Born In Light, Forged In Darkness

by Jest

Trial Seven: Aid and Indifference

Rainbow Dash’s armored hooves slammed into the berserker’s chest, sending the pony through a pile of boxes and causing the rest to topple onto her. The demon then pumped her wings and soared directly at the knife-wielding mercenary, ignoring the daggers which bounced off her armor. However, she never made it to her target as a hoof reached out of the pile of shattered wood and gripped her foreleg, yanking her back to the ground.

“Where do you think you’re going?” growled the plate-armored pony.

“Hopefully straight for the heart, ‘cause we got work to do,” Rainbow Dash replied with a smirk, knocking aside another thrown dagger without even looking at it.

“You will not obtain the artifact!” shouted the blind unicorn, who shot a ray of cold at the keeper of secrets.

Who merely blinked and glanced at the small mark the attack had left on one of her enchanted greaves. “Really? You thought that was going to hurt me?” It only works on unarmored opponents, like you!” Kanathara exclaimed, blasting the unicorn with her own beam of frost.

The stallion yelped and stumbled back, the magical attack hitting him square in the chest, ice immediately covering the front of his torso. Kanathara followed this up with a swift punch, causing a section of the male’s clothes to shatter and a large chunk of skin to break off. A dizzying burst of dancing lights stopped the keeper from being able to press her advantage, and she stumbled back as several orbs of mana slammed into her.

Rainbow Dash was faring a little better than her companion as her heavy armor ensured that none of the berserker’s attacks could leave more than a bruise. Ducking beneath an attempt to gore her on the pony’s artificial horn, Rainbow Dash whipped her head backwards, slamming it against the underside of the berserker’s chin. Rearing back, the vengant was about to unleash a flurry of hellfire when she received a dagger right through her grille and into her cheek.

“Don't forget about me, you overgrown fire gecko!” shouted the mercenary.

Tearing the weapon from her ruined cheek, Rainbow Dash tossed it aside, only to get tackled straight through another pile of boxes, leaving her and her enemy buried under a mound of shattered wood. Her anger getting the better of her, Rainbow Dash channeled her inner fire into her armor, causing several gouts of flame to shoot out of the joints. A pained yelp told her that at least one of said jets had hit her target, and her armored opponent recoiled, allowing the demon to escape the mountain of splinters.

While her familiar pulled herself up and engaged her opponent again, Kanathara was trading low-level spells with the enemy caster. Acid splashes were dodged, magic missiles struck true, and overall Kanathara was beginning to grow bored. She had wanted to test herself, but was finding that it was an exercise mainly in patience, as the unicorn was surprisingly nimble.

Evidently his foresight was good, though obviously it wasn't perfect, as he sported several small wounds as well as a larger one on his chest. Leaping over a conjured set of spikes, Kanathara rolled across the ground and came up in front of her opponent, intent on simply bashing his head in. A straight jab hit nothing but air, as did her right cross, in addition to her desperate uppercut.

“Just stand still so I can kill you!” Kanathara yelled, growing more irritated by the second.

The cultist smirked and fired off a close-range burst of kinetic energy, driving Kanathara back and barely scratching her in the process. “My foresight is good, yes? You won't defeat me that easily, that much I can see for certain!” he shrieked, voice rising several octaves.

“And you will never land a blow that I won't immediately shrug off,” Kanathara countered, smirking back at the cultist. “Honestly, I’m tempted to just wait until you run out of spells and collapse.”

The stallion ground his teeth together. “If one spell at a time doesn't do it, then I will simply cast more!”

His horn flashed several times in rapid succession, numerous magical bolts tipped with acid hovering around him. Raising an eyebrow, Kanathara watched as he conjured almost a dozen of the things before starting to get winded. Rather than dodge, the demon merely stood up and opened her forehooves, inviting him to give her his best shot, while her own horn glowed faintly.

“Die!” screamed the cultist, his projectiles flying towards the demon at an incredible speed.

Not like it mattered, as Kanathara’s body turned to mist, the acidic bolts pelting the wall behind her. Reforming immediately after, the demon’s smirk grew even larger as several dozen shards of wood hovered around her enemy.

“Anger is a wonderful blinder, wouldn't you say?” Kanathara quipped before plunging her tiny wooden daggers into the stallion’s body.

The cultist jerked one way and then another, as if he were trying to dodge in two directions at once. A course of action that didn't help in the slightest, as his body was perforated with dozens of splinters. Yet despite being speared by tiny spikes, the stallion stayed standing, his horn continued to flicker and glow.

“I’m not done yet!” he yelled.

Kanathara casually moved her head to the right, doavoiding a beam of cold. “You know, there is this one spell that I never thought I’d use since it only makes the enemy’s wounds deepen ever so slightly. Now however, I think it would work perfectly. So why don't you lie down and bleed for me?”

The keeper’s horn flashed once, twice, thrice, each flash coming in so quickly that it looked like a steady glow. Blood spurted from the cultist’s wounds and mouth with such force that it was like he were being squeezed by some great invisible hand. In seconds every last bit of blood in his body had been violently ejected onto the floor of the car, and the cultist himself lay dead, a mad smile on his face.

Rainbow Dash was finishing her own fight at the same time, her hooves slamming against the berserker’s own blows like that of a smith pounding against his anvil. Initially they had seemed even, as Rainbow Dash was continually perforated by daggers which slipped between the cracks of her armor. Yet despite sporting over a dozen of the things at this point, the demon continued to grin, her hooves slamming into her enemy’s with the same force they had a minute ago.

In seconds the berserker went from confident to scared, her limbs beginning to ache as her body struggled to cope with the shock of the attacks. Even calling on her inner rage barely made a dent in the agony she was experiencing, and for a moment she felt something break in her leg, slowing her down just long enough for the demon to reach forward, snake her limbs about the pony’s and begin to squeeze.

“Do something, you idiot!” shouted the berserker, her armor creaking audibly.

“I’m trying!” yelled the mercenary, who was jabbing his dagger repeatedly into the vengant’s helmet.

“Your efforts are wasted!” Rainbow Dash bellowed.

With a twist, she broke her opponent’s legs, then before the pony even had a chance to scream, Rainbow Dash brought her head down against the cultist’s nose. Repeating this action several times, the vengent shattered her enemy’s armor, then her nose, and finally her skull. With a resounding crack, the pony’s head caved inwards, her eyes widening briefly before becoming distant, her body falling slack.

Rainbow Dash emptied her lungs and with a mighty pull sucked the fleeing soul into her gullet. “Damn, did I need that,” Rainbow Dash muttered, tossing aside the corpse with all the reverence one showed to a piece of garbage.

Kanathara shuddered as the cultist’s soul was pulled past her lips. “You are aware that he is still trying to stab you, right?” she pointed out.

“It kinda tickles,” Rainbow Dash replied.

The mercenary fell flat on his back, his weapon forgotten and his eyes wide. “W-who are you, people?”

“A couple mercs here on a job, just like you,” Kanathara replied coldly, the demon plucking the daggers from her familiar and tossing them aside with her magic.

“I think I’ll try that acupuncture thing your mom mentioned the next time we’re back in town,” Rainbow Dash muttered as she stretched, her wounds closing in seconds.

Kanathara chuckled as she approached the mercenary, her towering form looming ominously over the fallen pony. “Now then, tell me everything.”

“I don't suppose you’ll let me go if I do, huh?” he sheepishly asked.

Kanathara looked to her partner, who shrugged. “I don't care what you do with him,” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“I’m not sure if it's the soul talking, or what it may be, but I’m feeling charitable. So sure, you can go after you answer my questions,” Kanathara replied.

The mercenary deflated like a spent balloon. “I don't know who I’m working for. We only ever called her the dark mistress, and I’ve only done two jobs with them at this point. The main group is at the front acquiring some sort of powerful artifact while we made sure they didn't get reinforcements.”

“I assume the nature of this artifact is on a need-to-know basis?” Kanathara questioned.

“Which I apparently don't need to know nothin’ about, other than the train was supposed to get stopped in the tunnels which is where we were going to be picked up,” offered the stallion, who raised his hooves. “Oh and the boss was some sorta fancy demon summoner type that knew how to get past this ward thingy, and there is a whole bunch of us merc types as well as several of those cult members.”

Kanathara glanced down at the bodies of the mercenary’s former comrades. “That makes sense. What do you think, is he telling the truth?”

Rainbow Dash nodded slowly. “Every word. Surprisingly.”

The male chuckled nervously. “Well, you two seem like the type to appreciate honesty, and I aim to please.”

“And I do appreciate that,” Kanathara declared, turning to her familiar. “You know what to do.”

“I sure do,” Rainbow Dash replied, cracking her neck.

“Give me a pat on the head and send me on my way?” begged the cowering mercenary.

“Something like that,” Rainbow Dash muttered before laying him out with a single punch.

Kanathara glanced down at the stallion. “Unconscious, but not dead. He’ll be feeling that for weeks.”

“And I didn't break anything this time!” Rainbow Dash added, her helmet folding back to reveal her smirking face. “Gonna wipe him?”

“The less info they can piece together, the better,” Kanathara replied, her horn flashing briefly, only to fizzle. “Hmm, I guess the best I can do is muddy the water a bit.”

“Ready for more?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Kanathara nodded. “Always.”

---

Twilight peered out of the tiny window, her gaze sweeping over the fight happening in the car in front of them. This encounter, unlike most, was open to the sky, with only chest-high barriers keeping anyone from falling off of it. In the center were several large iron bound crates stacked several metres high, along with a squad’s worth of paladins and numerous winged demons.

Imps leapt from atop the next car and bowled over a paladin before heaving the screaming mare over the side of the car. Kanathara watched as the soldier vanished, her yell ending a second after it began. What few paladins were left were fighting back to back on the right side, their wounds visible and their resolve visibly beginning to wane.

“So, do we help them or just wait them out? ‘Cause I don't like sitting here,” Rainbow Dash muttered, the vengant peeking her head next to the other demon’s.

“I don't either, but I also don't like having to fight two enemies at once,” Kanathara replied.

“Can you disguise us?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Kanathara blinked. “It wouldn't do much to hide our height, and it wouldn't be the best, but yeah, I could do that.”

“So we show up pretending to be their buddies, clear out the imps and then knock ‘em out when they aren't paying attention,” Rainbow Dash explained.

“Good thinking. I want to earn a few brownie points just in case,” Kanathara declared.

“Right, so we’ll stick with the ol’ eagle routine, right?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Kanathara chuckled. “It hasn't failed us before.”

“Hell yeah. Let’s get these chumps,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, pumping a hoof in the air.

---

Honest Heart and his companions Twitch and Solemn Spear fought almost back to back, with Honest standing between them. Several discarded spears were held in his magical grip, the stallion furiously ramming them up into the horde of imps flying overhead. Every once in a while he would get lucky and jab one of his weapons straight through the chest of an unfortunate demon, only for that imp to be quickly replaced by another.

On one side stood his oldest squad mate Solemn, the pegasus mare wielding a pair of short swords which she put to deadly use. A swift stab followed by a shallow swipe ended another imp, the diminutive demon’s head falling off his body which quickly turned to dust. That victory was short-lived, however, as two more of the small creatures leapt towards her a second later, their long claws desperately searching for purchase against her armor.

On the other side was their newest squad member, who wielded his crossbow like a club, the young unicorn stallion having lost his helmet sometime during the fight. He got lucky and managed to bludgeon an imp to death, but like every other time, more of the diminutive demons quickly replaced their dead comrade. The unicorn lost his grip on the weapon and watched in terror as it was torn away from him and tossed off the side of the train.

“I lost my crossbow!” he shouted, punching an imp who strayed too close before firing a bolt of magic at another.

“Here, use a spear!” yelled Honest, who tossed him a weapon.

“And don't lose it this time!” bellowed Solemn.

“I won't!” replied the unicorn.

He managed to kill another imp by ramming his new spear through its head, but the creature somehow managed to stay alive for a few seconds. Meaning Twitch’s weapon fell when his enemy did, the shaft slipping from his grip mere three seconds after he had grabbed it. Cursing his butter hooves, the unicorn winced, covering his head with his forelegs as a particularly large imp leapt at him, claws extended.

The blow never came, however, and when the pony opened his eyes, he found himself watching as the imp crumpled to dust, its head crushed down to the size of a grape. He hardly had a chance to utter a word of surprise before two more imps leapt at him, unbothered by the strange death of their comrade. They too met a similar end, with one being gripped in a strange magical aura and being tossed off the train while the other had his head bashed against a crate by the same mysterious caster.

“Reinforcements have arrived!” shouted Kanathara, her demonic form having been replaced by a towering golden-armored unicorn with white fur and yellow mane.

“Let us drive these wretches back into the abyss!” yelled Rainbow Dash, the mare sporting a nearly identical disguise, save for the colors of her mane and coat being reversed. She also retains her--now feathery--wings.

The hulking winged being leapt atop an imp, her hooves crushing its spine and pulping its crimson flesh with terrifying efficiency. Solemn jabbed her sword into the chest of another imp before kicking away its fellow, which found itself in Rainbow Dash’s disguised hooves, where it had its head pulled from its body. The creature let out a strangled scream of surprise before dying painfully.

The sight would have unnerved the defenders, but with half a dozen other lesser demons still pressing down around them, they were too distracted to care. Kanathara landed in front of the younger stallion, knocking another imp off the train where it somehow managed to get sucked under the car behind them. The crunch of its skull shattering under a wheel happened at the same time Kanathara crushed another imp’s head between her hooves.

Now outnumbered, the imps tried to escape, with one of the winged creatures leaping off the car and trying to fly away. A spear through its spine stopped that from happening, and Rainbow Dash grinned as she grabbed another of Honest Heart’s weapons for herself. In a matter of seconds the last of the imps were dead or dying, and the beleaguered squad stood assembled before the two strangely tall ponies.

“Thanks for the help,” Honest Heart began, wiping the sweat from his brow. “I thought we were goners for a second there.”

“Strange though, I thought we were the only squad assigned to the last five cars,” Solemn remarked, the pegasus wiping her blades off on her uniform while staring intently at the pair.

“And we thought the same, didn't we recruit?” Rainbow Dash stated, the mare bumping her hip against Kanathara.

The keeper wanted to reprimand her familiar, but stowed that urge away for now. “That's right, squad leader. We were assigned to the cold car and just assumed no one else was back here.”

“I suppose it was rather chaotic back at the yard,” Honest Heart muttered.

“Aren't you two a little tall to be ponies?” questioned the pegasus.

“That’s a really close-minded opinion, don't you think?” retorted Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah, I’ll have you know that every mare in our village is as tall as us,” added Kanathara. “Wait, what's that? It looks like an eagle of some kind.”

“What, where?” replied Twitch, turning in unison with his companions.

Rainbow Dash grabbed the two unicorns and slammed their heads together while Kanathara punched the pegasus at the base of the spine, dropping all three in an instant.

“Damn, we’re good,” Rainbow Dash murmured.

“That we are,” Kanathara remarked, grinning confidently. “Now then, onto the next car and let’s try to keep this up. The paladins we've seen so far have been so weak that killing them is beneath us.”

“Hardly seems sporting, really,” added Rainbow Dash.

“Quite.”

---

Kanthara grunted as she wiped the blood from her forehead. “Augh, I hate sloth demons. Even lessers leave you covered in grime.”

“And it doesn't even come off when I ghost,” Rainbow Dash muttered bitterly, the undisguised demon shaking a chunk of green slime from her wing.

“If they were half as hard to kill as they were to clean up after, then they might have been a problem,” Kanathara remarked idly.

“Still, that was pretty wicked how you disemboweled that guy on his own claws. I bet he didn't see that one coming,” Rainbow Dash added.

Kanathara blushed. “D’aww, thanks. You weren't so bad yourself, especially when you knocked out three ponies at once with that flying double punch plus kick thing.”

“Heh, I’ve been meaning to try that out,” Rainbow Dash replied, the demon wiping down her forelegs before blasting a chunk of goo from her chest with a concentrated eruption of hellfire.

“You know, if we didn't have to worry about missing out on the artifact, this woulda been kinda fun,” Kanathara pointed out, the demon running her hooves through her mane and picking out clumps of green, coagulated demon blood.

“I’m just surprised our eagle routine worked as many times as it did.” Rainbow Dash paused. “Though I wonder why that one guy thought some guy named Grand Elf was coming.”

“That was a little weird,” Kanathara remarked. “Elves aren't even native to this plane of existence.”

“Whatever. Now then, on to the last car,” Rainbow Dash offered, the demon reaching for the handle and pulling the door open to reveal a short space between cars as well as a closed cab devoid of windows.

The door to which was shut and had a glowing demonic seal placed just above the handle.

“That’s… different,” Kanathara murmured. “Hold on a sec and lemme get a reading.”

Rainbow Dash nodded and stepped aside, the demon standing astride the narrow space between cars, unbothered by the wind which whipped about her.

Stepping forward, Kanathara lit her horn and began to scan the door, starting first with the seal. “Seems like a simple lock that will set off a minor explosive rune. No alarm spell though, so I think the blast will be fairly small,” Kanathara explained, eyes narrowing. “That's not all though. I’m also detecting a lot of magic coming from the car in front of us.”

“What kind of magic?” Rainbow Dash pressed, the demon forced to yell over the sound of the train.

“Feels spatial, though I can't be certain without access to my higher-tier spells,” Twilight replied. “Do you remember noticing anything off about this car when we saw it earlier?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Not really.”

“Hmm, I don't like it. This may be a trap,” Kanathara muttered, the demon rubbing her chin with a hoof.

“Can we get around and try to get in on the other side?” Rainbow Dash questioned.

Kanathara leaned out the side of the train and peered further up the track, ducking back a few seconds later. “I don't think so. We aren't far from the tunnels and there won't be enough time for you to fly up there.”

“So what's the plan then? ‘Cause I vote just busting in there, guns blazing,” Rainbow Dash declared, the demon grinning excitedly and exposing her sharp teeth.

“Normally I wouldn't agree with you, but I think that's the only way we’re getting in there. I can't even disarm their little trap, though I can trigger it remotely at least,” Kanathara explained.

“That's good enough for me,” Rainbow Dash offered.

Kanathara chuckled. “Alright then, come back into this car a bit. I’d hate for you to get knocked off the train or something stupid.”

Rainbow Dash did as she was told, taking position to Kanathara’s right, her armor clanging audibly into place. “Ready,” she declared, voice reverberating within her steel prison.

The keeper of secrets took a slow breath before igniting her horn. “Alright then, let's see what we’re up against.”

Author's Note:

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Comments

[Lexiebommel10]

Damm they have alot of ops

[Jest]

10512611
Gotta get them elements.

[kazamacat]

I liked this chapter, especially the part with Rainbow Dash beating down that berserker and sucking out her soul. 😍 The eagle bit was funny. The Rainbow Dash and Kanathara partnership is a continued overall treat in this story.

[KingChaos]

“Hardly seems sporting, really,” added Rainbow Dash.

That entire exchange on her part sounded like a bored rich person and it was amazing

[Irkyne]

Gandalf riding in on an eagle xD

[talontitanbane]

“I’m just surprised our eagle routine worked as many times as it did.” Rainbow Dash paused. “Though I wonder why that one guy thought some guy named Grand Elf was coming.”

Ha lotr reference