Trial Three: Ultimatum
Mistmane sighed heavily, running a hoof down Rockhoof’s cheek as she lounged on a small mound of pillows that served as her couch, bed and only real comfort in the otherwise relatively bare stone tower. “I don't know how, but Tartarus feels even more dreary than usual,” she lamented, looking out one of the few windows that weren't simply cracks in the wall.
The mountain of malformed muscle currently serving as her arm rest grunted noncommittally. “I wouldn't have even imagined it was possible. It's Tartarus after all, yet there are clouds overhead that remind me of rain,” she pointed out.
Rockhoof opened one eye, looked out the window, noticed there were indeed clouds and grunted once more, closing his eyes.
“They are probably left over from whatever experiment Starswirl had been cooking up now that I’ve traded one prison for another,” Mistmane commented.
Rockhoof growled deeply, motes of dust vibrating across the ground from the sheer volume of his disgust.
“Yes, I know he is cruel, and although we do have more privacy here, it is still rather disconcerting to have him out of my sight for so long,” the keeper of secrets pointed out. “I may not be able to do much, but at least I could try to dissuade the deluded bastard before he did anything too stupid.”
Rockhoof snorted dismissively.
“He's a vile, repulsive little worm of a stallion and there is no telling what he's up to now that I am not there to keep tabs on him.” Mistmane paused, tapping her chin as she thought back to the last few days she had spent in the other prison. “I wonder if he was going to launch that attack he had always talked about. Now that would be entertaining to see. Two of Equestria’s greatest demons in a grudge match of the century.”
Rockhoof breathed in and out quickly, the sound being the closest approximation to laughter that he was capable of.
“Yes, that would be rather amusing, wouldn't it? Maybe they would do us all a favor and kill one another,” Mistmane mused, a small smile gracing her tender features. “The war would put back the demon population for a generation or two.”
The enormous beast Mistmane was half-leaning on smiled as much as he could and began to laugh once more, only for his nose to twitch. A deep guttural growl escaped the beast’s throat and he looked up to the window with hate in his eyes.
“Oh? Do we have visitors again?” Mistmane sighed. “I hope it's not the same imps as last time. I’m getting rather tired of them constantly escaping with missing limbs. Pretty soon they are going to be little more than torsos and that would just be sad to see, even for an imp.”
Rockhoof rose suddenly, shaking his head as he made his way over to the window and pointed his nose to the right in the distance.
Mistmane rose along with him, following the behemoth’s gaze down to where she saw nothing of note. Lighting her horns, the demon summoned her magic and pulled forth a mote of her essence, guiding it up into the air and around the bend in the rocks. Seeing more nothing, Mistmane’s face scrunched up and though she considered merely scratching that up to Rockhoof’s faded mental state, she decided to trust him and cast another spell. This time the spell did what it was supposed to, and revealed an obscured cave hidden several miles away.
“My oh my, that's no mere imp,” she mused aloud. “Whomever it is, they are quite adept at illusion magic, not as good as me, but still good.”
Pushing the mote of magic closer, Mistmane’s eyes glazed over completely, the demon peering intently at the cave, but only after she made sure her essence was thoroughly hidden from normal and magical sight. Looking closer, the demon was able to see a shape deep within the cave, the bipedal demon illuminated by the deep red of the portal it was holding open.
“Most curious,” Mistmane muttered. “This is more serious than some imp looking for a place to roost.”
Rockhoof snorted irritably, agreeing with her.
“Let’s see who we are dealing with this time, hmm?” The mare’s eyes narrowed. “I sure hope it's not that slimy Greedo character again, I would have hoped he would have learned his lesson the first time.”
The behemoth snorted and stamped his hoof, sending a small tremor through the stone structure.
Mistmane blinked “Oh right, he's dead for good this time, isn't he?”
Rockhoof nodded.
“I never can remember how many of his enemies are dead and how many of them are dead dead,” Mistmane remarked as she watched the trickster demon force the portal wider. “Wait, something's happening.”
She watched closely as through the portal trotted a large, four-legged scaly ashen-colored demon, her glowing red eyes studying her surroundings critically. “A vengant, interesting. A full grown one at that, if her mane is anything to go by. Quite the wing span too, though I wonder who your master is, little Equestrian.”
A second later her question was answered when a second Equestrian trotted through the portal, this one dramatically smaller than the long-legged vengant. Mistmane blinked, the disguise on her remote viewing spell flickering as she was taken aback by the sight. “An imp? But how could a mere imp collar a vengant?” Mistmane remarked curiously. “This grows more and more intriguing by the moment, don't you think, Rockhoof?”
The behemoth merely snorted as Mistmane leaned against him, her eyes still distant as she watched the scene unfold.
“Surely there must be more to this motley crew than two Equestrians and a trickster demon,” Mistmane whispered to herself.
As if on cue the portal snapped shut, and the trickster demon stepped back, dusting off his hands before leaning against the wall.
“Well I’ll be,” the demoness muttered.
Rockhoof rolled his eyes and looked up at her expectantly.
“No, you cannot crush them,” Mistmane remarked with a chuckle. “They could be useful, you know, that imp especially.”
The great mass of twisted flesh cocked his head as much as his lack of neck would allow.
“Because, Rockhoof, Equestrians have one thing other demons do not. Something that may just help us escape Starswirl’s wretched clutches once and for all.”
The beast snorted once more, as if asking the mare to elaborate.
“Kindness, my dear Rockhoof.” Mistmane smiled. “Even Equestrian demons are capable of it, and that is the only thing that's going to get us out of here.”
“-so don't think you can boss me around, kiddo,” Sissyphus remarked at the imp standing before him.
Who simply rolled her eyes at the demon. “I wouldn't dream of it,” she remarked.
“Good, because I’ve been informed I have to guard this stupid gate with my life and I don't need you abusing the fact that you can yell at me in my head with your freaky telepathy spell,” the trickster demon continued.
“You know if you really want to help us, you could just ask the boss to put someone else on guard duty,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.
Sissyphus sighed and ran a hand through his slick black hair. “I would, but the boss wasn't exactly a fan of me skipping out last time, so I would need to be told explicitly by little miss horns over here.”
Kanathara smirked and started walking away, a hoof tapping away at her chin. “Hmmm, getting a favor from Sissyphus. Now that would be a useful thing, what do you say, Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow Dash chuckled, glancing over her shoulder at the slightly nervous trickster demon. “That would be rather useful, wouldn't it?”
“You two are the worst,” Sissyphus replied.
Kanathara snickered. “You know the rules, Sissy. Nothing is free down here, and that goes double for good deeds.”
The goat demon frowned. “Aw come on, you don't have to do this, guys. Remember how I helped you back in the fourth layer?”
Rainbow Dash snorted. “Yeah, and I remember when you didn't help out two months before that when we were dealing with that pit spawn.”
Kanathara chuckled, stopping at the edge of the illusion. “You have to admit, Sissyphus, you don't really give us much reason to help you out.”
“Fine, fine,” Sissyphus muttered. “But don't come crawling to me when you get in too deep and need your old pal Sissyphus to pull you out by the ankles.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine. Isn't that right, boss?” Rainbow Dash asked, taking her position next to the imp.
“You are damn right,” Kanathara replied, puffing out her chest. “You remember the plan, RD?”
“Scout the area, stay back, don't reveal our hand until we know what we are dealing with.” The vengant nodded. “I remember.”
“Good. Because I really don't want a replay of-” Kanathara began, only to be interrupted by an angry, and embarrassed huff.
“That was three years ago, boss! I told you it wouldn't happen again,” Rainbow Dash whined.
“Sorry, sorry.” Kanathara smirked, bumping her hip against Rainbow Dash’s leg. “You sure you got room in there?”
“Oh I think I do,” Rainbow Dash shot back with a smirk of her own.
“Oh what are you? Succubi?” Sissyphus remarked with a gag. “Find a room, or invite me. Either way get it over with.”
Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out at the other demon. “Don't look now, Sissy, but I think your turning green with envy.”
“Yeah whatever,” the goat demon muttered.
Kanathara rolled her eyes. “Remember, patience is the watchword of the day.”
“Yeah yeah. Let's just get this waiting over and done with already. I’m itching for a fight,” the vengant replied.
The imp giggled, her form slowly losing consistency as her now smokey appendages dissipated into a plume of ash that circled around the vengant’s hooves and slipped beneath her scales. The larger demon shuddered at the sensation, feeling a sudden weight settle into her guts as her mistress’ essence coiled within her own. It took mere seconds, but by the end of it the vengant was left with a strange heat that had begun to build between her legs.
“We are going to fuck, so much when we get home,” Rainbow Dash whispered.
And you are going to brush your teeth before and after, Kanathara shot back. Seriously, it feels like you haven't bothered in weeks.
“Oh pisha, you like it when we get a little dirty,” Rainbow Dash replied with a smirk.
Just get moving already, before I decide to have you whipped, Kanathara exclaimed.
“That is so hot,” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself as her own form began to lose consistency, twisting and warping as it shrank smaller and smaller.
Until finally the vengant was gone, replaced by a small ash-colored bat with large fangs poking out from either side of its mouth. Its leathery wings beat silently, and it remained in mid-air for several more seconds as a glow emanated from within it, twisting its form further until it looked like little more than a wisp of smoke.
Is it ready? Rainbow Dash asked.
Kanathara did a quick scan of their body. Looks like it.
With the spell cast, the now invisible bat took off, emerging through the illusionary wall and ascending into the sky on soundless wings. To any regular passersby they would be completely invisible, their body obscured by an intricate invisibility spell, the sound of their wings rendered utterly silent due to sheer skill alone. Even their scent would be all but undetectable, hidden behind a minor charm that made the slightly ashy scent that clung to their body non-existent.
Though they flew confidently through the air, sure that they could not be detected by magical or mundane means, Kanathara instantly felt a strange sensation creep up their back. She couldn't place it exactly, the feeling being akin to one she got when being watched, yet it wasn't quite that same spine tingling sensation she knew from experience.
It was a lingering, unnerving feeling that made the imp distinctly aware of the fact that she wasn't wanted here. Strange though it may be, the longer they flew through the air and made slow circles around the tower and the surrounding area, the more it began to fade. Until finally, upon the eighth circle, it became little more than a distant feeling the imp had to focus on in order to summon it.
You felt it too, huh? Rainbow Dash asked.
Yes. It felt like we were being watched. Did you see anything? Kanathara replied.
Images and memories flashed through their mind until finally the imp was sure that they had seen nothing that would have explained this alien sensation. There were no enchantments lying hidden beneath them, either on the tower itself or on the surrounding area. A few imps could be seen scrounging through the wasteland, but they were on the very edge of their periphery. As Kanathara thought about it, she quickly realized that fact was odd in itself.
Shouldn't someone have tried to move into this tower? Rainbow Dash thought, picking up on her mistress’ line of thinking instinctively.
Yes. Souls tend to linger and gather around familiar sights and locations, and this is the only vaguely normal structure for miles in any direction, the imp thought back. Stranger still is the fact that I can feel several weak souls below us, yet the bottom feeders seem to be giving this place a wide berth.
Seems like someone has trained them to stay away. I even saw a few that seemed injured, some even missing limbs, Rainbow Dash offered, showing her mistress the things she had seen while on one of her wider loops.
Very odd. Bring us closer to the tower, slowly. I want to test something, and see what we are truly up against here, Kanathara commanded.
They nodded their head and began a lazy, circling descent towards the tower, their wings carrying them down from the ashen clouds they had been lingering near.
Eventually they were able to get close enough to the tower to reach out and touch it, something Rainbow Dash urged them to do, if for nothing else then to at least dismiss the paranoia currently running rampant in their mind. Kanathara reluctantly gave into the suggestion, allowing their body to land on what was left of the battlement atop the very tip of the tower. When nothing happened, they looked around, getting a better look at their surroundings.
Behind them a small wooden door lay shattered, a boulder sized hunk of rock crushing it, and subsequently blocking the hole. A closer look told them that the stairs down were sealed tight by smaller rocks and debris that filled the space, meaning it would not, and could not serve as an easy ingress point.
We could turn to smoke? Rainbow Dash offered.
No, I have a feeling it's sealed completely. Continue getting a closer look, and pay attention to the windows and door. I have a feeling those areas will give us a clue on how to get inside without being detected, Kanathara thought back.
On it, boss.
Rainbow Dash turned their body and leapt from the piece of stone, swooping down and around the tower in slow circles. Though it took several minutes to do completely silently, the pair were able to thoroughly inspect the other entrances, only to find that the holes they had thought they saw during the debriefing turned out to be little more than illusions, revealing solid stone walls behind. Windows they had thought entered into the tower were either illusions as well, or simply entered ruined roms with no way of accessing deeper into the tower itself.
Odd, Kanathara murmured, their mind running over the facts as they sat in one such window, a confused expression on their face.
Why bother putting up such illusions in the first place? Rainbow Dash asked suddenly. If the rooms are sealed then what's the point?
Exactly, Kanathara agreed. It makes very little sense, unless they are trying to draw our attention and funnel us towards a specific entrance.
True. Should we check out that big obvious door or that one window we missed a few floors up?
Door first, then window, Kanathara replied.
On it.
They pushed hard off the stone and leapt into the air, flying down until they reached the massive set of doors that barred entrance to the first floor. The wood had long since become twisted, the iron hinges covered in the red rust that was found throughout the circles of Tartarus. Getting close, they extended their magical senses through the large cracks in the door, detecting no magic, traps or anything else beyond the wooden portal.
This is getting spooky, Rainbow Dash commented.
For once, I agree with you on your spookiness assessment, Kanathara replied.
The imp pushed a little harder, trying to feel out for even the faintest lines of magic that may lie dormant within the tower. When she came up emptyhoofed Kanathara relied on her probing spell to push deep into the tower. Though the path was winding, and snaked through shattered rooms and up winding staircases, there was indeed a way up to the third story. Running out of distance on her spell, Kanathara gave the last staircase one long look before pulling the spell back and dismissing it completely.
Nothing, Kanathara remarked.
Other than whatever is on that third story, Rainbow Dash pointed out.
True, but we won't know what's up there unless we go through this half destroyed maze, or up to the window, Kanathara replied.
Then window it is.
Just remember to take it slow. I got a weird feeling about this whole thing.
Rainbow Dash didn't bother to respond, letting her confidence speak for her as she took to the sky once more. This time was even shorter than the last, with their body quickly ascending to the third story window that lay directly above the door they had peaked within. Hovering next to the window, they peered over the very corner thereof, hesitant of the possibility of any traps or demons that may be lying in wait just inside.
Kanathara didn't even have a chance to summon her magic before she felt their eyes being pulled forwards, where the keeper of secrets sat on the floor, a brush running through her mane as she stared at the wall across from them. The position allowed the pair to study the keeper closely with little fear of being seen, the other demon’s back being to them. Though they were vaguely aware of the fact that the room had several objects like a desk, a pile of pillows, and a few other things, their eyes felt latched firmly to the back of the keeper, the pair unable to tear their gaze from her.
Her beauty was beyond compare, and though Rainbow Dash couldn't help but desire her, Kanathara felt only a rising tide of envy within her. She had the long, shapely legs that the imp had always desired, limbs so lengthy that she would no doubt stand as tall as her familiar, and perhaps even taller still. The way the keeper sat allowed them to see this for themselves, as her back legs lay sprawled out and extended completely. Her body was lithe, though even at a glance the pair could tell there lay corded muscle just beneath, the latent succubus magic allowing her to appear perfectly feminine while still containing all the raw power of a fully fledged demon.
It was perhaps this fact that Kanathara most envied, the beauty, the grace, the height, the strength all of it was fascinating by themselves but the fact that she contained it all without any one thing clashing was utterly enchanting. As they continued to look they were able to catch a glimpse of the side of the mare’s face, and the origin of the glowing tattoos and symbols that covered the mare’s body.
The image could not do her justice, and instantly the pair felt smitten by the sight of her beautiful face, though again, Kanathara was smitten not by lust but by envy at the sight. The symbols and tattoos were also perfectly matched to the mare’s body, seemingly drawing their eye up and down her form, guiding them from one curve to another until they felt lost.
It took a firm shake of their head for the pair to tear their eyes from her body, and towards her surroundings and several more attempts before they were able to look away for more than a second or two.
Finally, when they felt the pull on their gaze dwindle, they looked around the room a little closer, their eyes flashing as Kanathara’s magic infused their being with the ability to see that which was hidden from them. The imp would have assumed there would be lines of magic hidden just below the surface of the stone, yet their gaze did not illuminate anything out of the ordinary. Not even the most basic of detection enchantments glimmered under their sight, making a creeping sense of dread to crawl up their spine.
Why are you afraid? This is perfect! Rainbow Dash exclaimed. She's completely defenceless, now is our chance to strike.
Do you remember the very first enchantment class we ever took? Wards, and magical defences of any kind leave behind traces, as they need mana to stay active. Even wards that are supposed to lie dormant for years or even decades need at least a little power, or else they fade away in minutes, Kanathara explained.
Yeah, and? Rainbow Dash pressed.
There is none of that here, not even the most simple and basic of alarm spells. Nothing in that room has any magical properties at all, not even the crystal ball on the desk over there. It's little more than a paperweight.
Yeah, aaaand?
That's weird. There has to be something hiding the enchantments from my sight, no one would put her out here unless they wanted her captured, or used as bait, Kanathara replied, making Rainbow Dash grow silent as they contemplated what they saw.
What if we caught them during some remodeling or something? I know it's farfetched, but it's really the only explanation for the complete lack of defences, Rainbow Dash offered.
That is true… I don't know if we should risk it. Let's check for illusions first and go from there, Kanathara concluded.
Their eyes began to glow once more, before fading as the spell took root and allowing their gaze to pierce any illusion that they saw before them. Only for the pair to become even more confused when nothing in the room was an illusion, not Mistmane, not any of the equipment or house hold items. There wasn't anything in the room that was visible to their magical senses and invisible to their mundane ones.
With a confused look on their face they dismissed the spells and flew up and away, Rainbow Dash craving movement as they thought about the predicament before them. Kanathara’s logic told her this was a trap, but Rainbow Dash’s emotions told her that this was an opportunity, something to be exploited before it passed them by.
As they continued to fly, and silently communicate, their thoughts intermingling as they worked out what exactly gave them pause for concern, the tower remained exactly as they left it. No shadows moved below them, no candles or beacons lit, and not a single sound came from the ruined structure.
After many minutes had passed, the pair finally came to the conclusion that either it was a trap so complex they would never see it coming, or an opening that they could exploit. Either way, they both agreed that the only way to find out would be to go in there and assume it was both a trap and an opening. Their defences raised while they snuck up on the mare, intent on subduing her quickly and ending things before they could even truly begin.
Wings flared and the pair began a swooping descent towards the window, their magic intermingling and allowing them to cast multiple rapid fire spells that would hopefully give them the edge over whatever encounter was about to occur. Kanathara focused this time on speed, and evasion, raising their reaction time well beyond that of a normal mortal. With these enchantments completed, and the dice cast, they tucked their wings in and flew towards the window at a breakneck speed.
Wind whipped about their body, the pair soundlessly flying directly into the window. The second they entered the room and their wings opened fully, they noticed something was off, and with their increased dexterity they twisted out of the way of something large that crashed down behind them. Turning in mid air, the pair separated from one another, with Kanathara skidding across the floor, horns glowing, while Rainbow Dash leapt off the ground,claws extended as she flew towards the still prone Mistmane.
“Nice try bitch, but your slab of meat is too slow to catch us!” Rainbow Dash growled, her talons descending towards the seemingly defenceless keeper of secrets.
“I’m counting on it,” Mistmane whispered.
In an instant, Kanathara understood everything and she lit her horn, intent on casting a teleportation spell and pull them out of the trap she only now saw. It was too late however, and with a blinding flash of light the entire room suddenly lit up, the demons both temporarily blinded, before feeling their bodies accelerate towards the floor, pulled there by some unseen force.
By the time Kanathara had cleared the spots from her eyes she found herself firmly secured to the ground, glowing golden glyphs binding her and her familiar to the stone with no chance of escape. The bands that covered them were as thick as the imp’s hoof and after pushing a little magic into her horns, Kanathara found that binding also subdued her magic, making her unable to muster a complete spell, causing her magic to fizzle in an eruption of sparks.
Beside her, Rainbow Dash growled and thrashed against her bindings, her body half smoke, half solid, the vengant unable to fully demanifest. “Don't bother, Rainbow Dash, she's got us,” Kanathara muttered, before turning to Mistmane. “You somehow made the binding enchantment invisible, didn't you?”
The keeper blinked, slowly turning to the pair, an eyebrow raised. “And how, pray tell, did you figure that out?”
The imp chuckled, her face calm despite the fact that she couldn't move, and couldn't cast any spells. “I didn't, until you confirmed it. Now that you have, that means the matrix feeds off of the illusions, doesn't it? That's how it stays invisible until it fires.”
Mistmane slowly placed her brush down on her desk before getting up and turning to the imp, a wide smile on her face. “You are smarter than he's given you credit. It took him weeks to figure out my little trick.”
“And it was the activation that drew from the illusion enchantments, treating them as little more than batteries.” The imp concluding, smirking up at the keeper, who was quickly joined by Rockhoof, who stood patiently by her side.
“Right again.” The keeper smiled a little wider and clopped her hoof against the floor. “Truly, you are every bit the prodigy they claim you are.” Her smile slipped a little as she looked down on the bound form of the imp. “Almost, anyway.”
Kanathara shrugged. “I’m sure you have a back up plan for our back up then, hmm?”
The keeper chuckled as she strolled around the bound imp’s form, Rainbow Dash having fallen silent as she stared at her mistress and the keeper. “What the hell is going on?” she asked angrily.
“Give us a moment, Rainbow Dash,” Kanathara commanded, before nodding to Mistmane. “You were saying.”
“Ahh yes, your trickster demon.” The quadruped slowed to a stop and levitated several pillows over, which she promptly used as bed, and sprawled out upon them, showing off her generous curves. “No plan really, just a plain old hostage situation. He comes here, I kill one of you, keep the other as leverage.”
“Simple, but effective,” Kanathara concluded. “I will keep him at bay.”
You sure about this, kid? Sissyphus thought back, Kanathara having just telepathically filled him in on the situation.
I am more than sure of this, Kanathara replied.
I’m assuming you have a plan then? Sissyphus asked back. ‘Cause something tells me the old man ain't going to be pleased that you got your ass captured and lost your target.
“I do have a plan. In fact, that plan is going very well,” Kanathara remarked with a smile.
“Err, what is the plan anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“The plan is to sit here and listen to what Mistmane has to say,” Kanathara replied.
“Quite the prodigy,” Mistmane complimented, stretching her long shapely legs before falling into a slightly more comfortable position. “You obviously know by now that capturing you takes far more effort than simply vaporizing you and your pet.”
“I am not a pet,” Rainbow Dash hissed.
Mistmane lifted an eyebrow and glanced over at the imp. “Is this true?”
“It's a partnership.” Kanathara shrugged as much as her bindings would allow. “Not like it matters, as I assume this is the part where you monologue or give us some sort of faustian bargain.”
“Actually neither.” Mistmane chuckled and waved a hoof at Rockhoof, subtly commanding the mountain of muscle to relax, and take a few steps back from the bound duo. “Starswirl is the monologuer, and I don't rightly like faustian bargains myself. They tend to have too many hidden clauses and are generally too cruel for my taste.”
She stood suddenly, and stalked over to the imp. “I much prefer mutually beneficial arrangements.” Mistmane raised a hoof just as Rainbow Dash was about to laugh in her face. “And I mean that quite literally.”
“You are kidding, right?” Rainbow Dash turned her head to her mistress. “Please tell me she's kidding, no demon is that naive.”
“Unless she doesn't plan on existing long enough for the other side to betray her.” Kanathara smirked. “Isn't that right, Mistmane?”
The keeper of secrets stumbled for a second, her eyes going wide. “Well bravo. How exactly did you figure that out?”
Kanathara smiled proudly. “You are obviously not here by choice. A keeper of secrets commands vast quantities of magic and has access to spells that no other being in all the planes has. You could have an army of demons and other creatures under your command, or an entire vast archive hidden away within the depths of whatever circle you wanted. Yet you are here in this dusty hole, tucked away like you were little more than an afterthought, or some old photo album to be forgotten of.”
Rockhoof’s eyes narrowed and his muscles bulged, yet he didn't move an inch, merely glancing back to Mistmane as if asking permission.
The keeper, however, merely nodded sadly. “Starswirl is either using me as bait for you, or is simply trying to get me out of his hair in order to stop my attempts at meddling in his affairs.” She shrugged. “Or both.”
Rainbow Dash blinked, and looked from Kanathara to the keeper and back again. “I am so confused.”
Kanathara rolled her eyes. “I’ll explain it all in a second.”
“So, will you help us?” Mistmane asked, smiling as serenely as she could muster.
“Let me guess, you want someone to break the bindings he has on you?” Kanathara began.
“Yes.”
“He didn't rely on a traditional contract, and probably used a binding ritual that connects you to him. Which is why you need someone with the ability to use entropy magic,” Kanathara concluded.
“Right again, young miss.” Mistmane gestured to the beast standing next to her. “Rockhoof’s programming is too basic and so long as you do not attack me, or him, he won't defend us until it's too late.”
“Which is why you need me to break the bindings and kill both him and you in rapid succession,” Kanathara half asked, half exclaimed.
“That would be ideal.” Mistmane sighed. “But I feel like there is a caveat coming.”
“You would be right.” Kanathara’s joviality suddenly vanished, her face becoming an unfeeling mask. “I am not leaving until I have your body and soul in my possession.”
Rockhoof ground his teeth together audibly, the creature’s body rippling with barely contained rage.
Mistmane sighed, and placed a gentle hoof on the beast’s back, making him relax slightly, though not enough to stop him from grinding his teeth. “You want my power. That is… understandable.” She turned and slowly began a lazy circle around the bound demons, her polite tone falling away. “Unfortunate, but still understandable.”
“So, do we have a deal?” Kanathara asked, following the keeper as much as her position on the floor allowed.
Rainbow Dash nervously looked between the two unbound demons, before finally to Kanathara. “Are you sure about this, boss? This definitely feels a little weird.”
“I agree, Rainbow Dash.” Kanathara sighed. “But it would get us what we want, while also giving them what they want and maybe a nice mutual agreement would be nice for a change. The soul sure tires of this endless taking.”
“It does, doesn't it?” Mistmane mused. “That's a refreshing opinion to hear out loud. I must admit it's not one I’ve heard outside my thoughts in a great many years.”
Silence reigned over them as Mistmane slowly trotted back to the forefront of the imp, a small, almost hesitant smile climbing to the edges of her lips. “If it means freeing not only myself, but my dear Rockhoof, I will bear this burden.” She bowed low suddenly, sweeping a hoof out before her. “My power, is yours.”
With a subtle pulse of magic, the bindings were gone, and the duo pushed their way into a stand. Rainbow Dash did so slowly, looking around the room and expecting something to happen, while Kanathara dusted herself off and straightened a few of the totems that had been bound into her braid. “May I draw up the contract?” she asked.
“I don't suppose you would simply trust me to keep my word?” Mistmane replied, a smirk on her lips.
A single serious glance back told the keeper all she needed to know. “I expected as much,” she remarked sadly. “Go ahead, but make it quick. I have managed to destroy the more obvious methods that Starswirl has used to keep tabs on me, but I expect he will find out about this little transaction sooner or later.”
Kanathara nodded and beckoned over her familiar, who dutifully approached, keeping her gaze latched onto the massive pile of muscle staring down at her hatefully. “Yeah, boss?” she asked.
“Can you summon the paper and pen like I showed you?”
Rainbow Dash nodded and did just that, her hoof turning to smoke only for it to reform a moment later with a long scroll, pen, and inkwell now in her grip.
With a nod of satisfaction, the imp turned and sat down on the floor, her magic pulling open the scroll and beginning the arduous process of writing up a contract capable of getting them both what they wanted, and allowing no wiggle room for either party. Minutes passed, and though Rockhoof and Rainbow Dash remained locked in a long staring contest, Mistmane had long since gathered up the rest of her pillows and lay there lazily, looking from Rainbow Dash to Kanathara.
Finally, after nearly a half hour of furious scratching, Kanathara stood up, and levitated the paper towards the keeper of secrets. “There, that should do it,” she announced.
Mistmane blinked as she noticed the sheer density of writing that covered nearly every inch of the paper, leaving only just barely enough room for two signatures at the bottom. “This is very impressive,” she muttered in partial disbelief, her mind barely able to illuminate the twists and turns that the dense verbiage made.
The imp smiled proudly. “Thank you, Miss Mistmane. I think it is necessary for all demons to master the art of the contract if they wish to survive for very long and I intend on living a very, very, long time.”
The keeper of secrets shook her head slowly as she continued to read for several more minutes. When she was done she couldn't help but chuckle as it dawned on her just how truly powerful the imp’s contract was. “I bet you would be able to bind a god with such a contract. You have my respect,” Mistmane complimented.
Kanathara beamed, her cheeks becoming a shade redder. “Why thank you.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and snorted. “Yeah whatever. Now are you going to sign it or what?”
With a flourish of her magic, the keeper summoned a pen of her own, signed her name and made the pen disappear. “It is done. Just remember to free Rockhoof first. If I am under any kind of pain or distress, his programming will activate, and all our plans will be for naught.”
Rainbow Dash snorted. “He doesn't look so tough.”
Mistmane lifted an eyebrow and chuckled darkly. “Oh, my young naive little creature. He could have turned you to paste in an instant if I had let him.”
Rainbow Dash leaned towards her mistress and whispered in her ear. “I totally could have taken him.”
“I guess we will never know for sure,” Kanathara remarked offhandedly, clearly disinterested in the entire conversation. “Now then, how do we start?”
“Simple, you stand there and-”
As the demons began to plot and plan, a shadow on the wall lengthened, growing longer and longer as it stretched towards the window, until it broke away from the small, forgotten end table and slipped through the opening. A second later and the shadow had slipped down the side of the tower and had began to slink off towards a distant cliff face away from the view of any who may look down from the tower’s walls.
Once completely out of view, the shadow began to lift from the ground, revealing the form of a lanky unicorn with a short bowl cut mane, whose entire being was made entirely of darkness made real. The demon shook its now three dimensional body, shedding the last of vestiges of irritation that came with remaining hidden for so long.
His eyes opened to reveal twin orbs of the deepest blue, a cruel smile spreading across his face. “So you finally did it, Mistmane, you found a pawn willing to kill both yourself and poor old Rockhoof.” The shadow demon chuckled to himself as he began to trot deeper into the cliffside, ensuring no one could see him.
“Starswirl is going to just love this.” He smirked, calling forth a mass of swirling grey energy around his horn, a random shadow along the wall suddenly twisting and revealing a hole to somewhere far from the tower. “Come to think of it, I should have thanked that foolish keeper. Mistmane has given me the chance to prove my worth once and for all, and hopefully seal my final ascension.”
The shadow demon cackled madly to himself as he slipped through the portal and vanished.
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Aw Shit, here we go again.
As I like to say,
WELL, FUCK.
So Star Swirl is a power craving lunatic in this universe? Now I really wonder what happened to the other pillars.
9597013
Well we know what happened to two others already.
9597024
Who and what was mentioned?
What? Then I must have forgotten it.
9597072
This entire chapter dealt with Rockhoof and Mistmane.
9597146
Lol, my memory is not THAT bad. I think Jest was talking about two pillars besides Mistmane and Rockhoof. Nor Star Swirl.
9597150
Mistmane, rockhoof and another are the only three you guys know for sure what happened to, but even then, not really. We will see more soon, obviously.
Kanathara's change is gonna be so FUN :3 Especially with this kind of Rainbow Dash at her side XD
Though I'm starting to wonder how you're gonna balance them once they eventually end up in Equestria Jest o.o Kanathara and RD are becoming quite a power couple o.o And if turning into a keeper is gonna give Kanathara as much power as I'm starting to suspect it will... Things are gonna be interesting once she gets a hold of the rest of the element bearers o.o
Side note: Only thing I feel a bit sad about is the fact that the story is T rated XD Making Kanathara a lust demon AND turning Rainbow Dash into what can almost be called the demonic manifestation of fire and passion is almost too much FUN for a T rated story XD Looking forward to seeing where you take this though ^w^
Welll now, let's see where this rabbit hole goes.
huh, this title reminded me of another fic I read long ago A Child of Light Born of Darkness and ended up rereading just now.
And damit, just kicked off a Ranma 1/2 crossover reading binge. this will take a while.
9600372
Huh never heard of it.
9600534
It's completely unrelated, just a simmilar title. Bringing back memories. I've been a fanfic addict for years, and that suckeres going on 20 years old lol.
Love your work BTW :D
🤔 eyup this isn't my thing.
9639457
Understandable, demons aren't for everyone.
Vengant
Fuck (or fucc, if you’re trying to joke)
Kanathara
Honestly it’s pretty weird the progression that Twilight/Dog/Kanathara has gone through. From filly, to Imp, to Entropy Imp, and now she’s gonna become a Keeper.
Ok, THAT escalated TOO quickly