A Demon In Ponyville

by Terciel1249

Hellfire, Darkfire Pt. 3

A Demon in Ponyville

Ch. 14: Hellfire, Darkfire. Pt. 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to MLP or any of its related material.
Edited by hunterman3.

“What in the hay is so great about this place?” Rainbow Dash’s voice echoed over the wide expanse of dirt and rocks. The six mares stood in front of a tall grey concrete wall. Behind the wall, Rainbow Dash could see the high roofs and metal walls of the military installation. The hill slowly descended down to the valley floor. In the distance, the ponies could see the faintest signs of a river splitting the flat earth.

Rainbow Dash turned to look at the solitary figure of Dark Matthew. His back was turned to the wall and the ponies. In a burst of speed, Rainbow Dash hovered next to the dark pony, “Alright what is it now? More drama? More friends for us to meet?” In a huff, Rainbow Dash crossed her arms over her barrel waiting patiently for Dark Matthew’s response.

Twilight watched Rainbow Dash’s expression change from annoyed to pure unadulterated fear. Quickly the five ponies joined their friend, looking to Rainbow Dash then to Dark Matthew. His crimson eyes sparkled with a fire that can only be found in the deepest circle of Hell. Across his, Dark Matthew sported a smile wide enough to reveal every single one of his sharp teeth. Dark Matthew’s tail reacted to the level of excitement in his chest, kicking up several clouds of dust in its movements.

“W-what are you smiling at?” Pinkie Pie asked. Pinkie’s cotton candy mane quivered in fear at Matthew’s smile. There’s something really wrong with that smile.

“Here,” Dark Matthew whispered. His voice was soft like the wind, but filled with something powerful. From the tone of his voice, Dark Matthew sounded as if he was looking upon a masterpiece of art. “Here was where I was baptized.”

All of ponies stood in silence at Dark Matthew’s words. “What do you mean baptized?” Twilight asked in hesitation.

“For years,” Dark Matthew recounted, “we were allowed to stay on this base, under their watchful eye. We were kept here as a provision. To ensure we, the cursed ones, could not endanger the lives of the people.” Dark Matthew took a deep breath, his teeth glinting in the light like a dangerous predator, “But they didn’t realize what the demons were doing!” Dark Matthew’s cold laughter rolled over the empty fields in front of him.

“What were the demon’s doing?” Applejack asked when Dark Matthew’s fit of laughter finally settled down.

“When they first appeared, the demons were merely causing the greatest amount of destruction they could. They killed as many people as they could to prepare for the real show,” Dark Matthew looked upon the empty field. The scene slowly changed. The skies darkened, the air became filled with the sounds of loud screaming and bloody moans. “No one knew the demons they fought before were of the lesser order. The more powerful monsters had yet to reveal themselves.”

The Mane 6 watched the scene unfold before them. What they saw scared them to the very core. Covering every inch of the dry dirt was a mass of bodies. Men, women and children moved towards the walls of the base. Their eyes were glazed over, giving them a vacant white appearance. Their clothes where shambles, rags barely clinging their bones much like the flesh. Chunks of skin and muscle were missing from these human bodies. Some were missing arms and legs. Thousands of bodies marched towards the base’s grey wall.

There was something wrong with the way they moved, shambling towards the ponies with awkward steps. These bodies moved with single minded determination as they stumbled across the dirt and rocks. Their mouths were held wide open, releasing hungry cries into the air through rotten and missing teeth. Blood flowed freely from these bags of flesh, quenching the land’s thirst and turning the dirt into a rustic color. Dark heavy drops of liquid rained over the heads of these lifeless corpses, drenching them in crimson liquid.

“This was where I was baptized by blood,” Dark Matthew looked up towards the sky. All of the ponies followed Dark Matthew’s eyes. Something huge was floating over the army of bodies. Twilight felt very small as she looked up at the hundred foot sphere hovering high above their heads. The sphere’s surface shifted and moved to its own accord unnaturally.

Rainbow Dash squinted at the giant ball, trying to decipher what it was. Fluttershy turned to Rainbow Dash, seeing her friend pale at the sight. The entire sphere was composed of the intertwining human bodies. All of those soulless corpses squirmed seamlessly against their master, protecting him from any physical harm. The mass of undulating bodies sickened the ponies, rotting flesh rubbing against rotting flesh.

“I present to you, Thralk,” Dark Matthew said, turning to see all of the muzzles of the Mane 6 turn a light green

“What is that thing?!” Twilight practically screeched, losing herself to fear in the presence of the overwhelming giant ball of zombie death hovering above the army of the dead.

“There are four levels of demon,” Dark Matthew explained, enjoying Twilight’s expression of horror and sickness. I know I shouldn’t enjoy this, but I’m gonna anyway. “The first wave are considered the weakest. The second level is larger, more powerful, but they are clumsy and awkward. The third level can vary in size. Their strength is incredible, able to wipe out an entire city with ease.”

Dark Matthew sat silently, looking at the approaching corpses without much care. “What about the fourth level,” Applejack asked, her eyes shifting back and forth between Dark Matthew and the hungry mass of bodies.

“There is only one level four entity,” Dark Matthew said to her. Dark Matthew refused to comment further on the topic.

“And that big one? Which level does he belong to?” Pinkie Pie asked, her mane quivering.

“The third level,” Dark Matthew nodded sagely, “this particular demon was known as Thralk, the Un-killable.”

“And you had to fight that thing?” Rainbow Dash asked, her insides shook at the sight of thousands upon thousands of gapping mouths seeking to render human flesh.

“Not just me,” Dark Matthew shrugged indifferently. “At fourteen years old, I had barely attained a fifth of the power I have now. No, I needed my friends for this fight.”

Fluttershy scanned the area to her left and then the right, “Where are you?”

“I’m right back there,” Dark Matthew motioned towards the wall behind his back.

All of the ponies turned their heads to the grey wall. Standing in front of the wall was a group of fifty children wearing the same cameo pants and tan shirts. All of them looked scared. Matthew stood next to Derek. The last three years had been considerate, providing a few inches to his trimmed physique. Derek was taller still. Derek’s physical body was far more imposing than any of the other children’s. Matthew’s and Derek’s faces were both pale, eyes wide at the sight of so many screaming soulless creations.

Standing next close to them was Mari and Shannon. Shannon’s dark freckles were visible from a mile away against her white cheeks. Mari was… still the same pale face expressing no emotion whatsoever.

“Hey Matthew?” Derek asked, his voice shaking.

“Yeah, Derek?”

“What’s the plan again?”

Matthew took a deep breath, “I think the plan was to stand in front of the wall and hold them back while the machine gunners and helicopter provide air support until the jets from Norphic take out the giant ball of floating bodies.”

“Okay,” Derek said, his voice rising in pitch. “But what happens when the payload gets here? We’ll be under the damn thing! How do we get away from the explosion?”

Matthew stood silently, watching the wall of bodies draw closer to them. Their limbs jerked forward in a bizarre march with single minded determination. Their howls continued to echo across this field of battle.

“There isn’t a plan… is there?” Derek asked, his throat tightening at the thought of what was about to happen next.

“We win or we die,” Matthew said, quoting Commander Huntsman’s address to the entire base beforehand. The Commander had taken a few moments to speak to Matthew’s group, his tone serious, “Whoever walks away from this battle is not a hero or a soldier. We are monsters and nothing more.” Matthew turned to face Derek, the sadness in his voice etched in every line across his young face.

Fluttershy felt a sadness seep into her heart. The hopelessness etched in all of the hybrids was clearly visible against the dull grey wall. Every single pair of eyes looked to the marching army, knowing the hell that would soon be released on them.

Matthew turned to each of his friends, looking them straight in the eyes. Matthew felt his body tingle as adrenaline was pumped through his veins. The flight or fight reflex split Matthew’s mind in half. Fear tugged at his heart to run and survive. But there was no running from this horror. The army of stinking rotting flesh would continue to march on the base and eventually, someone or something would eventually find him. The only option now was to stand and fight.

“Everyone,” Matthew said, looking to Derek, then Shannon and ending on Mari. “I don’t know if we can survive this. But I want you to know something…” Matthew jabbed his thumb behind his back towards the approaching bodies. “I’m kinda attached to you guys. So don’t die or else I’m gonna have no one left to talk too after this.”

Silence fell over the group. All of the ponies except for Fluttershy looked at Matthew in some form of anger or annoyance. The group of humans however felt differently about Matthew’s comment.

The corners of Shannon’s mouth twitched, “I could say the same to you. Who else is going to be my punching bags?”

“You could always use what’s his face?” Mari added calmly.

“Oh yeah,” Shannon scratched the back of her head absentmindedly, “What’s his face, that annoying guy with the voice. What was his name?”

“Hmmm… Was it Jock?” Derek offered.

“Hanzel?” Matthew offered.

“It’s Hannes’ you twits,” a loud, proper sounding British accent called over their heads. The owner was a fairly tall and very well built boy of fifteen. His light brown hair was well kept. The young man had even gone as far as to comb his hair to one side to show off his strong chin and brow. “And if you ask me, I think it’s time I start getting some respect from you four!”

“No one’s asking you Hannes!” Shannon retorted.

“Yeah!” Matthew shouted.

“But-“

“Shut up Hannes! The big kids are talking,” Derek shouted over his shoulder.

“Now wait just a m-“

“Oh look the signal!” Derek called out, pointing towards the bright white flare flying high above their heads before exploding into a shower of white sparks.

Every one of the hybrids tensed. Their bodies were ready to act, but a deep fear held them in place. No matter the amount of training or how great the teacher, there was nothing that could fully prepare them for this fight. This was war.

Only four of the hybrids moved.

With a battle cry, Matthew and his friends rushed into battle. Yes, they were afraid. Yes, they didn’t want to fight. They had no choice but to run head first into this bloodbath. There was no place for hesitation here. No place for mercy. Here was where children went to die. Matthew knew it. He knew the moment the Commander stopped by his group to utter those words that he and his friends were nothing to him. They were tools to be used until they were no longer of use to humanity.

Twilight and her friends watched helpless as Matthew threw his right hand forward, throwing a blast of dark energy into the mass of soulless bodies. Body parts and blood flew in every direction. Derek summoned his power. Both of his hands became engulfed in a spectral white material. Like a solid fog, both of Derek’s hands formed into pure white claws. With each slash, Derek effortlessly took limbs from anything within his reach.

Mari held her left hand in front of her, whispering, “Tear.” Ten of Mari’s special chains and hooks shot from the shadow behind her. The metal appendages tore into flesh and bone, severing limbs from the bodies of her prey.

Shannon’s fingers curled into tight fists as she ignited her power. Bright red and orange flames burst into life over her hands. The flesh was unaffected by the flickering flames as she threw her hands towards the front of her. Two streams of bright flames lanced towards the tattered bodies. Flesh burnt under the torrent of bright flames. Angry cries left the tattered and destroyed throats of the zombies.

With encouragement from Matthew and his friends, the rest of the hybrids joined in on the fray. The small number of hybrids collided with the wall of dead bodies. Zombies of all sizes flew through the air indiscriminately.

Matthew continued to plunge deeper into the mass of writhing bodies. Ducking under a woman who tried to grab him, Matthew used his shoulders to flip her over his head. Striking out with his right hand, Matthew knocked a male’s head clean off. The projectile flew backwards, knocking bodies over as it sped through the air.

A corroded arm wrapped itself around Matthew’s wrist. With a swift motion, Matthew pulled on the arm with his free hand. The thing’s limb tore from the female’s torso with a sickening squelch. Arm in one hand, Matthew used the arm to backhand the offending zombie.

Body parts flew in every direction. Blood rained over Matthew’s head. Matthew’s fist drove into the stomach of a rather fat man. Even with Matthew’s fingers wrapped around the man’s spine, the man lowered his head with surprising speed. The man’s teeth sunk deep into Matthew’s shoulder. Matthew screamed, blood seeping between the corroded teeth down Matthew’s arm.

With a single motion, Matthew pulled the zombie’s spine out trough the torso. Matthew flicked his wrist, breaking the zombie’s teeth from his flesh with a sickening crack. Using the head as a mace, Matthew bashed two more zombies into bloody pulp before his improvised weapon snapped in two. Matthew became overwhelmed by the dozen of bodies swarming on top of him.

Pinkie Pie gasped, holding her hoof to her muzzle as Matthew’s screams reach her. Matthew blasted the bodies piled on top of him with dark energy. Pinkie could see the bit and claw marks stand against Matthew’s pale skin on both arms.

“Don’t worry,” Dark Matthew said, looking to the sickened ponies. “I make it in the end.”

Derek jumped over Matthew’s head, slamming both of his claws into the torso of two zombies. Matthew rushed forward to him, kicking a zombie clawing its way across the earth towards Matthew with no legs. Using Derek’s shoulder as a stepping stone, Matthew jumped forward, getting almost ten feet of air. Throwing his right hand forward, Matthew blasted a large hole in the group leaving a large area of blackened earth.

But the moment was short lived. Within ten seconds, Matthew’s opening was overrun by the zombie horde. Matthew blasted the wave of slimy limbs rushing towards him.

All Matthew could see was the hungry eyes and gnashing teeth of the bloodied bodies he continued to fight. With each zombie Matthew destroyed, twenty more took its place. No matter how many Matthew blasted with his energy, tore them apart limb from limb, blasted them into thousands of little bits, or used them as a projectile, more would come.

Matthew couldn’t track how many he had slain. More and more of these pale abominations slipped past his defenses. Time slowly dragged forward without rest as more and more damage was dealt to Matthew’s body. There was no end to it.

The ponies watched Matthew and his friends fight tooth and nail to hold the ground they stood on. Matthew forced himself to continue moving. Sweat and blood covered every inch of his skin. Chunks of flesh were torn from his body, leaving long jagged gaps in his once smooth skin.

As the hybrids continued to battle, the dark presence of Thralk weighed heavy in their minds. Flashes of muzzle fire and explosive mortars drove deep into the countless zombies swarming against the grey concrete wall.

Running towards Mari, Matthew drove both of his hands into the chest of a zombie that got in his way. With a grunt, Matthew split the body right down the middle. Each half of the zombie’s body collided violently to each side. Matthew threw himself through the air towards the zombie holding Mari to the ground. Pushing out with both of his feet, Matthew blasted through the decayed body without much resistance sending bits of body and organs all over himself and Mari.

Matthew skidded along the soggy ground, rushing to help Mari up with a hand. “You alright?”

Mari held her hand out, chains and hooks shot from her shadow to defend Matthew’s exposed back. Five zombies screamed loudly as the metal chains held them from consuming Matthew soft tantalizing flesh. “Fine,” Mari said, swiping the blood out of her eyes. Several cuts across Mari face were exposed to the air and leaking red fluid down her pale smooth skin.

“You two get moving,” Derek yelled, bulldozing through a large number of the brainless bodies. Like a single minded group of ants, the first instinct of the zombies was to swarm over Derek and kill him with their superior numbers.

Matthew tossed a single ball of energy to Derek’s left, catching the wave of bloodied flesh trying to crush the dark skinned teen. “Why? They getting sleepy?” Matthew gritted through his teeth, looking down at his left leg to find the small body of a child tearing into his flesh with great vigor.

Matthew’s fist knocked the smaller zombie off of his leg. Before the little girl could hit the ground, Matthew kicked her with his injured leg. Matthew winced as the muscled burned at the hole in his thighs. The only satisfaction Matthew got was the sight of his prey flying at high speeds towards a large cluster making their way towards him and Mari.

Matthew felt himself tiring out. Every second in this blood-soaked sand called a battlefield cost Matthew. The adrenaline was wearing off. Blood flowed freely from his body. For every bone he broke, organ’s he tore out did nothing to deter Thralk’s minions. Matthew forced his fists to move. For almost an hour, Matthew and his friends had to push through a sea of enemies.

For every minute, every second, Twilight and her friends had to watch.

Fluttershy held her eyes shut and pressed her hooves against her ears, but she couldn’t drown out the hungry cries of the zombies trying to eat Matthew. Fluttershy couldn’t remove the image of the bloody battle going around her.

Twilight watched with horror. This wasn’t the pony she knew. The human Twilight watched didn’t have the fire or rage Matthew did. But this was the beginning. The spark of desperation that would give birth to a rage that could burn the world.

Rainbow Dash held Fluttershy close to her. She could not hide the look of disgust on her face. Rainbow Dash’s face paled at the sight of such carnage. Matthew’s screams filled the air, a zombie jumping on his back and sinking its teeth into the side of his neck. Rainbow watched Matthew reach over his head with his right hand, ripping the long haired head forcibly from its body.

Applejack held a hoof to her barrel. The freckles on each cheek were dark against her pale cheeks. For the first time, Applejack didn’t see the brash Matthew she met just a few days ago. The human’s eyes were filled with such fear. It wasn’t just the fear of his life ending hear, but the life of his friends.

Pinkie Pie turned to Dark Matthew, “Um… Matthew?”

“Yes?” Dark Matthew hummed in surprise at Pinkie Pie’s changed demeanor. Her hair was less bouncy than before and her coat looked darker than what he originally remembered.

“Will this end soon?”

“Yes,” Dark Matthew nodded. “All of this will end very soon.”

Pinkie Pie’s ears twitched. Over the sound of screaming and the constant gunfire flying overhead, Pinkie could hear a high pitched whistling. Turning to the source, Pinkie’s bright blue eyes focused on the white dots lining the sky high above the base’s grey wall. “Oh no.”

The soldiers took cover behind the thick defense as the Commander’s call echoed across every radio. “Incoming! Take cover!”

Not one of the soldiers thought to call to the children fighting below. No one had given them a radio to get the warning when the missiles were inbound. No one cared to warn them.

Shannon looked to the sky to find the bright flashes of bullets raining down on the undead had ceased. Her light eyes looked to the wall, catching a glimpse of the twenty missiles flying at high speeds towards Thralk.

“Look out!” Shannon screamed at the top of her lungs.

No one had time to react when the first missile collided with the outer layer protecting Thralk. The explosion was massive. The shockwave knocked Matthew and the rest of his friends to the ground alongside the bloodthirsty bodies trying to consume them.

From the blast, hundreds of body flew from Thralk’s protective sphere. Thralk’s protection fell through the air onto Matthew and his fellow hybrids. Matthew grunted as hundreds of pounds of dead flesh slammed him into the blood soaked earth. Matthew tried to lift himself, his hand pushing against the crimson mud.

More missiles collided with Thralk. The shifting mass of bodies was torn apart by a mass of fire. Screaming bodies fell from the sky as layers upon layers of Thralk’s defenses were torn from him. The weight pressing down on Matthew increased. Matthew’s vision became filled with the twitching, decaying flesh of the zombies. Ever breath was filled with the smell of rotten burning flesh.

More and more bodies fell from Thralk, until they finally reached the monster inside. Deep inside the walls of flesh and bone, sat a glowing core as bright as the noonday sun. Thralk’s brilliance illuminated the mounds of corpses covering the vast valley floor. Blood glittered like gemstones covering the dead.

Thralk roared in rage. The earth and sky shook as his anger boiled to the surface. With a flash of blinding white light, Thralk fired a pure beam of plasma towards the remaining missiles. The Commander and his soldiers were speechless at the display of power. Lara coughed, the air becoming filled by the smell of ozone.

When the base personnel looked towards the looming figure of Thralk, his once blinding brilliance had dimmed to the point of glowing embers. Without delay, Thralk made his retreat. Without his armor, Thralk could be hurt by the human’s weapons.

Thralk left the battlefield with great haste. But he would not be away for long. He would return and Thralk would ensure his mission succeeded when he replenished the ranks of his undead army.

The ponies watched atop the pile of corpses. “Why is he leaving?” Rainbow Dash asked, her voice a whisper to Dark Matthew’s ears.

“Thralk doesn’t like the personnel touch,” Dark Matthew commented. “He would prefer to squash his enemy with overwhelming numbers rather than waste his energy on us.”

Looking around, Fluttershy asked, “Where’s Matthew at?” No matter where she looked, the yellow Pegasus could not find Matthew’s fourteen year old body.

“He’s underneath us,” Dark Matthew answered.

Several feet below their hooves, Matthew lay sprawled against the blood soaked earth. Matthew’s senses were being overwhelmed. The deafening chorus of hungry mouths and the constant shuffling of limbs as the few remaining zombies tried desperately to clay their way out of the wreckage of their brethren filled Matthew’s ears. The smell of rotten and burnt meat sickened Matthew to his stomach, causing him to wretch under the countless bodies piled on top of him. From head to toe, Matthew was covered in dark clotting blood seeping into his cloths, hair and into his eyes.

Matthew forced himself to move. Against his bruised body and burning muscles, Matthew pushed his way through the mass of stringy flesh and sinew. Slowly, ever so slowly, Matthew slid through the slimy remains. Arms, legs, hands and torsos pressed against Matthew from all sides. With only one way to go Matthew moved through the pitch black space feeling every shift in the masses.

Further Matthew pushed through dead flesh, the closer he reached salvation. Matthew’s ears picked up a murmur of voices above his head. Several loud voices called out to their comrades mere feet from Matthew. With renewed vigor, Matthew tore through the remaining bodies in a desperate bid to get to the surface.

The heads of the soldiers turned to see Matthew’s arm slice through the thin torso of a heavily burnt woman. Matthew’s second arm escaped the confines of the body pile. Matthew was almost there. Fresh air was a single step away.

Tearing the body in half, Matthew managed to pull his head above the bloody corpse. Sweet relief filled Matthew’s lungs. Matthew didn’t have anything left in the tank to free himself further. But that didn’t matter. Matthew could only lean back, taking in the fresh air. A fresh cold breeze whipped across Matthew’s face. Matthew refused to move, his body to sore and tired to move. Thankfully, there was nothing left to think about. He had survived.

“We got one!” A loud masculine voice yelled to Matthew’s right.

Fluttershy watched in horror. This young child was tied, soaked to the skin with clotting blood. His eyes were closed, unable to find enough strength to fully free himself from the pile.

Roughly, each soldier reached underneath one of Matthew’s arms and pulled him free. With a sickening squelch, Matthew’s lower extremities came free from the mass of limbs. The pair tossed Matthew to the side. Matthew stumbled on the uneven ground, tripping over his own feet. Matthew held out his arms to catch himself. Both of Matthew’s palms collided with the soggy flesh with sickening results. Ignoring the slimy mass under his hands, Matthew tried desperately to wipe away the blood covering his eyes, scrubbing at his face to remove the chunks of red clots sticking to his eyelids.

After several seconds of scrubbing, Matthew was finally able to open his eyes. The ponies watched Matthew’s face pale. All around him was death. The open fields in front of the base were filled with bodies spreading far off into the horizon. Matthew’s insides felt empty as his eyes scanned the countless bodies.

No one tried to help Matthew. No one called to him or assisted him. The soldiers merrily sifted through the bodies left by Thralk. Matthew was left alone in the fields of blood-soaked earth. Matthew’s dark brown eyes finally took in the death and destruction surrounding him.

Twilight watched the horror grow on Matthew’s young face. The expression captivated her. That look in his eyes. On this day, Matthew got his first taste of war. This rustic flavor trapped in his mouth, the feeling of his heavy and numb, accompanied by the emptiness he felt on the inside were just the beginning for Matthew.

Matthew hesitantly got to his feet. Like a drunken man, Matthew sauntered towards the gates of the base. Other hybrids made their way alongside him.

Today, Matthew’s eyes were opened to the world of violence he now belonged to.

Applejack looked to Fluttershy. The shy Pegasus watched with horror at the children marching towards the open gates. Passing through the thick barrier of concrete and steel, Matthew’s numbed senses were assaulted by the cheers of soldiers.

Applejack watched the small number of surviving children. The soldiers around them cheered. Not one soldier died today, only the hybrids. Not one of the soldiers cheered for them. No one wanted to thank them or offer their condolences.

Matthew caught sight of Derek. Derek’s eyes were wide, his skin paled to the point you would almost consider him to be one of the corpses lying on the ground outside the thick walls. There was emptiness in Derek’s eyes, the same as Matthew’s. This is how the world was.

Applejack looked to Dark Matthew. Dark Matthew wore a sly grin. His red eyes watched his younger self wallow in despair. “What hap-happin’d to that Thralk thing?”

“Some of the other establishments were able to send a few Apache helicopters to track Thralk,” Dark Matthew scratched his chin absentmindedly. “But when they found him, he was already dead.”

This new development caught Twilight’s attention, “Who killed him?”

“Hmm,” Dark Matthew though for a moment, “If I remember correctly, when the pilots caught up with Thralk’s body they found an arrow had pierced his body. The reports said he was almost cracked completely in half.”

Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie turned to Dark Matthew with surprise. “What could kill something like that?”

Dark Matthew chuckled, “An arrow made of pure white light was what they found inside Thralk’s body. That could only mean one thing.”

“What?”

Dark Matthew shrugged, “You’ll have to find out for yourselves.” Dark Matthew calmly stood up, taking a moment to stretch his back. Turning away from the ponies in front of him, Matthew turned away from the ponies.

Before he could move, Fluttershy whispered, “I don’t want to go any further.”

Dark Matthew’s right ear fluttered at the sound of Fluttershy’s words. “What do you mean?”

“I think I understand Matthew better now,” Fluttershy turned her light blue eyes to Twilight. “I know why you wanted to go deeper… It was fear.” Taking a shuttering breath, Fluttershy continued, “You’re afraid of Matthew’s powers. It’s okay to be afraid though. Fear is natural.”

Fluttershy motioned towards the place Matthew’s human form once stood. “That’s the same fear he felt. The primal fear of something you don’t understand. Something you can’t control. But Matthew did nothing to warrant our intrusion.”

“But Flutters-” Twilight began. Fluttershy held up a hoof, effectively silencing Twilight.
“No Twilight, we’re done,” Fluttershy stated. “We got to see some of Matthew’s history. We know he isn’t bad. And we know he originally didn’t want to fight. Now we stop.” Fluttershy looked towards Dark Matthew, “Could you please show us the exit?”

Silence stood between the six friends and their dark guide. Dark Matthew’s smile faltered.

Twilight attempted a second argument, “Come on girls, we still don’t know much about Matt-”

Applejack walked up to Twilight, placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “It’s alright sugarcube,” Applejack said in a soft tone, “We don’t need to know everything about him. We know he saved us from the hydra and Chrysalis. That’s all we need to know. If Matthew wanted to hurt us, he would have.”

Twilight’s eyes turned to Dark Matthew, her eyes wide with fear as she looked to the stationary stallion. “But what about him?”

Applejack turned to Dark Matthew. Applejack thought for a moment, chewing her lips. “Ah don’t know,” Applejack finally admitted. “But what Ah do know, is that this Matthew isn’t the one we’ve been dealing wit in the real world.”

Dark Matthew watched the group with vacant eyes. His expression was unreadable by the ponies. Rainbow Dash even went so far as to ask, “You alright there?”

“When you first entered here,” Dark Matthew whispered, “I saw something beautiful in you.” Dark Matthew faced each of the ponies in turn; first Appeljack, then Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and finally Fluttershy. “I saw the fear in you, Twilight, the curiosity and the fire inside you. But such naïve curiosity was beautiful, pure. You thought there would be no consequences for your actions.” Dark Matthew smirked, “You wanted to enter my head with such naivety, believing you were above reproached for your actions. I love it!”

Dark Matthew chuckled, the sound rumbled out from his barrel. “But you’re in my world now.”

Fluttershy’s fur shivered at the sound of Dark Matthew’s voice. With a wave of his hoof, Dark Matthew said, “And can’t leave until I’m done with you.”

All of the ponies screamed in terror. Hundreds of hands shot from ground to wrap around Twilight’s and her friend’s legs. All of the ponies tried desperately to pull away, but the iron clad grips from so many hands held firm. Slowly, each of the ponies was pulled into the earth. Fear filled their eyes as they looked to Dark Matthew, the ground rising to fill their vision with utter blackness.

Dark Matthew watched the six multicolored ponies sink into the worn earth. “Now the fun really begins.”

Comments

[Moongaze14]

Intense chapter, man.

[Terciel1249]

5975786 I certainly don't see anything wrong with that.

[SilentMech]

They opened the gates to hell and expected minor horrors, what they got was eldritch horror terrors that defy identification, monsters with no name, and demons with no restraint or limits. May eternity have pity on them and end that much sooner...

[Trevor12300]

5975786 I do too

[zooba]

I think "be careful what you wish for" punishment is right up a half-demon's alley. Just a hunch, but it looks like Angels are joining the fight now.

[Terciel1249]

5975874 I agree. It really does erk me when this happens in some HIE fics because I would personally be angry myself.

There's an interesting story about this whole inside Matthew's mind trip that I'm reminded of. When I started this story, I wanted to introduce this trip as a means of introducing the world Matthew came from and to introduce Matthew's darker side. The ponies have seen Matthew as a potential hero and a jerk, but they never seen him at his strongest or when he's at his most dangerous. That lead be to the idea of showing Matthew's development from the first mark to his current level of power. When considering the idea of what Matthew's head would look like, I based the three different ponies inside Matthew's mind off of Aristotle's writing 'On the Soul' and each circle based off the nine circles of hell in Dante's Inferno.

When I decided to do this, I realized that I hadn't decided how would Matthew react to this. I thought for it for some time and I realized that Matthew's reaction would have to be completely different from characters in other HIE stories. I decided to instead of just Matthew reacting to the Mane Six, it would also be the three personalities of Matthew. Earth pony Matthew and Pegasus Matthew would try to stop them all together. The third Matthew wants something completely different, he wants to punish them by giving them exactly what they want. Dark Matthew wants to show them not only what it means to be weak and powerless, but how their naivety can lead them to their own despair.

[NoLongerSober]

5975786 Not even a little. I think the vast majority of us would have quit reading if the Mane 6 hadn't received some form of punishment.

[ReaperManX15]

Oh, fuck the hell yes.

[BronyPonyMan]

“Now the fun really begins.”

my thoughts exactly.