• Published 23rd May 2012
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Pony May Cry: Brotherhood is Magic - Joey JoJo



A series of cosmic events cast the demon sons of Sparda, Dante and Vergil, into Equestria as ponies.

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Part 1 - Chapter 22: Superbeast

All restraint was gone
The Crimson Terror had been unleashed
His bloodlust running rampant
Invoking the wrath of the Azure Atrocity

The sounds of clashing metal and demonic cries echoed from out of the mountains all through the night sky; almost as though they were a morbid symphony sung to the tunes of bloodlust and rage. A symphony orchestrated by none other than the warring demon twins, Dante and Vergil. With Dante now in his Devil form, he had finally managed to level the playing field between him and his brother. Their swordplay at this point proved evenly matched. It was as if an unstoppable force was colliding with an immovable object over and over, neither side faltering in their strength. Unfortunately, with that increase in speed and power, came the price of Dante’s own sanity.

It appeared as though Vergil’s deduction had proven correct from the beginning. Their current anatomy played a key factor when it came to control over both their abilities and devil powers. It was all the more proof that Dante, despite his best efforts, had yet to truly adapt to the world of Equestria, and was now left to rely only on his most basic of instincts as the devil within him had taken complete control of his mind and body.

“RAAAAAAAGH!” cried the crimson demon as he continued to effortlessly swing the large blade firmly grasped within his claws. It was as though the enormous sword weighed practically nothing to the berserk beast, allowing him to match the rapid swipes of Vergil’s blade with relative ease.

While the two brothers were preoccupied with one another, Twilight and her friends could only bear witness to the ongoing family feud. A conflict unlike anything the girls had ever seen, comparing only to the tales of Nightmare Moon’s rebellion against Celestia. Even then, those stories could not even compare to the blood soaked malice and ferocity displayed by the two devils.

“Twilight!” a voice laced in a familiar southern drawl called out to her, immediately drawing the lavender unicorn’s attention away from the fight.

She fumbled her words briefly, still shaking from her realization. “Y-yes AppleJack!?” she answered while, turning to face the concerned farm pony.

“What was it you were you mumbling ‘bout just a second ago? Who’re the sons of whatsit now?”

“I think it was something about sons of Sparda.” Rainbow Dash butted in as she joined AppleJack’s side. “Whatever that means.”

Twilight quickly exhaled before taking a few deep breaths to reconstitute her previously shattered nerves. She quietly turned towards her friends, meeting their questioning gazes with a grim expression, before speaking up. “Dante and Vergil,” she began with a heavy sigh, “Are the Sons of Sparda: Two half-demons, born of a demon father and mortal mother.”

The group’s attention was now entirely on Twilight as they moved in closer, listening intently to their friend’s explanation despite the ongoing battle that was still taking place, but now a considerable distance away.

“However, with the passing of their mother, the two brothers soon grew divided on their own blood lines, despite their upbringing as equals. The younger sibling embraced his mortal side, while the elder one wanted nothing more than to achieve the same power his father once had and become a full fledged demon. That divide led to endless conflict and strife between the two sons, eventually coming to a bloody end as their final fight was said to have taken place at the edge of Hell itself.”

Exchanging a quick glance with Spike, Twilight then looked back up to the girls.

“According to Vergil, the younger brother slew the older one and sent him falling to his death down into Hell. Yet, somehow, both brothers have wound up here in Equestria. And while it doesn’t make much sense how both of them are alive, there’s not a doubt in my mind that Dante and Vergil are in fact those same demons recalled within that Legend.” She then turned back towards the direction of the two brothers, boldly stating aloud. “And if we allow them to continue to fight like they did in their own world, all of Equestria will soon find itself at the precipice of destruction.”

The girls could not believe what they were hearing. Rarity, AppleJack, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy’s faces were all plastered with a mixture of confused, frightened and even saddened expressions. The very idea that the two ponies they had welcomed into their lives were demons sent an unnerving chill up their spines. All except for Fluttershy, who quietly looked away from the ongoing fight with closed, tear-filled eyes, somberly accepting that Vergil truly was the demon Twilight claimed him to be.

“So what do we do?” Asked Rainbow Dash. “We can’t exactly charge in there.”

“No we can’t,” Twilight agreed. “However, we can at least separate them.”

“How do you propose we do that?” Rarity questioned. “I don’t think either one of them can be reasoned with at this point, Twilight. Vergil’s more than determined to open those dreadful doors and Dante… Well, I’m not sure what to make of his current condition.”

“Then we’ll just separate them ourselves.” Twilight proposed. “As long as we can get Dante to calm down, then we can at least keep Vergil apprehended and away from the Gates.”

“Sounds pretty risky there, Twi.” AppleJack criticized, furrowing her brow. “Especially seeing how Vergil didn’t so much as blink an eye to attack you.”

“Even so, we’re going have to take some risks if we plan on dealing with the both of them.” She stated matter-of-factly. “Dante might have Vergil occupied, but how much longer do you think either of them can keep this up? We’ll just have to pick our moment and move in.” Twilight instructed as she gestured for the group to turn their attention back to the two half-demons.

The demonic Dante, meanwhile, was still lost to the throes of rage as he continued to madly hack and slash away at Vergil. The force and speed from Dante’s heavy sword was overwhelming. Despite Vergil’s swordsmanship, he found himself pushing his limits more and more as he repeatedly attempted to match his brother’s attacks with his own. Eventually, he soon took to the defensive, parrying and blocking his berserk brother’s swipes with relative difficulty as Dante continued to run on a seemingly limitless reserve of stamina and fury.

“If only you could see how pathetic you look right now, brother!” Vergil derisively taunted between blows. “Reduced to nothing more than a mindless, bloodthirsty beast!” Another series of clangs rang out as they swung back and forth. With his limits now being put to the test as their fight raged on, Vergil began leaning more into his attacks, which finally allowed him to gain ground against the crimson demon; his condescending smirk soon replaced with a look of disdain and disgust as he drove his enraged brother back. “You truly are unfit to carry the blood of Sparda!”

Almost as if the berserk devil had comprehended his brother’s arrogant words, Dante lifted Rebellion high above his head as he firmly grasped the hilt of his sword with both claws, and brought the massive blade down with every ounce of strength he could muster.

In an attempt to match Dante’s downward slice, Vergil quickly gripped Yamato with both hooves and swung his blade upward so as to deflect the oncoming attack. Just as the two swords collided, Vergil quickly discovered, much to his shock, that the force from Dante’s sword far outmatched his own as he feebly attempted to hold his ground; his back legs now shaking under the pressure of his brother’s might.

With a blood curdling howl, Dante quickly raised his sword and drove the blade down once again with extraordinary strength and dexterity. Hastily regaining himself, Vergil tried to match his brother’s overwhelmingly fast attack with Yamato. However, just as their swords clashed, Vergil’s strength instantly gave way to the overpowering might of his brother, as he could no longer hold his blade against the crimson devil’s onslaught. With that devastating blow, Vergil was sent careening back into the rocky ledges that surrounded the area. The resulting impact was powerful enough to plunge the half-demon deep into a pony shaped crater as he crashed into the craggy, mountainous walls.

Having done away with his brother, Dante forcefully planted his blade into the ground before proceeding to tilt his head back, unleashing a victorious roar to be heard all throughout the surrounding mountain range; his morbid cries echoing like thunder piercing through the otherwise calmly night air.

“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGH!”

Quickly taking advantage of the situation, Twilight quietly gestured for the group to take her lead as they trotted towards their howling friend.

“Woah! Way to put Vergil in his place, Dante!” cheered Rainbow Dash, trotting not but a few inches behind Twilight. “I mean I knew you were awesome and all, but why didn’t you tell us you were a half-demon?!”

“I have to concur with Rainbow Dash on the issue as well, darling.” Rarity spoke up. “You gave us all quite a fright back there.”

“Yeah!” Spike joined in. “For a second, we thought you were a goner.”

Their praises, however, barely elicted a response from the crimson devil. Instead, the demon’s body continued to quiver with the exhilaration of battle as he glared intently towards the crater where Vergil had crashed through. Just as Spike and the girls inched closer towards the devil, he immediately snapped around to face the group; the ardent flames of his orange eyes still burning with an impossible fervor as his labored breathing escaped his lungs with a ghastly reverberation.

“Easy there, Dante.” said AppleJack, innocently holding up her forelegs. “It’s just us.”

Unfortunately, Dante’s reaction was more than enough cause for the group to hastily back away, all except for Twilight and AppleJack that is. The two mares instead continued to cautiously approach the agitated demon.

“It’s ok, Dante,” Twilight spoke with a sincere and tender disposition in hopes to placate her troubled friend. “There’s no need to be so on edge. It’s me. Twilight.”

Dante only snarled in response before creeping towards the two mares, a menacing air permeating about his body.

“Easy there, partner.” said AppleJack. “The fight’s over. You can quit with the stink eye already.”

“Don’t you recognize us?” Twilight asked. “We’re your friends, remember?”

“Umm, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash piped up from the back of the group “This might just be my imagination, but I don’t think you’re getting through to him.”

“Gotta agree with Dash on this one, Twi.” AppleJack concurred before glancing back at Dante, who was no longer advancing upon the group but instead, started to pace back and forth; never once taking his sights off the two ponies. “Ya might hafta hold him down with one yer fancy spells. At least until we can knock some sense back into ‘im.”

Twilight silently conceded as she took one last look at the savage demon. Steeling herself, the unicorn mare addressed the crimson devil with the utmost authority. “I’m sorry, Dante. But this is for your own good.” Her horn then ignited with its usual magenta aura as she readied her magic.

However, the exact moment Twilight’s horn illuminated, Dante’s eyes shot wide upon witnessing the unicorn mare conjure her magic. Taking Twilight’s actions as a direct threat, the demon went wild, screaming viciously before sprinting towards her and AppleJack in a mad dash. Twilight’s magic immediately dissipated; her focus now shattered, and her entire core wracked with fear at the oncoming presence of her crazed friend. Urgent screams and gasps could be heard coming from Spike and the girls as AppleJack hastily tried to pull her paralyzed friend out of the demon’s path of destruction. “Dagnabit, Twi! Now’s not the time to lock up on me!” the farm pony griped through clenched teeth.

“AppleJack! Twilight!” shouted Pinkie Pie. “Get out of there!”

As soon as she heard those words, Applejack desparately fought to tug Twilight out of harms way, with the encroaching berserk demon screaming in fast.

The farm pony’s efforts would soon prove fruitless, as neither of the two mares could act quickly enough as Dante, ever rapidly closing the distance, lunged into the air. His clawed hooves outstretched, and his monstrous maw opened wide; aimed and ready to clench Twilight’s neck between his gruesomely jagged teeth.

Time itself seemed to slow to a halt at that moment, as Twilight, still wrought with terror, could do nothing but watch Dante dive straight for her. Only now had the gravity of the situation sunk in as Twilight came to realize that the next few moments might be her last. Thoughts of regret and sorrow instantly flooded her mind in those fleeting fractions of a second. Is this how it really ends? What’ll happen to my friends? What would Celestia do at a time like this?! How couldn’t I see they were the sons of Sparda!? This is all my fault for trusting Dante to handle things… yet I couldn’t even stop Vergil myself.

Just then, out of the corner of Twilight’s eye, she caught sight of a fast approaching figure she hadn’t noticed before. As time continued to stand still in those moments of shock and awe, she had managed to focus her gaze on what it was that seemed to be closing in on Dante’s blind side. Just within her peripheral vision was Vergil, who had swooped in with incredible speed and agility; so much so that it looked as if he were the only thing moving within that moment in time. His foreleg, equipped with the Beowulf gauntlet was stretched back, obviously winding up for a punch. And his eyes; those eyes of his, from what Twilight could process in those now fleeting moments, were filled with an instiable rage unlike any she had ever beheld.

Suddenly, as if the world around Twilight ceased to withhold its breath, time instantly resumed as normal. The next instant was such a blur. All Twilight could remember seeing was Vergil throwing a forceful blow into Dante’s jaw before driving the demon’s face straight into the ground with an earth shattering thud. Twilight could have sworn her heart stopped right then and there as the impact from the two brothers landed directly in front of her. A cloud of dust soon started settling around her as Vergil pressed his gauntlet equipped hoof further into Dante’s face, a small impression having formed in the rocky foundation where Dante’s head lay. As his brother squirmed and growled beneath his hoof, Vergil snapped his attention towards Twilight, who was practically at a snout’s length away from him.

Vergil’s voice, now devoid of its calm and collected composure, but instead, was replaced with an impatient fury. “What are you doing!?” he barked.

Twilight, along with AppleJack, who was just as much at a loss of words as she was, could barely bring herself to open her mouth before being cut off by Vergil’s furious reply.

“Leave! Now!”

“But, Dante…” uttered Twilight.

“Isn’t exactly Dante!” Vergil finished as he continued his struggle to keep the snarling demon down. “If you value your life, you’ll stay out of this!”

AppleJack quickly took the opportunity to move between Vergil and Twilight and started ushering the lavender unicorn back to regroup with their friends, gaining as much distance as she could away from the demon twins.

Feeling Vergil’s strength beginning to wane as he pushed against his brother’s hoof, Dante sunk his head back into the hole before exploding up from the ground with the kind of strength only a demon could exude. No longer able to hold his brother down, Vergil was thrown off balance as Dante leaped up from the ground, stumbling backwards in an attempt to regain his footing.

Taking advantage of his brother’s loss of balance, Dante dove forward, tackling Vergil and pinning him to the ground underneath his clawed hooves. With his brother incapacitated, struggling beneath the might of his powerful hold, Dante opened his mouth to let out a victorious howl before throwing his head forward, biting down into Vergil’s shoulder, teeth tearing through his azure coat and silver fur, evoking an agonizing and blood curdling scream from the half-demon.

“AAAAAAAGGH” he cried out as Dante’s teeth sunk deeper into his flesh, bringing forth spurts of blood with every second Dante clenched his jaw down further and further, almost as though his mouth were a steel vice lined with those numerous razors one would consider teeth.

Despite the searing pain shooting throughout his torso, Vergil furiously grinded his teeth before wriggling one of his forelegs free and proceeded to bash his gauntlet against Dante’s skull. “You! Accursed! Beast of burden!” Vergil growled between blows as he continued to pound against Dante’s head; every punch loosening the demon’s maw from his shoulder.

Mesmerized by the bloody spectacle, Spike and the girls could only cringe in response to the ferocity displayed by the savage twins.

Persevering through the numerous punches, Dante could not keep his jaw clenched around his brother’s shoulder much longer. With one last blow to the head, Vergil loosened Dante’s jaw just enough to pull his other foreleg free from the vice like bite. With both forelegs free, Vergil braced himself against the ground and brought his hindlegs up, just under Dante’s body, before propelling the wild demon off him with a powerful springlike kick from both legs.

Dante rolled across the rugged ground, only to scramble back onto all fours as he made a break for his sword, its blade still plunged into the rocky foundation a few meager yards away. Just as Vergil leapt up onto his hind legs, Dante already had both of his claws wrapped around the hilt of Rebellion. With his sword back in his possession, the demon then crouched down onto his hindlegs, and with a single bound, he leaped into the air. Using the momentum and weight from Rebellion, Dante flipped himself forward, effortlessly clearing the distance between him and his brother; his blade ready to split Vergil in two as as he spun towards the half-demon.

Not impressed by the feral demon’s acrobatics, Vergil easily side stepped his brother’s telegraphed attack, avoiding both the blade and the enormous fissure created from the force of Rebellion crashing into the ground at such acceleration. He then reached for Yamato, more than determined to capitalize on his brother’s failed maneuver. However, Dante caught sight of Vergil’s hoof going for his blade within his peripheral vision. Not willing to even so much as give him an opportunity, the demon twisted his upper body and with blinding speed, spun completely around, swinging Rebellion with just a single outstretched hoof.

Before Vergil could even grip the handle of Yamato, the tip of Dante’s blade swung clean across his neck, slicing open his throat. His eyes shot wide as a spurt of crimson mist shot forth from the gash in his jugular, leaving Vergil hunched over onto his knees, gasping for air while leaning against his own sword for support.

“Vergil!” Fluttershy’s horrified screams pierced the air as everyone bore witness to the half-demon struggling to catch his breath, covering his throat with one hoof while a thick stream of crimson seeped from the gaping wound. Paying the mortified pegasus no mind, Dante let out a victorious cry as he stood before his wounded brother.

Between the wheezing and gasps for air, Vergil finally managed to rasp out a coherent sentence as vengeance and hate seemed to coat every word that left his mouth. “Resigned to your fate I see…*gasp*…have it your way then…*cough*…brother.” Much to everypony’s surprise, Vergil managed pick himself up, standing upright on his hindlegs as the once wide open gash began to slowly close.

Despite Vergil’s miraculous recovery, Fluttershy’s heart would not be still as she fought against every urge within her to run to him; wanting nothing more than to put an end to the brother’s bloody feud. However, she knew that at this point such wishful thinking would get her nowhere. If there were ever a time the soft-spoken pegasus experienced true helplessness, now would most certainly be that dreadful moment as she, just like her friends, could only watch and hope that Dante and Vergil’s battle would eventually come to an end.

Unfortunately, given Vergil’s stance, it appeared that the fighting had merely just begun. He then proceeded to hold Yamato out in front of him, gripping the sheath and hilt with both hooves as a dark violet aura began to emanate around his body. Eventually the aura formed into an intense violet orb that surrounded Vergil while chilling winds surrounded the stallion, repelling all around him.

Rainbow Dash’s blood practically froze as an all too familiar sense of dread lurched from within her gut. Having witnessed Dante’s twisted metamorphoses, she knew full well what was about to happen. She wasn’t the only one though; as the rest of the group caught onto to the events unfolding before them, they all began to back away even further than before.

“That can’t be good.” AppleJack muttered aloud.

“W-what w-was your first g-guess?” Rainbow Dash replied through chattering teeth.

“Dante!” Vergil proclaimed, his voice reverberating with a harsh rasp. “Whether or not you can comprehend my words, I shall see to it that you will not forget this devil’s power!”

Vergil’s words only provoked the crimson demon into charging full force into the violet orb, only to be met with a repelling shockwave that sent him skidding backwards as he fought against the force of his brother’s power. Upon recovery, Dante proceeded to charge head on once more.

Seeing his brother’s persistence drive him forward, Vergil quickly beckoned a multitude of summoned swords around him and immediately casted them all off at once. Before Dante could even get close to his brother, he soon found himself pierced all throughout his body as the luminescent blades plunged deep into his flesh, sending him flying back from the sheer force of the attack.

Dante hurriedly picked himself back up from Vergil’s onslaught, leaving Spike and the girls stunned to see him still moving despite the multiple swords buried in the demon. Completely unfazed by the skewering, he shook wildly about like a rabid dog, shattering each and every summoned sword protruding out of his body. His morbid display of resilience left the group in awe. Surely any other pony would be long dead at this point. The fact that Dante, the very pony they had believed to be their friend, was revealed as nothing short of a demonic juggernaut, was at the very least, quite disconcerting.

However, their horror was abruptly interrupted by an ear piercing roar emerging from the dark orb surrounding Vergil. Before they could even turn their attention back to the grey stallion, they were met with a blinding flash, followed by a sinister navy blue and violet glow.

By the time the Spike and the girls regained their sense of sight, Vergil was no where to be found. In his place stood a frightening new demon; clad in a blue design similar to it's crimson counterpart, it sported a sleeker look with fewer spines. His legs were slimmed and built for speed, but still seemed bulky enough for strength and defense. His hooves were tipped with dangerously sharp claws at the front, which clung to the ground as he stood with a sense of foreboding pride. On the left foreleg, a lengthy protrusion extended upwards from his wrist, and held Yamato firmly within its cavity, as if the blade were merely an extension of his body. Two sets of black, hardened, yet very crude wings burst forth from his back, shifting slightly as he continued to breathe. A slight bulk of frills extended from his shoulders and neck, mimicking the collar of the jacket Vergil once wore. His head was crowned with a strange horn formation that circled around the back of his skull with a hard plate that extended down from his forehead to his snout, as if he were wearing a helm. Most strikingly of all were his eyes. Those terrible, luminescent, cyan eyes which glowed with a fierce, ghastly light just as piercing as his brother’s firey gaze. The only thing that remotely resembled the image of the cold pony they knew these last few weeks was his smoothed and well groomed tail, flicking in anticipation.

The two demons locked their sights on one another as both brothers gripped their respective swords, waiting to make the first move, leaving the girls and Spike to watch on in a strange mixture of curiosity and terror.

“I didn’t think Vergil could turn into one of those horrible demons as well.” said Rarity.

“Well duuuh,” Pinkie Pie butted in before stating in a surprisingly calm matter-of-factly tone. “They’re demon brothers after all. It’s kinda obvious at this point.”

“Demon brothers or not, we’ve still got ourselves a world of trouble on our hooves.” complained AppleJack as she directed the group’s attention behind them, pointing towards the Gates of Tartarus. “I don’t know if y'all forgot, but Vergil left the doors to Tartarus cracked open.”

Everypony’s gaze followed her hoof as they turned towards the opposite end of the crater-like canyon. Just as AppleJack described, the gates were left ajar; a thin line of darkness dividing the otherwise pristine white doors.

“AppleJack’s right.” Twilight agreed as she turned to face the group with a determined look. The girls could see it as well. It was that same fiery determination burning just as bright as before when she faced Vergil. “We can’t waste anymore time gawking at this endless fighting.”

Fluttershy quietly spoke out to protest. “But Vergil and Dante-“

“-Won’t be interefering!” interrupted Twilight, elicting an audible squeak from the butter yellow pegasus. “Given their dexterity and stamina, from what I’ve observed, those two will no doubt keep each other occupied long enough for us to close the Gates to Tartarus.”

“And then what?” Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered over Twilight. “We’ll still have two crazed demons to deal with after we close those doors.”

“I’m aware of that, Rainbow Dash.” she replied, scrunching her nose. “Let’s just focus on the doors for now. If we’re lucky, they’ll have worn themselves out after some time. No one, demon or otherwise, can avoid exhaustion.”

Nodding her head, AppleJack took to Twilight’s plan. “So we close the doors and then wait out those two knucklehead’s little feud, right?”

“More or less. At least until I can formulate a way to detain Dante and Vergil, we’re just going to have to wing it.”

“Sounds like a plan to me!” Spike heroically exclaimed before leaping onto Twilight’s back.

“Right then! Let’s go!” Twilight commanded. The rest of the girls taking her lead as they all galloped off in the direction towards the Gates; leaving Dante and Vergil behind, the two still locked in a stand off.

After a long drawn out period of utter silence, Dante finally made the first move. The crimson devil let out low yet audible growl as he started to slowly walk towards Vergil, lazily dragging Rebellion’s blade across the ground behind him.

"How foolish of you to take me so lightly.” said the chillingly echoed voice of the demonic Vergil. “You’re not even worthy as my opponent!” The azure devil then vanished in an instant, only to reappear the next, directly in front of Dante.

Before Dante could even react, Vergil made a quick slice across his chest, flinging a streak of blood into the air. However, the crimson devil momentarily shrugged off the flesh wound as though it was nothing more than a simple scratch before swinging Rebellion over his shoulder and down onto his brother. Vergil took a quick step back to avoid the blow from the massive blade as it narrowly missed him, crashing down into the ground.

With a display of impossible speed and strength, both demons quickly closed the gap between themselves as they wildly swung their swords back and forth with a single hoof. The thundering clang of metal accompanied each and every clash once more as the Devils fought for dominance, using the momentum from each recoil of their swords to slash away at an even faster and harder pace.

On their last recoil, Dante reached above his head to grip Rebellion with both hooves and brought Rebellion down in full force. Vergil though, was not one to be outdone and just before the sword made contact, he swatted aside the enormous blade with his free clawlike hoof, parrying the mindless devil before ramming the blade of Yamato right into Dante’s gut. The thin, yet absurdly sharp edge pierced through Dante’s body like a hot knife through butter.

A jagged, toothy grin crept its way onto the azure devil's face as he twisted the blade, spattering droplets of his brother's blood onto his scaly blue coat. However, his confidence would not last long, as Dante, only minorly inconvenienced by his brother’s sword skewering him, and looked Vergil right in the eyes before tilting his head back and bashing his thick skull against Vergil’s own.

The bone shattering blow drove the azure devil stumbling back in agony, but not before yanking his sword free from Dante’s torso in one last spurt of blood. The two devils, having recovered from their savage exchange, readied their swords once more. With neither brother willing to give in, the two devils once again charged towards each other as their violent and rage-induced roars filled the surrounding mountain range.

Meanwhile, Twilight and the girls had just reached the Gates of Tartarus as the sounds of the devil brother’s roars echoed off in the distance. Twilight did her beset not to look back on their way to the gates, but now, as they strolled up to the massive marble doors, nothing else seemed to matter. Not even Dante and Vergil’s endless struggle.

“We made it.” she sighed, a slight sense of relief filling her voice.

“Now we just need to close the darned things!” AppleJack said as she ran to one of the doors. “C’mon, everypony! Let’s get these doors shut!

The girls quickly heeded AppleJack’s command as they flocked to farm pony. All except for Fluttershy. The pegasus was far too concerned about Vergil, hesitantly glancing back between the warring devils and her friends.

“Fluttershy!” shouted Rainbow Dash, who was flying above the group, flapping her wings with all her might as she pushed at the enormous door along with the rest of the girls. “Get over here! We need all the help we can get!” she strained once more.

Knowing her friends came first; Fluttershy looked back once last time, an overbearing sense of dread creeping its way into her mind, before trotting off to join their collective effort. “Please please please be safe, Vergil.” she whimpered under her breath.

Push and push as they might, everypony’s efforts started to prove fruitless as the gigantic marble door hadn’t budged a single inch, let alone closed. Still, they weren’t about to give up just yet. Spike was putting his claws to use as he dug up as many rocks as he could surrounding the bottom of both doors in hopes to get them moving. The girls, meanwhile, were all pushing against one of the doors, straining and struggling against the overwhelming weight of the gates.

“How in Equestria did Vergil even pry these dreaful things open!?” grunted Rarity, beads of sweat trickling from her forehead to her snout.

“Beats me!” shouted AppleJack, who had switched from using her forelegs to pushing against the door with her backlegs. “But I’ll be darned if I can’t get this thing to budge!”

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash’s wings were beginning to ache and cramp from the pressure they were exherting on both themselves and the gate.

As they grunted and strained against the now immovable door, Twilight devised one last method. As she continued to push with all her might, she ignited her horn and encased the entire door from top to bottom within her magical aura. Using both brain and muscle to aid her friends, Twilight gave it her all and was met with a quaint surprise. Sound of the door to Tartarus had begun to creak and much to everypony’s shock, they had started to move the massive marble structure, if only centimeters at a time.

Things were finally looking up. Once they finished closing this door, they just had to move onto the next. All that would be left to worry about would be Dante and Vergil, and from the sound of things, Twilight was now more than confident that they could wrap this mess up once and for all.

That is until a soul chilling cry echoed forth from behind the Gates of Tartarus.

“WRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYY!”

The screech itself brought everpony to a halt before exchaning terrified glances between one another. Twilight felt a coldness in her soul. There was only one explanation for what that accursed sound was and it was all that was needed to drive everypony into a frenzy.

“Close the doors! Close the doors! Close the dooooors!” Pinkie frantically cried as the girls and even Spike joined in a single spot to push with everything they had. Sadly the door would just not move fast enough.

What followed next was even more unsettling.

The very ground beneath them began to rumble and quake as the countless sounds of screeches, bellows, and cries drew closer from behind the doors. From out of the darkness, all of Tartarus’ condemned inhabitants were charging forth, ready to grasp freedom once again and break free from their hellish prison.

The Gates of Tartarus… were ready to give way.

Author's Note:

This chapter is brought to you by one of Rob Zombie's greatest songs. And ever so fitting to the tone of this chapter.