Born In Light, Forged In Darkness

by Jest

Trial Five: The Dark Forest

The sounds of cloven hooves were nearly completely silent as the two demons crept through the underbrush. Until Rainbow Dash stopped suddenly, and held up a hoof. “Wait a sec, I’m going to check something,” she whispered.

Kanathara nodded and took a step back, allowing Rainbow Dash to leap into the air, the demon pumping her wings and deftly slipping through the dense treetops that obscured the sky. Without her friend watching her back, the keeper looked around, noting the odd, though still not intimidating appearance of the twisted forest.

Having walked through that same forest for an hour at this point, the keeper of secrets was able to deduce that there was indeed some truth to what she had read about it as it did indeed seem touched by Tartarus. Trees seemed to twist in strange, unnatural directions, creating faces, and fingered appendages that reached out at passers-by, as if attempting to grasp at anyone who walked too close. Though the keeper had been able to figure out that the trees were not possessed, or were indeed nothing more than odd trees, the sight of them still bothered her for some reason.

Pushing aside those thoughts for now, the demon took another step back, giving her partner all the room she needed to glide into a soft landing, her body becoming fully corporeal once more. With smoke slipping off her body, Rainbow Dash nodded and pointed in a seemingly random direction. “We aren't far from Ponyville now, only a few more hours at most,” she announced.

“Excellent, and it seems like it's not even noon yet,” Kanathara added.

“Indeed,” Rainbow Dash agreed.

Without another word, they both turned and began to trot in the direction which they knew Ponyville lay. Though their faces were grim, a small part of the two demons couldn't help but be intrigued by the recent change in scenery. It felt oddly homey in a way that Tartarus never did, as if they were meant to be here, and did not truly belong in their abyssal home plane.

“Have you been able to figure out where they were trying to summon us?” Rainbow Dash asked as she ducked under a branch.

“I think it was from Canterlot, though my estimation isn't perfect. I’m fairly certain both summonings came from in or around the city,” Kanathara explained.

Rainbow Dash nodded, and flattened a bush with her hoof, allowing her shorter companion to traverse the landscape with greater ease. “Well, that's something at least. Any information at this point is going to be important.”

“And we’ll have a lot more of that once we are able to meet back up with father,” Kanathara added.

“Maybe he’ll even let us in on what the hell the plan is now.” Rainbow Dash snorted.

This time it was Kanathara’s turn to nod slowly, her senses turned forward, and towards the distance. “Do you hear something?” she asked.

Rainbow Dash nodded. “I didn't notice any movement up ahead, but I wasn't paying close attention to it. Do ya want me to check it out, boss?”

Kanathara frowned and shook her head. “No, stay by me. We don't know what we are up against and I refuse to be seperated at such an important point in time.”

“Good thinking,” Rainbow Dash commended.

Together the pair of demons trotted over a small ravine, and around a small glen before coming close enough to the source of the sound to hear more. Snarls, grunts, and obscenity laced abyssal filled the air, making both demons raise an eyebrow in suspicion. Ghost us in there, Rainbow Dash, Kanathara commanded.

With a nod, the vengant allowed her body to be filled with her mistress’ essence, which flowed into her in a steady stream of black and purple smoke. After giving her body a shake, the vengant crept low through the underbrush, her form becoming less and less visible until she was merely a shadow crawling across the forest floor. Slipping soundlessly through the relative darkness granted by the thick canopy, Rainbow Dash and her passenger approached a small open area.

Wherein a small gathering of imps were clustered in the middle of and, surrounded on all sides by, snarling wooden wolves six times their size. The imps were small, and though not malnourished, they seemed different from most of the ones Kanathara and Rainbow Dash had encountered. They had a wild, almost chaotic side to them, as their forms were twisted, with some limbs not as long as the other, or sporting an incorrect amount of fingers. One even had two heads, which each gnashed at the closest wolf while spitting different insults.

Natural imps, strange. The book stated they were rare, yet here's a whole group of them, Kanathara thought, drawing their eyes towards the largest imp which stood a head taller than the rest and sported a thick black hide pockmarked with scratches.

The hell is a natural imp? Rainbow Dash thought back, bringing their attention to the wolf closest to them. And more importantly, what are those things?

The wolves continued to circle the imps, barking and nipping at any that strayed too far from his fellows. Who in turn stayed group tight around their leader, some nervous, others seemingly barely able to contain their rage. The largest wolf sat further back from the rest, his body almost completely hidden beneath the foliage of a great oak, merely watching as the pack circled their prey.

Timberwolves, Kanathara hissed. Mana eaters that feed on anything from the life force of the living to the demonic energy that holds our bodies together.

Woah, that’s metal, Rainbow Dash thought back, watching closely as a wolf got a little too close, only to get a gout of fire shot at it, making it recoil with a whimper.

Fire works well against them, but they cannot truly die, as they are both not truly alive, and a form of poltergeist, albeit one spawned by the death of an animal spirit, Kanathara continued. As for the imps, they are called natural as they don't originate from Tartarus, but are rather formed from a mass of chaotic energy and given the spark of sentience by a bit of demonic magic.

Okay, so they are just imps that pop into existence wherever there is a ton of mana, and a bit of demonic influence, Rainbow Dash concluded.

Pretty much, Kanathara agreed. They usually don't live long, as they are relatively easy to kill when compared to all of the more quote unquote natural creatures that inhabit this odd forest.

Wait, I think something’s happening, Rainbow Dash pointed out a second before the so far hidden alpha made his presence known by stomping out of his hiding spot and letting out a howl so powerful that it made even the two demons shiver in fear, even though their body was mostly incorporeal.

The signal was heard loud and clear by the pack, who all leaped into motion as one, attacking the group of imps and tearing into them. The imps fought valiantly, but their leader wasn't able to offer much in the way of assistance due to facing off against the wolf's alpha. The result was brutal, with wolves pulling imps from the main group wherein they were messily devoured by other timberwolves whom had yet to join the chaotic melee.

In almost a minute the imps’ numbers had been decimated, and only a few wolves had been reduced to kindling. Each side fought with surprising efficiency and skill, though it was obvious that the wolves both had numbers and size on their side, turning the fight in their favor instantly. Resulting in a blood bath, which saw imps torn screaming limb from limb, wherein their bodies dissolved into smoke, which was in turn consumed by the closest pack members.

We should go, they may very well turn on us next, and though I like our chances, we can't get bogged down in pointless fights, Kanathara pointed out.

Too bad, Rainbow Dash lamented, I really wanted to see how the fight between those big guys is going to end.

The big imp is eventually surrounded and torn apart, Kanathara deadpanned. Now come on, we still have a mission.

Right, right, Rainbow Dash replied, before turning away from the fight and beginning to take a wide route around the scene of the fight, keeping to the shadows all the while.

Sure enough, the wolves seemed completely distracted by the fight, and paid little heed to the swirling mass of shadows which circled them before slipping away. The sounds of fighting dissipated until finally nothing could be heard save for the odd cry of pain or death. Emerging out on the other side and a good distance away from the fight, the pair stopped by a dense section of brush.

Kanathara emerged from her familiar as a mass of black and purple smoke which coalesced into the familiar form of the keeper of secrets. After giving her body a quick shake, she nodded, and began to creep through the bush, Rainbow Dash close at her side. The pair remained as quiet as possible as they slipped from one dense pocket of trees to the next, their eyes peeled for danger.

Kanathara stayed focused on not running into any unexpected patches of dangerous flora, utilizing her near complete memorization of the assassin’s guide to poisons to help keep them safe. Rainbow Dash on the other hand made sure to keep her eyes peeled for any larger threats that may threaten them as they trekked through the dark, twisted forest. Minutes passed, and after a particularly long stretch of little danger, and not much going on, Rainbow Dash paused and whispered to her mistress.

“Should we take wing?” she asked.

Kanathara shook her head. “We lack cover up there, and though we will make better time, I heard there is greater danger above the treetops than below.”

“Huh, what like giant fly traps or something?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

“Yes, actually, and wyverns, sky fishers, and various other hazards,” Kanathara explained.

“And those are worse than what's down here?” Rainbow Dash pressed, eyebrow raised.

“Up there we can't slip away into the darkness like we can down here. Never underestimate how useful good cover is,” Kanathara continued.

“Fair enough. Though I wish we had time to fight a few of these things, I bet hydras taste delicious,” Rainbow Dash announced with a wide, hungry grin.

The keeper of secrets licked her lips. “And we could dine on one for days and still not finish it all.”

“That settles it, as soon as this whole thing blows over we are taking a vacation here,” Rainbow Dash announced.

Kanathara snickered and motioned for them to continue. “Sounds like a good idea there, alpha mare. For now though we should keep going, we can't afford to run into any monsters quite yet.”

“True,” Rainbow Dash murmured, taking her place just in front of her mistress. “Do you know why there are so many though? Seems a little weird for a forest to be so filled with predators and so little prey.”

Kanathara grinned. “Finally getting curious, are we?”

“I mean, yeah,” Rainbow Dash whispered, as she lifted a tree branch for her partner. “There must be some reason there are so many of them so close together.”

“It's the mana, I think,” Kanathara whispered back, slipping under the branch and trotting next to the other demon. “It’s able to bring forth both minor Tartarus demons, as well as natural imps. Meaning there is always an abundance of prey, no matter how much they are hunted.”

“And all the mana would infuse them with wild magic, making them grow bigger and weirder.” Rainbow Dash added.

“Exactly,” Kanathara remarked. “The imps get their nutrition from the very air, and the predators eat the imps, meaning what few natural prey species are around don't get overhunted.”

“Hmm,” Rainbow Dash hummed softly to herself as she wiggled through a pair of thorn bushes, unbothered by the spikey plants brushing against her scaled flesh. “I like this place more with each passing minute. Ya think that some of these magical beasties eat mana as well?”

“Probably.” Kanathara shrugged. “It would explain how massive hydras could exist without eating everything in sight. Their diets would have to be supplemented with mana from the environment.”

“We are so coming back here some time,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed giddily. “Just think about it. We set up a small tower, or post up in a cave and just spend all day and night fighting and fuc-”

“Shh,” Kanathara hushed suddenly, her body suddenly low to the ground.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, you can't seriously be annoyed by a swear. We’re demons for crying out loud.”

Twilight shook her head. “I don't care about your sailor mouth. Look, did you see that?”

Rainbow Dash strained to see through the relative darkness of the forest and through the dense foliage. There, just beyond the wall of trees that lay immediately before them, was what looked like a small swamp which came out of nowhere. The chaotic forest seemed to care very little about how a swamp of that size and depth would naturally occur, as one moment there was forest, the next, watery marshlands. Knowing that her mistress wouldn't have stopped just to point out something so small, Rainbow Dash continued to look and watch closely.

Sure enough, a few seconds later they saw a small mound that lay a hundred or so meters away shift suddenly, the dirt and grime covering it slipping away and revealing a scaley green hide just beneath. Recoiling, Rainbow Dash turned to the keeper of secrets, leaning in close. “Is that a hydra? Or some sort of big ass lizard?”

Kanathara shook her head and lit her horn. “I’ll find out in a second, stay frosty while I scry ahead.”

Rainbow Dash nodded and adopted a defensive stance, her wings flared and her head held high, swiveling this way and that as she kept a close eye on their surroundings.

Meanwhile, Kanathara had cast the scrying spell she had been thinking of, making her eyes turn black and her vision to swim. Then, all at once reality came back to her and she was looking down at herself from several feet in the air. To Rainbow Dash, who had experience spotting the simple observation spell, it appeared like a two inch wide eyeball with a square pupil which was blood red. To the uninitiated, or those who were not demons however, it would be invisible, the only evidence of its presence being a strange sense of foreboding that comes over anyone the eye looked upon.

The eyeball spun around in the air, and zipped off in the direction of the strange mound, starting from on high and getting closer. Sure enough, after a minute of watching, Kanathara noticed the mound move and shift, revealing a tangled nest of heads just beneath a layer of dirt and muck. The creature seemed agitated though, and after a few more seconds of observation, began to uncurl itself, its heads splitting apart and slowly waking up.

Dismissing her spell, Kanathara stood suddenly and gave her body a shake, getting rid of the vertigo that plagued her. “Wow, that's a big one,” Rainbow Dash remarked, whistling as the creature seemed to grow slowly in size as its body uncoiled itself from its small depression of mud it had been slumbering in.

“I wasn't aware they were nocturnal,” Kanathara remarked, watching closely as the titanic creature shook itself free of the last bit of detritus still clinging to its body.

“When you are that big, I think you can sleep whenever the heck you want,” Rainbow Dash remarked with a snicker.

Kanathara chuckled. “Very true.”

In front of them, the great two-legged beast stretched and let out a rumbling groan from all five of its massive heads. Its long, dark green scaled body twisted as the creature woke up and began to survey its surroundings. The enormous snake-like heads each sported a pair of green slitted eyes, and a maw filled to the brim with razor sharp teeth. Black fins ran from a point between the eyes of each head and back across its skull and down its neck to where they met along the creature’s spine. The beast itself was easily taller than the tallest tree in the Everfree, towering over the two demons and rising to an impressive five storeys tall.

“We should kill it,” Rainbow Dash declared with a grin.

Kanathara rolled her eyes. “We are not killing it, we have a mission, remember?”

“Yeah, but you haven't tested out your new abilities yet,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “I bet you could finally cast all those spells you couldn't do before.”

Kanathara opened her mouth to speak, only for no words to come out, and she sat there silently for a moment. “You know, that is a good point.”

“See? And I haven't tried out my own new abilities, plus I know you are hungry,” Rainbow Dash continued, poking her mistress in the stomach.

“I am quite famished…” Kanathara reluctantly admitted.

“Well? Are we doing this or what?” Rainbow Dash pressed, a wide smile crossing her face. “We’re hungry, it’s food. We need to gauge our own improved abilities before we get in a real fight, and it will serve as good practice. What else is there to consider?”

Kanathara watched as the hydra stretched out each one of its heads and began to turn away from the duo, stomping slowly deeper into the bog. “Oh fine, but you distract the heads, I’ll take out its body.”

“Heck yeah!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, pumping a hoof in the air. “Meat is back on the menu girls!”

Kanathara rolled her eyes. “You better start distracting it. It's getting away.”

“Right,” Rainbow Dash replied, the demon snapping off a quick salute before launching into the air and flying directly at the beast’s many heads.

Shaking her own head, Kanathara sighed, and began to summon forth a small amount of mana to cast a simple offensive spell. While she did this she paid close attention to how the natural ebb and flow of her internal mana, feeling the changes that her body had gone through as her horn coursed with power. “Never change, Rainbow Dash, never change,” she muttered.

The vengant herself hardly made a sound as she flew towards the beast, a wide grin on her face. As she neared the back of the centermost head, she inhaled sharply, her breast glowing brightly as it filled with hellfire. At the last second, the hydra stopped, only now noticing Rainbow Dash’s presence, though it was too late to do anything about her.

As it began to turn its monstrous body around, the vengant landed on the head, gripping either side in her cloven hooves, and let loose a torrent of hellfire directly between the beast’s eyes. The gout of black and red fire exploded from her maw and impacted the creature’s flesh, instantly incinerating the scales on top of its head and melting straight through the soft flesh beneath. A cry of surprise and pain echoed through the swamp, the head beginning to thrash as it felt the muscle around its skull melt and slough off its body.

It wasn't able to do much however, as by the time it began to shake its long neck, Rainbow Dash pushed the last bit of fire from her belly, through its skull and into the beast’s exposed brain, making the entire head suddenly fall slack. The bellowing cry of pain turned into one of panic and confusion as the head fell uselessly against the ground. Something Rainbow Dash was ready for, as the vengant leapt from the falling head and utilized its momentum to duck to the right and swoop around close to the creature’s body.

Heads twisted this way and that, one checking the status of the dead one, while two others tried to follow Rainbow Dash, only for the demon to prove far too fast for them to track. The last head turned right around, diligently scanning the area for any other would-be attackers. Sure enough, it was able to spot Kanathara just before she unleashed her own attack in the form of a great fireball that flew towards the hydra’s middle point.

Impacting the central part of the creature’s back, the fireball exploded into an eruption of red and black flames, the hellfire piercing the creature’s scaly hide and burning the flesh beneath. Scales flew through the air, and the blast of the fireball was so large and so intense that it even boiled off all the water around the creature in a large area. Which also had the adverse effect of getting a little too close to Rainbow Dash, who had to pump her wings hard in order to get out of the way.

Sorry, Rainbow Dash! Kanathara thought to the familiar.

That was crazy! It was huge! Rainbow Dash thought back, seemingly unbothered by the fact that she nearly flew into her mistress’ magic by accident.

The small shockwave that rippled from the point of impact was further evidence of how destructive the spell was. In addition to that, the entire hydra listed forward for a moment, all four remaining heads letting out a wail of pain as they struggled to cope with the most recent attack made against it. Flesh peeled back from the point of impact, and white bone jutted out from the mass of blackened flesh, exposing the creature’s spine.

Though injured, and quite badly at that, the beast did not initially fall and its natural regenerative properties already began to go into overdrive, though it struggled to heal the flesh damaged directly by the hellfire. Two of its heads seemed dazed and confused, too wracked by pain and loss to muster much resistance. The other two remaining ones swiveled deftly, locking onto Rainbow Dash and lurching in her direction. With speed most would consider impossible for a creature of its size, the beast’s heads snapped down at the vengant, intent on biting her in half.

Only for one to miss, and the other to get a mouthful of smoke, with Rainbow Dash quickly rematerializing out the other side, a big smile on her face. These guys are tougher than I thought, and fast too! she thought excitedly, weaving around the heads before latching onto one of the confused hydra heads and punching one of its eyes out.

Kanathara watched as her familiar tore the huge eyeball from the creature’s head and took a messy bite out of it. Causing the beast to roar in pain and anguish once more, the wounded head biting and snapping at the air randomly, frenzied by its injury, but completely unable to hit the slippery demon. Away from the initial fighting, Kanathara considered her options, and came to the conclusion that she might as well enjoy this and really flex her new magical muscles.

Summoning forth a burst of power, she teleported across the swamp, closing the distance and dropping her directly behind one of the beast’s legs. Already ready, the keeper of secrets delivered a solid kick to the hydra’s knee, making the limb crack audibly and pitching the entire creature forward. The result was immediate, as the heads began to panic, its injured leg moving to keep it up, but ultimately failing to hold the beast’s massive weight.

Though it tried to bite at the vengeant as it fell, the demon was more than capable enough to keep herself out of harm's way and even take a bite out of one of the hydra’s heads. Grinning through a mouthful of gore, Rainbow Dash chewed loudly as she flew back and enjoyed her impromptu meal, merely watching as the creature hit the ground. Wow, this is really good, Rainbow Dash remarked, enjoying the gamey, yet also oddly sweet flavor to the creature’s flesh.

Damn, I’m strong, Kanathara thought to herself, before turning around, rearing up and bringing her forehooves down on the back of the hydra’s knee, shattering it completely and making the whole limb go limp. Like, really strong!

Hey boss, watch ou- Rainbow Dash tried to think, only for her thoughts to be cut off by several hundred pounds of hydra hitting the side of Kanathara’s body and sending her flying.

Pinwheeling head over heels, the keeper wasn't able to muster the necessary concentration to teleport in any direction before her body become intimately familiar with the broadside of an oak tree. Wood and bone cracked, bark and blood flew, and the demon realized she had forgotten the most important rule of combat, always keep an eye on your enemy.

“Ow,” Kanathara muttered, as she slid down the tree and crumpled into a heap.

Pain erupted from seemingly every part of her body at once, though she had enough experience with agony to know that nothing serious was hurt. Pulling herself off the ground, Kanathara quickly began to mend the worst of her injuries, using her magic to heal her damaged bones, while leaving her natural healing factor to take care of the bruises and cuts that covered her. In seconds, she was back up to full fighting potential, and spun around to get a bearing on where the fight was.

Only to stop and blink when she saw Rainbow Dash dive bomb the still exposed and only partially healed back of the hydra with such a force that she sonic boomed right before hitting the creature. The impact was immense and struck the hydra with such power that blood erupted from the mouths of the remaining heads. Almost unseen and unnoticed was Rainbow Dash herself, who exploded out the other side of the hydra, emerging out of its chest absolutely covered in gore and entrails.

Her eyes seethed with rage, and in her hooves was a massive heart nearly the size of her own head. The titanic organ pulsed once, then twice, before the demon leaned down and took a massive bite out of the thing, stopping it from beating a third time. Above her, the hydra seemed to struggle with its imminent death, one head still looking for prey, while another continued to bellow and snap at nothing. A third hung still, while the fourth looked down at its own back in fear and dawning horror while the last merely stared straight ahead, its jaw hanging open.

Then, like a puppet with its strings cut, it collapsed all at once, its entire body going limp, and its corpse hitting the ground with enough force to make the ground tremble for a full second after it fell. While that was happening, Rainbow Dash had slipped away, and crossed the distance to her mistress, heart still in hoof. As she drew closer, the scent of brimstone hit Kanathara like a hammer blow, her familiar’s eyes having turned black as dark smoke billowed out of the sides of her mouth.

With each step, the smoke and hate flowing off her seemed to dissipate, her eyes returning to their more natural state, and a smile even crossed her face. “Oh, thank Tartarus you are okay,” she remarked, only to smirk and extend her hoof. “Want a bite? I saved you most of it.”

Kanathara chuckled and shook her head. “You know, you could have just read my mind and found out if I was okay,” she remarked.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “My blood demanded vengeance,” she announced dramatically. “Plus seeing you get hit like that really pissed me off.”

“Fair enough, and yes, I would like a bite.” Kanathara snatched up the heart and took a huge chomp out of it, chewing the muscled flesh noisily and grinning. “Thish ish good.”

“I told you,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Let’s go try its other major organs out. Oh and you have got to try its scales, they are actually kind of good, like crunchy peanuts or something.”

Kanathara nodded and swallowed, following the other demon as they crossed over to the downed hydra, surveying the damage. Blood flowed out of the massive chest wound like a river, turning the water that flowed around the body a bright red. A vengant sized hole could be seen going straight through the creature, Rainbow Dash having evidently severed the beast’s spine, blew out its lungs, and removed its heart in a single attack.

“Nice one by the way, Rainbow Dash,” Kanathara remarked. “How do you feel?”

“Strong,” the familiar replied simply, shrugging at her mistress. “I don't know how to explain it but I feel denser, more resistant, and generally stronger and tougher than before.”

Kanathara nodded as she tore out what looked like a liver and bit into the organ. I have more mana, and my internal magical systems are finally complex enough to let me cast truly powerful magic. If we get the chance to test ourselves more, we should take it.

Provided we meet up with the big boss first, Rainbow Dash added as she bit a chunk out of one of the hydra’s necks, chewing noisily.

Together the two demons continued to fill their bellies with still warm meat, each enjoying the taste of something fresh and raw. They also both considered the most recent changes they had gone through, contemplating the fight and openly wondering if they had finally reached their personal peaks. Though Kanathara dissuaded such a notion out of hoof, as they had yet to truly master their newest forms completely, meaning they had at least a good bit to go before they topped out.

Plus, they didn't even have any weapons, or armor at this point, having trained without the use of them for the most part. Sure they had used some weapons at times, and had a small selection they had both mastered, but both demons knew they would only become more powerful if they had adequate armaments.

“Poaching is class one felony!” a deep, distinctly female voice yelled. “Step away from the hydra and raise your hooves above your head!”

The two demons popped out of the hydra’s gaping back hole, their lips locked as they made out while covered from head to hoof in gore. They both blinked, and took a step away from one another, glancing over to where two armored mares stood at the edge of the swamp.

One was tall, with a wide brimmed stetson on her head, which contained her short, neatly cut hay colored mane. What little fur was visible beneath her armor was a bright orange, though the patches were rare as the thick silver armor covered nearly every inch of her save for her head. On her hooves were enormous greaves meant to assist the wearer in delivering powerful kicks and punches, a weapon that appeared quite dangerous on the massively muscled earth pony. She wore a grim expression on her face and seemed ready to charge at a moment’s notice.

Beside her stood a slightly less grim earth pony with the poofiest pink mane either demon had ever seen before. Her fur was equally as pink, and visible only on her face, as the rest of her body was covered in a thick leather which hid her tail and most of her body from sight. The leather itself was dense, and layered, with daggers, bolts, and other tools strapped at various points on the mare’s body. In her hooves was an arbalest of mammoth size, the crossbow already primed, and pointing directly at the two demons. Though not quite as serious as her green-eyed companion, the pink pony’s bright teal eyes contained a fire which initially shocked the two demons.

Though both demons were easily taller then either pony, they were solid, obviously trained, and were equipped for just such a moment as this.

“Err what?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, scratching her head with a hoof. “Who the hell are you?”

The orange pony stomped forward and held her head high. “We are members of the Everfree Rangers, and by the power invested in me by Princess Celestia, I, Applejack, hereby place you under arrest for the unlawful poaching of a protected animal!”

“We weren’t poaching it though, we were just eating it,” Rainbow Dash replied, turning to Kanathara. “Or does eating it fall under poaching?”

Rolling her eyes, the keeper of secrets brushed aside her familiar and took a step out of the gore. “Look, this is all a misunderstanding,” she began. “Why don't we-”

“Twitchy eyes, twitchy eyes!” the pink pony announced suddenly.

Instantly the orange pony ducked low, her eyes narrowing. “Demons, I should have known. No real pony would eat meat.”

“Hey now, let’s just take a moment and breathe, okay?” Kanathara began, diplomatically raising her hooves above her head. “Just because we are demons doesn't mean we can't have a civil discussion, right?”

The two mortals exchanged a look, with the pink one frowning and the orange one shaking her head. “No can do, pardner. Equestrian law is pretty strict. Any demon found in violation of any crime greater than a misdemeanour is to be killed immediately.”

“Sorry, maybe we could have been friends in another life,” the pink one offered, with a slight shrug.

“Well, there goes the diplomatic approach,” Rainbow Dash remarked dryly. “You take the pink one, I got the fat one.”

“Hey, I am not fat!” Applejack shouted, only to spit. “Light ‘em up, Pinks!”

“You got it, boss.”

Kanathara sighed. “I suppose we did need some more practice.”

With that, the battle was joined.

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Comments

[DNC]

Harsh. That’s all I got to say to that law.

[Mahtan]

So killing the animal to eat does fall under poaching.

[CommanderBigMac]

I was wondering how the test of the Main6 were going to be introduced. I approve.
Can’t wait to see how Pear Butter is going to be introduced to this scene, if at all.

[Backlash91]

Wait wait wait...I am...so confused now. The hydra was described as being five stories tall...yet the heart is only the size of rainbow dashes head...

I cannot for the life of me figure out both hw big twilight and rainbow dash are...and at the same time, what they look like...AND I'm an artist. My imagination is going all the wrong directions. My brain says twilight is celestia sized. Rainbow is....something like 40 feet tall...yet not...cause the canopy of the forest isnt that tall...

I'm lost.

I love this story to pieces but we NEED visual references of what they look like and how tall they are...in comparison to others

[Gear_change]

9879051
And copious amounts of both:
1. Suspension of disbelief
2. Alcohol

[Jest]

9992095
this has more or less been solved in the last few chapters but to make more sense of this whole thing magic kind of eleminates the square cube law, and makes impossibly large monsters a reality. Also most of a hydra's 'size' are its heads so the actual body is maybe a quarter of that size.

[Love able chaos]

Well LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GenericWriter]

That law seems sus