Trial Five: Testing Mettle
Kanathara sighed. “I suppose we did need some more practice.” No names, nothing spoken, you know the routine, she added, sending the telepathic message to her familiar and friend.
Right, you got it, boss, Rainbow Dash thought back as she shot off the ground and exploded into the sky.
The vengant was fast, so fast that the pink pony didn't even bother trying to track her the second it was made apparent that she was not Rainbow Dash’s target, instead training her crossbow on Kanathara. Noticing this, Rainbow Dash built up speed and launched into a divebomb directed at the heavily armored earth pony, who was scrambling into cover granted by some nearby trees. Though her armor must have weighed a considerable amount, it didn't seem to slow down the orange mare and she easily managed to get into the shade of a great oak.
Thinking herself safe with Rainbow Dash’s line of sight broken, Applejack almost let her guard down. That is, until the vengeant ripped through the treetops and barreled into her side, knocking her off her hooves and sending the pony flying. Utilizing not only her normal sight, but also her ability to track heat signatures, Rainbow Dash had an easy time keeping an eye on her target through the canopy in order to deliver a devastating blow.
Yet even with such a powerful blow being delivered to the side of the armored pony’s body, she didn't so much as wince in pain, her armor taking the majority of the hit. She even managed to stay upright and skidded to a stop a dozen feet away, gaze locked on her opponent, and seemingly no worse for wear. Rainbow Dash, wary of the pink pony who had last been seen nearby, flew up and through the treetops, a smirk on her face.
Several seconds earlier, Kanathara lurched forward, eyes locked on the pink pony while she dashed towards the closest crater, from there hopping from cover to cover. Between her natural demonic agility and her inherent magical ability Kanathara was easily able to cross the majority of the distance without exposing herself significantly. She did have one problem though, namely the fact that there was still a small amount of space between her and her target that was utterly flat.
Her first instinct was to simply teleport the distance, but she wasn't sure if she could trust her spellcasting quite yet. As it was obvious she hadn't adjusted completely to the most recent change she had undergone. So it was that she growled silently and merely sat there a moment, thinking of what she should do while she felt Rainbow Dash continue to fight and the pink one continued to track her movements with that enormous crossbow of hers.
The winged demon snickered to herself, watching with her enhanced sight as the armored pony kept trying to catch a glimpse of her through the treetops before Rainbow Dash dove back down and hit her again. “Come down here, you winged rodent!” Applejack yelled, shaking her hoof at the sky.
Rolling her eyes, the vengant silently decided to oblige the mare, while also giving her another hit for good measure. Tucking her wings tight against her body, she dove towards the ground, breaking through the trees at an incredible speed and opening her membranous wings mere feet from the ground and turning her entire body directly at the orange mare.
Applejack was faster than anticipated once more however, as she spun around and was able to meet the vengant head on. Hoof met hoof, scale met steel and neither was found wanting. Together the two beings clashed, the pair briefly sliding a few feet before ultimately coming to a stalemate with their forehooves pressed against one another’s. Rainbow Dash grinned from ear to ear and laughed aloud, her back hooves resting against the ground, her body braced and ready.
“That was pretty cool. I like you,” Rainbow Dash complimented.
Applejack opened her mouth, only for nothing to happen for a moment. “Err, you too, that was close.”
“Yeah, I’m quite impressed you were able to stay standing. Though you won’t stay that way for long,” Rainbow Dash remarked, beating her wings mightily and disengaging from the earth pony so fast Applejack nearly fell over.
Once again the earth pony reacted quick enough to avoid damage, her forehooves hitting the ground and allowing her to adjust her stance before coming right back up to block against a flurry of blows. The sound of cloven hoof meeting polished steel filled the tight confines of the impromptu arena, with neither attacker nor defender able to get a leg up on the other. They continued this dance for several long seconds, hoof meeting greeve, and neither giving an inch, before Rainbow Dash thrust both hooves forward. Forcing Applejack to intercept them with her own, leaving them right back where they had been a few seconds earlier.
Rainbow Dash’s smirk was gone, and she frowned at the earth pony in an exaggerated fashion. “How did you cheat to become as strong as me, is it the armor?” she asked, eyes narrowing.
Applejack rolled her eyes. “It ain't cheatin’. I’m the strongest pony in town already. This armor just helps against demons. Plus I was trained to fight you jerks so I know how to leverage that strength properly.”
“So the armor helps you cheat and you were trained by a bunch of holier than thought losers. Big deal.” Rainbow Dash scoffed.
Growling, Applejack shoved forward, making Rainbow Dash skid backwards in the mud. “The paladins are not losers, mah brother ain't a fool!”
“Oooh, now she’s serious,” Rainbow Dash remarked with a smirk. “Let’s do this!”
Kanathara ducked back down after firing a flurry of mana bolts at her enemy, keeping the pink pony locked down and unable to assist her ally. The overcharged bolts were simple and not aimed overly well, as the spell’s main purpose wasn't to injure, but rather suppress and create a wall of smoke. Which the demon made use of by dashing forward out of cover and towards her enemy, a grin spreading across her face when she realized that she could no longer see the pink earth pony.
Kanathara’s smirk quickly vanished when the pink pony surged out of the smoke, charging straight at her with the arbalest raised. For a moment, their eyes met, and the demon could no longer see that same fire in her opponents eye, the pony’s movements slowing noticeably. Even her attack seemed oddly telegraphed, allowing Kanathara to duck out of the way of the bolt mere milliseconds before the enormous projectile would have removed her head from her shoulders.
Hitting the ground hard, Kanathara forced her body to becoming partially intangible, becoming half smoke, half demon and allowing her to continue forward at the same speed despite having to throw herself into the dirt only a second earlier. The reaction turned out to be the correct move however, as a trio of smaller bolts fired by a much smaller rotating hoof crossbow impacted the soft mud where she had been a moment earlier. Steeling herself, Kanathara fired off a quick burst of magic missiles at the mare, hoping to keep her off balance long enough to close the distance.
Hopefully you are not as skilled hoof to hoof as you are at range, Kanathara thought to herself, as she closed the last few feet between her and the pony.
Who hopped, ducked, and cartwheeled out of the way of the spells, her every movement bouncy and akin to that of a circus performer rather than a member of a well-maintained military. The demon didn't dwell on this long however, as she conjured forth another spell, holding it until she grew close enough for it to be super effective. When that happened, Kanathara stopped, reared back, and let loose her spell just as the pink pony landed from the end of her last cartwheel.
Though Kanathara assumed she had caught the pink pony in a vulnerable moment, she was surprised to see no fear in the pony’s eyes. The short-ranged flame burst spell exploded from the tip of her horn, morphing into a massive eruption of fire that exploded outwards in a cone before her. Kanathara leaped back the second after the spell fired, raising her hooves defensively and conjuring a light shield just in case.
A move that ended up saving her as another bolt bounced off the shield, followed by a second, and a third, which cracked and finally shattered the flimsy defences. Knowing that wouldn't be the end of the attack, Kanathara leapt to the side, putting a tree between her and her opponent before peeking out the other side. The pink pony dropped down out of the treetops and tossed aside the hoof crossbow she had been using before pulling forth a pair of daggers.
Noticing that the ranged fight was now officially over, Kanathara quickly cast two enchantments on herself. One hardened her flesh against piercing damage, the second made her forehooves glow white hot, making even a glancing blow possibly lethal. Jumping out from cover, Kanathara found the pink pony was waiting for her, daggers raised defensively.
They met in the middle of a small clearing, each attacking one another apprehensively, unsure of what other tricks their opponent might hold. As time passed and each began to score minor, inconsequential hits, Kanathara realized that her opponent had no more tricks, other than apparently having a slightly lesser healing factor when compared to the demon’s own. The glancing blow she had been counting on never came however and whenever Kanathara seemed able to hit something, it turned out to be a dangling tool or a particularly dense section of armor.
The demon also knew that her opponent must have in turn figured out that Kanathara was unable to cast any serious spells while this close, yet still didn't seem to put any serious effort into the fight. Whatever minor wounds they were able to inflict on one another closed quickly and Kanathara found herself falling into a strange lul mid-fight. She couldn't bring herself to commit to it, as it was obvious her opponent wouldn't do so either. More than even that, the pink pony also seemed oddly unsure of herself, as if she were second guessing her own actions.
Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth while they continued their delicate dance of stabs and punches, Kanathara suddenly asked a question that had been on her mind since the moment the pair of ponies had appeared, “How did you find us so quickly?”
The pink pony shrugged while deflecting Kanathara’s hoof with one of her long, slender daggers. “Ranger patrols are pretty common due to people occasionally wandering into the forest and concerns having been raised over ponies poaching the denizens of therein for experiments, or just exotic pets.”
“Interesting. Do ponies try and keep hydras as pets?” Kanathara asked as she ducked out of a stab and delivered an attack of her very own.
“You’d be surprised the dumb ideas some ponies get in their heads,” replied the pink pony as she ducked low and attempted to sweep Kanathara’s legs out from under her.
Kanathara turned her limbs to smoke at the last second, rendering the pink pony’s attack a wasted effort. “Oh, that doesn't surprise me one bit. Every species has its less intelligent members. Let me guess, the armor gives you the healing factor and allows it to fix itself?”
The pink pony nodded as she pulled back out of the reach of Kanathara’s punch. “Yeah, it does other stuff too obviously, but I can't tell you that.”
“But you can give me that other information?” Kanathara shot back as she swatted aside one of the pink pony’s blades.
“You already figured that out anyway,” replied the pony dismissively.
A few dozen meters away, both vengant and earth pony were locked in a chaotic melee that was far more intense than the nearly sedentary fight happening nearby. Rainbow Dash went flying through the air, having been thrown by the earth pony with enough force to send the demon straight through a small tree. Hopping up quickly, Rainbow Dash laughed, a huge smile on her face. “Your throws are worse than your insults,” she shouted before leaping back into the fray.
Where Applejack was waiting, hooves raised and ready to fight. “Well, at least my throws aren't as bad as your breath,” retorted the pony.
“I beg to differ, here, let me show you!” Rainbow Dash inhaled deeply and exhaled a cloud of smoke directly into her opponent’s face.
Making Applejack recoil, the mare coughing and sputtering as the dense black smoke filled her lungs and vision alike. “Stars above that's foul, I’d ask what you eat, but I don't want to know.”
Rainbow Dash smirked as she lined up a buck directly into the mare’s chest. “Have a nice trip, see you next fall!” she shouted as the earth pony was knocked head over heels.
Grumbling to herself, the pony picked herself up and threw something strapped to her midsection just as Rainbow Dash was attempting to close the distance and deliver a follow-up attack. The vengeant managed to bring up her wing in time, making the bag of orange powder to explode acorss the leathery appendage. Rainbow Dash stopped dead in her tracks, the demon cursing and sputtering as she shook her wing in an attempt to dislodge the stinging powder.
“Don't feel so good, does it, demon?” Applejack spat, the earth pony already charging the vengant.
“Who would have though getting covered in weirdly scented baby powder would hurt this much?” Rainbow Dash replied, the demon turning to smoke and lurching to the side just in time to dodge the charging pony.
“It is not baby powder, you idiot, it’s pure earth!” Applejack shouted.
“Pfft, whatever, it’s just some dumb trick. You can call it whatever you want to call it,” Rainbow Dash shot back as she flipped around and righted herself once more, the powder now gone.
Noticing that her attacks were doing little, and she was getting nowhere slowly, Applejack ground her teeth in annoyance and spared a glance over at her partner. Who was in a slow, almost half-hearted fight with the keeper of secrets, who in turn seemed only half-interested in what was going on, the two talking animatedly about some seemingly random topic. “Goshdarnit, Pinkie Pie, fight already! They are bloody demons for crying out loud!”
“Hey, we have names you know!” Rainbow Dash shot back before spitting a gout of flame at the orange pony.
Who raised both hooves before her, activating another enchantment on her armor and forming a glowing wall of golden light before her, stopping the flames dead in their tracks. “I don't want your name, I just want you to die!” Applejack shouted back.
Recoiling from her attack, Rainbow Dash scowled as she came under her opponent’s defences and delivered an uppercut to the orange pony’s chin. “You know that seems a little excessive on your part,” Rainbow Dash remarked.
Growling, Applejack wiggled her jaw as she kept up her defences and deflected the next few attacks from Rainbow Dash. “Demons are the anathema of life itself, your deaths will make the world a better place!”
“Ouch, that hurts you know. We weren’t planning on attacking anypony, just-” Rainbow Dash began, only to get a face full of orange powder, causing her to recoil and close her eyes on instinct.
Giving Applejack the opening she needed to spin around and deliver a buck so hard it sent the vengant flying through the air and straight through a rose bush, followed by a young oak tree. “I’m not done with you yet!” Applejack shouted as she charged at the spot Rainbow Dash had disappeared.
Sensing her familiar’s injuries, Kanathara growled and reared back suddenly, conjuring a beam of light directly into her opponent’s face and making her stumble back, temporarily blinded. Ignoring the pink pony’s cries, Kanathara turned and caught a glimpse of Applejack as she sprinted towards a still stumbling Rainbow Dash. In a flash of light, the keeper of secrets disappeared, and reappeared directly in the path of the armored ranger.
“What the-” was all Applejack could say before a wave of force made her stumble, and something heavy suddenly shoved her into the ground.
Horn glowing brightly, Kanathara forced the ethereal hoof down hard against the orange pony’s back, making her armor creek as it began to buckle under the strain of the magical construct. “You shouldn't have done that,” she whispered, eyes narrowing as she closed the distance.
“Fuck you,” Applejack spat, the pony attempting to resist the magical construct, failing utterly.
With a primal growl of rage, Kanathara’s horn glowed brighter still and she prepared to crush the pony into paste using pressure alone. Only for five words to suddenly pop into her head and leave her unable to kill the struggling pony.
Don't forget to be kind.
Instead of increasing the force, Kanathara turned and erected a second magical construct in the shape of a simple flat wall of force. One that blocked the pink pony before she could reach them, making her smack into the purple wall and slide to the forest floor in a cartoonish fashion.
“Dash, get up, we are leaving,” Kanathara whispered.
Stumbling to a stand, the vengant shook her head and looked around. “We’re doing what now?”
“Leaving,” Kanathara hissed.
Rainbow Dash blinked and looked over to see that not only was one enemy rendered unable to move but the other was continually running into magical walls conjured by the keeper of secrets. “Sure thing, boss, which way?” Rainbow Dash replied with a shrug.
“Anywhere, just go,” Kanathara replied.
Nodding, the vengant spread her wings and accepted the flow of purple black smoke into herself. Once that was done she shot through the canopy, narrowly dodging a thrown dagger, and another pouch of powder which sailed harmlessly through where she had been a moment earlier. Bursting through the canopy, Rainbow Dash immediately turned, and flew close over the tops of the trees, weaving one way one moment and another in the next.
Within thirty seconds they had lost their pursuers, and after another minute, when Kanathara was certain that they had put enough distance between the two groups, ordered her to land. Here is good, Kanathara indicated, mentally pointing Rainbow Dash in the direction of a small collection of densely packed trees.
Rainbow Dash did as she was commanded and swooped low, diving between the tree branches and deftly landing in the midst of the trees. The instant her hooves hit the ground, Kanathara emerged in a billow of smoke, the keeper of secrets quickly reforming once more.
“So, what was that all about?” Rainbow Dash asked, eyebrow raised.
Kanathara snorted and kicked the ground hard enough to send a chunk of dirt flying through the air. “I just remembered a promise I made, that's all.”
The vengant raised her hooves defensively. “Hey now, that's fine by me. The fight was a lot of fun before Applejosh got all mad after finding out we weren’t easy prey.” The vengant smirked and threw a hoof over her mistress’ shoulders. “Besides, I wouldn't want to lose such a great sparring partner.”
“Thanks, Rainbow Dash,” Kanathara whispered, nuzzling the underside of the demon’s jaw.
“Daww, don't get all mushy on me now, aren't you the least bit curious as to why a tiny town like Ponyville has a whole anti-demon militia?” Rainbow Dash replied, while blushing hotly.
Kanathara nodded. “I suppose it is rather strange, though I think it makes sense considering how dangerous the forest is. It’s too large of an area to simply build a wall around and it would be a constant concern.”
“That sounds logical. If I was some mortal, I wouldn't want to live next to a demon-infested forest without certain precautions being in place,” Rainbow Dash murmured.
“Plus, since the bottom feeders are out, that means some bigger demons may come along eventually as well,” Twilight continued.
Nodding, Rainbow Dash sighed heavily. “Well either way, I’m exhausted from all the fighting and that damn summoning. We need to find a place to crash, and fast.”
“You’re telling me.” Kanathara snorted. “You weren’t the one who had her essence pulled at for hours by some assholes from another plane of existence.”
“True. Want me to take over the walking?” Rainbow Dash offered.
“It isn't a four poster bed, but I suppose you will have to do for now,” Kanathara remarked with a chuckle.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as the keeper of secrets turned to smoke and once more slipped inside the vengant’s body. “Right, now let's see if we can find us a town,” Rainbow murmured.
Launching into the air, Rainbow Dash flew out from the small group of trees they had been using as cover, and broke through the canopy. Flying up into the sky, the vengant did a quick scan of the horizon, and, after finding the telltale signs of civilization and turning in that direction, dove back down. Noticing that the trees were becoming less numerous after only a few minutes of flying, Rainbow Dash chose not to land, and instead weaved around the trees as she continued towards town.
With a deftness few could replicate the vengant utilized all of her skill to fly through the last bit of forest at a breakneck pace, dodging any branch or tree that got in their way. With all the swiftness of the wind, the pair slipped through the trees, and landed near the edge of the forest. Kanathara materialized once more, and crept low to the ground as the pair approached the tree line, only to stop when the keeper felt as though something was off.
“Wait a second,” she murmured, before grabbing a stone and tossing it straight ahead, for seemingly no reason.
Rainbow Dash was about to ask what was going on, only for the rock to glow briefly before dulling once more and landing on the other side. “What the heck is that?” Rainbow Dash murmured.
“Looks like a shield spell that’s been altered to selectively repel intruders. Though what it’s keeping out is unknown,” Kanathara explained.
“It's probably demons,” Rainbow Dash remarked. “Here, see?”
The vengant leaned forward and touched the shield, only to receive a massive dose of electricity and be sent flying for what felt like the sixth time today. Sighing to herself, Kanathara placed a hoof against her forehead and carefully timed her breaths as Rainbow Dash healed and stumbled back over to the other demon. “Okay, so that probably wasn't the smartest idea ever,” Rainbow Dash muttered, smoke emanating from random points on her body.
“Ya think?” Kanathara deadpanned.
“Well, it was better than doing nothing,” Rainbow Dash shot back.
“I guess,” Kanathara conceded. “At least we know it's definitely meant to keep out demons.”
“So, what do we do now?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Frowning, the keeper sighed. “I’m not sure.”
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Interesting fight, I wonder what will happen when they meet again.
9859526
You wont have to wonder for long...
Hmm...I hope the story keeps it's dark elements and Gore. It would be a shame to see the magic of friendship become the cure all like it is in the show. Not to say that I hate the show or anything, not at all, but I like exploring the darker side of things, and I enjoy characters that never really become good, but this is your story, so do as you please.
Personally, I'm just hoping that the darker stuff continues, (I admit I get a little tired of everything always having a happy go lucky ending,) Another thing that I've noticed is that most authors when making these alternate universes usually have the mail. Six become friends just because they are friends in the show, which isn't always bad, per se, but sometimes you read these alternate universe stories and you think to your self, why are these guys friends? Oh, because that's the dynamic in the show....ah.
Well, sorry for going off on a tangent and ranting there, didn't mean to trouble you. I'm liking the story so far, and just hope this doesn't follow a few of the tropes I've noticed is all. Anyways, keep at it, and write it as you want it. 😁
9860502
Well lemme put it this way, I like the show, but I love exploring the darker side as well.
9860895
They didnt know that was the purpose of killing it, they assumed it was poaching, and after figuring out they were demons it no longer mattered.
9865339
Tis a mystery.
9859532
If you don't count a month or 2 as "long."
9871064
Patrons already know, and you will know on Halloween
Main problem I'm having with this story is the upload schedule. 2 chapters a month is fine, but I thought that meant you'd update it every 2 weeks, not once at the beginning of the month then not for another 4 weeks. It leads to long stretches of time without a good story to read.
9875391
I have the single most consistent release schedule of any author I follow. You can always expect around 10k worth of content every single month without fail. This is also a far larger volume then nearly all the stories I follow as well. So in summery, I understand where your coming from, but considering I'm doing better then 99% of the authors on here, i dont think its really that big a deal.
I both absolutely love this story and find it bothersome. XD at this point I'm just saying that rainbow dash can shapeshift to whatever size fits her, and twilight sparkle is celestia sized. Done. I can't wait for more!
9879069
Its coming up.
9875444
No, it was mostly a joke, you definitely have the most consistent schedule. It wasn't even really any form of criticism. I apologize if I annoyed you.
9882518
Ahh okay good, no worries.
I've just seen this comment before and it was getting irratating to see it so often especially considering I've never gone on a multi year long hiatus or promised updates and not delivered.
So this is a D&D campaign, Twilight is a wizard/Sorcerer. Rainbow Dash is a fighter, Applejack is a Paladin, and Pinkie Pie is a ranger or Rouge.
10068491
Id say Twi is a fiendblood warlock/wizard while Rainbow Dash is also part warlock part fighter. Or something to that effect, as she has inate abilities that she sure as hell didnt study for.
I gotta ask why they’re even heading to Ponyville. The plan was to head to the safe house, so why are they up and doing a 180?
For that matter, they’re even bringing attention to themselves.