotcha now.
Hardening her skin into bark with a thought, Applejack leaped through a large glass window set in the factory wall, the glass splintering around her easily. And her aim was perfect. With a shocked cry, the figure was tackled into the darkness of the powerless factory, the pair of them slamming into a machine, and quickly getting into a brawl. Hooves smashed into each other with incredible force, and Applejack's sharp teeth sliced through flesh at several points, though she tried to keep that to a minimum- Twilight had ordered the interloper alive. But this interloper was a superb wrestler: she could twist around and slam with the best of them, and Applejack found herself laughing at the amazing challenge this mare was giving her.
With a loud cry, Applejack slammed her head into the side of her opponent, wrapping her legs around their barrel and squeezing tightly- her opponent screamed shrilly as something deep crackled, and AJ swung them hard to one side, skidding them out into the sunlight streaming through the shattered window. Their cloak was tattered and had flopped over her attacker, but the fight seemed to have been beat out of them. Applejack shook her head, wincing as she felt her own wounds healing.
"Oof, a broken leg. Ha, that hurt."
Grinning down at the panting, beating figure, a tendril extended from Applejack's mane, yanking the cloak away from the body... of Applebloom. The slightly smaller earth pony stared up at Applejack in utter, frozen shock, still panting quietly from the ferocity of the chase and brawl. She was bleeding from several punctures and cuts to her legs and side, and a massive bruise was already swelling on her face. Applejack stared down at her little sister in a little shock... and a heaping helping of pride. She had grown into a bomb shell: a beautiful, if somewhat rugged face, sturdy body, and a long red mane, tied back in a loose ponytail. Her cutie mark had finally come in- an apple half, with a cog built out of the other side.
"A-applejack?" Applebloom breathed, staring at her blearily, "Is... i-is that really you?"
"Damn right it is," AJ replied warmly, leaning down to kiss the tip of her muzzle, "You gave me one hell of a lickin', Applebloom. Good job."
Blushing faintly, Applebloom managed a weak little grin, "Heh, I g-guess I got better at w-wrasslin?"
A painful cough ripped up from her chest, and AJ gave a small wince.
Might have gone a bit too far. Gotta fix this.
Closing her eyes, dozens of little seeds and berries dropped out of her mane and tail, digging into the concrete floor of the factory. Within seconds, massive flower stalks were piercing the artificial ground, splitting off to fill the factory floor with leaves and thick pods. Applebloom stared around in shock at the strange, otherworldly junglescape taking over, turning the area into a literal concrete jungle.
"Now ya'll heal 'er up, keep 'er safe till I come back," AJ instructed the plants firmly, smiling soothingly to Applebloom as a clear pod slowly enclosed around her, "And no more corruptin' than necessary. I'll handle that. Oh, yes I will..."
*************************
Rainbow Dash chuckled as she bobbed and weaved through the Merchant District, slowly gaining on the smaller pegasus. She was good! Really good, in fact, and cunning. She could jump and glide-dive like a batpony, but could put on little bursts on speed that were positively blistering. But Rainbow Dash could sense her tiring out. She had a lot of questions for this little interloper. Like where the hell had she learned Dash's special fighting techniques. Rainbow Dash had never taught anypony else that style of fast movements and acrobatics, nopony except Scootaloo and... well...
Blinking slowly, Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and sped up frantically. Okay, now she HAD to know! The pegasus landed on a flat roof, sprinting towards the opposite end; Dash zoomed after her, tucking her wings close to her sides to pick up speed. Light began to dance at the edge of her vision as she picked up speed- and slammed into the pegasus just as she leaped.
"Yaaaaaaah!"
The pair landed in a controlled tumble on the cobblestones; Dash coming to a rest atop the... Scootaloo? The little dull orange pegasus writhed frantically, eyes clenched tight, but Dash's grip with her hooves was absolute, keeping Scootaloo's pinned by her head. Her mane, which was longer and rattier than Dash remembered, was black, but it didn't take a genius to figure out it was dyed, and badly at that. Underneath the cloak, Dash was rather horrified at how thin her honorary little sister was, and some of the marks on her...
"R-rainbow Dash?"
Scootaloo's eyes had opened, and she stared up in shock at the larger pegasus pinning her down. Dash let out a wide grin.
"The one and only, squirt," she replied playfully, a surge of love rising from her heart as she dived down to kiss Scootaloo deeply, her wings sliding up her sides teasingly.
Despite Scootaloo's far-too-thinness, she was very hot. Corded muscles quivered under Rainbow's touch, and her wing muscles were strong. Scootaloo's wings were still stunted, but Dash was now more than certain her Mistress could fix that. Her Mistress could do damn near anything.
"R-rainbow," Scootaloo gasped between kisses, squeaking and jerking gently against her, "I-I... nnh..."
Gently worrying Scootaloo's little ear in her sharpened teeth, Rainbow Dash giggled quietly, holding her little sister tightly against her, "Don't you worry about a thing now, Scoots. You're mine, and Twilight's. And we'll never, ever let you go again..."
***************************
Radiant Bolt, one of the High Mages of Canterlot, panted raggedly as he and his acolytes raced into an abandoned factory space on the edge of the Industrial Sector, quickly moving to block the doors with the strongest and heaviest pieces of machinery they could find. And while his acolytes did that, Radiant began the frantic preparations for the ritual. The Brothers Horn had been most explicit in their instructions. The Celestial Protocol had to be enacted to combat the demons. Even if it leveled Canterlot around them, they could not let the demons gain a foothold as strong as Canterlot in their world, or all Equestria might fall. The ex-Elements of Harmony were out for blood, and that Cadance...
Shuddering, Radiant Bolt carefully drew the proper lines into place with his magic, blue trails following him as he worked. The array was complex and powerful, thrumming with the arcane even as it was built. All the High Mages had been taught this ritual after they pledged their faith and loyalty to the Nobles; the Protocol, despite its dangers, was one of their best weapons in the fight against any who might threaten Equestria. And of course, it had failsafes...
As the unicorn completed the ritual array, high above, the sun began to pulse, just shy of its noon spot, glaring down at the land that had betrayed it. The magic building around it was intense, and all across the world of Equus, people and ponies took notice. Something very big was about to come down...