Interviews With Equestrians

by Jmaster49

Subject 227: Demonic Entry

We assembled. Everypony nearby grabbed their weapons and/or assorted magical possessions. There was absolutely no time to truly prepare for whatever we had headed our way, so all we could do is get our wits together and hope for the best.

We ventured. Lyra and her team would meet up with Sweetie Drops near the Northern end of Ponyville towards Canterlot. My team? We’d focus on the Southern side near the Everfree forest. Though, on the way there, I stopped by the Mayor’s office to drop off a message.

And lastly, we waited. I knew that something fierce would rear its ugly head soon enough. And when that happened, I knew our friends would have our back. I just knew it.

“Boss?” Cork piped up to get my attention from a tree he was perched in, “Do you really think we’re gonna be able to handle this? I mean, we don’t even know where the damn thing is coming from.”

Quick would add onto his sentiment with a roll of her eyes. “Pfft. I don’t even think he knows what he’s doing.” She put her hoof against her forehead. “And yet, we still followed him out here…”

“Have some faith in me, eh?” I replied with a smile, “My sensory skills have never steered me wrong before, and they won’t do so now.” I shut my eyes, and started to feel the earth beneath my body. It shifted, and weeped with sorrow of an impending event that was sure to bring chaos to the land. What could it be? I had a few hunches to go off of. “Alright. There isn’t much time.”

Thump…

“Hey uh…” Corkscrew’s wings perked up, “Did anypony else feel that? Or was it just me?”

“Feel what?” Quick asked right before it happened again.

Thump…

At the second one, she let out the tiniest of yelps, and quickly cleared her throat to hide her fear. “Eep! Ahem--let me see…” She knelt down and put an ear to the earth. Then her pupils shrank as a result of what she could hear. “...Shit. Something’s coming. And it’s big. But I can’t pinpoint the direction it's traveling from.” Quick got off the ground, and looked to me for assistance. “Pale, do you think you can give us a better idea?”

“Hrm…I can try…” I put my senses to work, and there it was. An extremely negative signature filled with demonic energy off in the distance that came from the Southeast. The problem was that I had no sort of grasp on the size of the target. That’s where Cork would come in. “Alright, they’re coming in from the Southeast--but I don’t have an exact read.” I turned my head up to the tree where my pegasus friend sat, “Think you could help us out, bud?”

“On it, boss!” he replied with a salute, and flew into the air.

Next to me, Quick Draw rattled off one final comment. “Are you absolutely sure this is going to work, Pale? What if they manage to get to Cozy?”

I put one hoof above my eyes so that I could look up into the sky where Cork was without the glare from the sun. “They won’t. We have an entire city’s worth of individuals to back us up. Trust me. Everything that I’ve worked towards is gonna be proven on this day. Just watch.”

“Everything, huh?” Quick let out a small sigh. “Whew...you and your grandiose plans. I just hope they don’t bite us in the flank today. Or the citizens we’re supposed to protect.”

After a moment or two, Corkscrew finally returned to us. He flew back down, and landed with a hefty thud. “Boss! I got movement! From the Southeast like you predicted. But it’s strange--it’s not a giant beast like all the other times.”

“Really?” I asked. I had to admit, it was rather crafty to go with something different this late into the game so to speak. Now our entire plan of defense had to change once more. “What could you make out exactly?”

“It’s like a small army boss!” he proclaimed, “But they didn’t have a set path they’ve been travelling down. They were summoned and made to travel this way!”

“Oh, that’s it!” Quick stomped one of her hooves when she came to a revelation, “They were summoned by the magic that infected Pumpkin Cake and Octavia! That’s why they acted so strange.” She scoffed, and looked down at the ground, “Yeech. If only the exorcists could’ve taken care of them in time…”

I stretched my legs to get ready for a good run. “Well, that doesn’t matter at the moment. At any rate, we’re lucky that Suri was taken care of, so we’re only dealing with two-thirds of the potential problem here. Now let’s get going!” I stood on my hind legs, and stampeded back towards the direction of the town.

“Wait!” Quick yelled out as she followed me, “Why are we headed back?!”

Corkscrew flew alongside us, and offered his own take on the situation. “I think the boss wants to cut them off before they can surround us!”

A smirk grew on my face. He had paid attention to my tactics even after all this time. Loved it.

And so we traveled all the way to the edge of the town once more where it and the forest met. As I predicted, the magical signature had only grown stronger due to the fact that they were all piled up into one place. At that point, there was only one thing left to do…

“Alright, everyone,” I got ready to make my stance, “Hold the line, and don’t let any of them get away. This is going to be the most important battle we’ve ever been in.”

“I’m with ya to the end, boss,” Cork said.

“After all we’ve been through, I’d shame myself by running now,” Quick added.

From out of the darkness of the forest on this fine day, emerged something that I never would have predicted in a thousand years.

“...Boss, do you see this?”

“...yes.”

I did. I did see it.

Criminals. Dozens, no--at least a good one-hundred of them. Some of which we had put away, and others that were meant to be long dead. The main difference however, was the fact that their bodies were all smoky and reeked of brimstone from the lower depths of Tartarus. Beyond that, many of them sported demonic tails, wings, and other assorted appendages that suited denizens of the underworld. Some ponies, some griffons, and even a few changelings. Even though their bodies had undergone such drastic changes, one aspect of them still stood out to us all.

Their eyes. Those haunting eyes.

And among those, I saw Svengallop as well as the Kirin who had allied herself with him. And if they were here, then a certain somepony else had to have been…

“Geh...hrrgh…” I could have sworn my heart stopped. I bit down, and grit my teeth hard enough to bend steel. Grogar was indeed the Father of All Monsters. Regardless of size or shape. “They…”

I felt Quick’s hoof give me a gentle kick in the side. “Hey, boss. You know we have your back. Come on, let’s do this.”

“Hm!” Cork supplemented the support with a confident nod. “We got you. No matter what! Let’s put an end to this!”

Thanks to them, I could relax a bit, and focus better on my objective. None of these hideous beasts would be allowed to pass. “You’re right. On my mark, we strike…”

I could only hope that the Mayor could do her part as well.

Comments

[Neo4K]

And the fight begins! 😁 Time to kick some ass!

[GamePlayer64]

Zombies?! I was thinking Parasprites when you mentioned small

[Jmaster49]

10753253
Not zombies. Demons. They have been brought back with full intelligence and enhanced strength as if they had never died to begin with.