• Published 12th Nov 2012
  • 4,181 Views, 138 Comments

Infernals - Leo Archon



Two ponies' dark pasts catch up to them. Drama ensues.

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Act Five: Tales of the Past (Devil)

Act Five:

Tales of the Past: Devil

Rarity coughed slightly as attention was diverted to her, away from Applejack. "Ah, yes. My story." She took a sip of tea. "Well, similar to Applejack I possess memories of a life prior to this one. Unlike her, however, I was not born with those memories. I acquired them thanks to… unpleasant circumstances."

"Define 'unpleasant'," Twilight said. "Given everything we've been through, that has a pretty broad definition."

Rarity sighed. "Well, you all remember the story I told of how I got my Cutie Mark, yes?" There were nods around the table, save from Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor. Rarity, seeing this, elaborated. "Essentially, my horn's magic activated without warning, and led me to a rock quite a distance out of town. I was disappointed at first, considering I'd thought the magic was leading me to my destiny. And what kind of destiny is a rock, anyway? However, it was then that Rainbow Dash performed her first Sonic Rainboom, startling me. The shockwave from the Rainboom cracked the rock open, revealing gems by the score! I took the gems with me back to Ponyville, and started using them in my designs. I got my Cutie Mark later that night."

"Oh yeah, I remember Twily mentioning something about all of you getting your Cutie Marks around the same time," Shining mused.

Rarity nodded. "But what I've never told anypony is that I very nearly didn't make it back to Ponyville. Not even my parents know about this." Her gaze hardened. "And, as with Applejack, I would much prefer it to remain that way until further notice."

Her voice had taken on a noticeable steel-like quality as she made her preference known. Her friends shivered; hearing the fashionista speaking in such a cold voice was eerie. Even Pinkie Pie seemed disturbed. The older ponies were less affected, though still somewhat wary of the hard tone in the alabaster unicorn's voice. Eventually, though, everypony nodded in acquiescence.

Rarity, seeing this, drew in a breath. "Well, shortly after I found the gems, I was making my way back to the town, when part of the ground collapsed beneath me. I guess that the shockwave from the Rainboom weakened it. I fell into a set of caverns." She sighed, shivering slightly. "I will never forget what happened afterwards…"

~~~~~

"Ow…" the young white filly moaned as she picked herself off the ground. Glancing upwards, she glared at the hole in the cavern's ceiling. "Dumb ground, why'd you have to collapse while I was on top of you?" She looked around, and retrieved the gems she'd been carrying when she fell. "At least these are all intact."

Suddenly, Rarity felt something odd in her horn, like it was tugging her. "Oh, not again…" she groaned. However, the tug wasn't as forceful this time, instead merely pointing her at the walls. "Huh?" Going over, she tried pulling on what her magic was tugging on. She gasped in amazement as a large ruby was pulled out of the wall. What was more, there were more gems buried in the wall as well. "Oh, my! This place is a treasure trove!" She glanced at the gems she'd retrieved already. "Well, I can always come back to get more, I suppose…"

A telltale rock skittering out of place was her only warning. All of a sudden, two large, hairy arms picked the filly up from where she was standing, and held her upside down as their owner carried her down the tunnels. Rarity yelped and whinnied in protest. "Unhand me, you ruffian! This is no way to treat a lady!"

Her captor ignored her, instead carrying her through the caverns to an open area. In one corner of the area was an iron cage. Rarity was unceremoniously tossed inside. She groaned in pain; the landing had caused her to strain her ankle. She looked up at her captor, able to see him for the first time.

He was an ugly thing, like some bizarre cross of a canine and an ape, wearing a set of plated armor that covered most of his upper torso except for his massive arms. No eyes were seen beneath the steel helmet on his head while he ‘stared’ back with an annoyed scowl. "You noisy pony... Stay in cage and wait until we find use for you," he grunted in a deep tone before turning away and leaving the area.

Rarity was at a loss for words after her glimpse of the brutish captor and what came out of his grotesque mouth; she was now being held prisoner underground by an armored beast and was in fear of becoming a slave to him and his friends. Worse comes to worst, they could be pilfering the treasure she had found before falling here. She quickly got up, though suffered a brief twinge of pain from the strain on her ankle, and paced back in forth in her cage. "Oh no, oh no, oh no~! This isn’t good at all! What do I do now? What will I be reduced to? How will I get home? I refuse to reside in this filthy place forever! It’s too much of a burden to bear!" she complained with anxious fervor.

"Hello?"

Rarity stopped ranting as her ears picked up the voice of another filly. She looked around the open area, and saw that another iron cage was in the corner opposite her own. This one's interior was covered by the shadows cast by the stalactites above it. She inched her head towards the bars, though kept her distance by a few centimeters in order not to touch them, and squinted her eyes to make out a small shape in the other cage. Rarity could’ve sworn she also saw a set of glowing green eyes. "Hello? Is anyone there?" the voice asked with highly detectable fright.

Rarity called out to her fellow prisoner, "Yes, I’m here. Have you been captured by that ruffian as well?"

The shape in the other cage shifted, and the eyes furrowed as the shape began to shiver. "Y-Yes…I was playing with some of my guards, when all of the sudden those dog-things ambushed us and kidnapped me. They said they would use me for ransom." A sniffle was heard. "I want my mommy…" The unseen prisoner began to sob.

Rarity frowned, sympathizing with the crying prisoner; she, too, wanted to see her family again. Her eyes closed for a moment as she heard more sobbing, until they opened again to reveal a resolute gaze. "Don’t cry, my friend. I’ll do what I can to get both of us out of this horrible place!"

The sobbing was reduced to sniffling again, followed by a hopeful tone from the shape. "Y-You will? Really?"

Rarity smiled confidently "We both have our reasons to escape here, and I don’t believe we should be pushed around by those smelly beasts. Hang on while I try something…" she requested as she lit up her horn and levitated the smallest pebble she could find towards the lock to her cage. The fashionista-in-training squinted her eyes before lodging the pebble deep in the keyhole and began shifting it around inside.

Several clicks were heard before a loud one signaled her freedom as her door swung open. Rarity calmly strolled out with a smug smile, making sure to step carefully with her injured ankle. "Mother always said I had a good eye…" She focused her attention towards the other cage after pulling out her impromptu key. "And now for yours as well." Rarity made her way towards the lock, not paying mind to the prisoner inside and performed the same routine as her own, managing to open the cage. Rarity beamed at her success and took a few steps back to give the prisoner space to escape. Her cheerfulness instantly vanished when she got a more detailed look of who she had set free, placing a hoof over her mouth as her eyes widened.

Standing in front of Rarity was what would seem like a filly her size, only she wasn’t; she was certain the prisoner was not of a species commonly seen around Ponyville. Her 'coat' was a black chitinous hide; her four legs were adorned with several holes. The sight of her insectile wings and green, pupilless eyes was even more unnerving. A slightly crooked horn was seen on her head, poking through her small turquoise mane.

After a brief moment of awkward silence, Rarity’s curiosity managed to overpower her shock. "Who-…Wha-…May I ask who you are, please?" she said, fighting the urge to grimace at her fellow escapee’s appearance. Remembering her manners, she quickly added, "My name is Rarity, by the way."

The insect-pony curtsied properly – a gesture Rarity thought she’d never see from such a bizarre sight – and smiled gratefully. "My name is Pupa, princess of the changelings. My mommy’s the queen," she proclaimed cheerfully, happy to be out of her cage.

"Wait a minute!!"

~~~~~

Rainbow Dash stared dumbfounded at Rarity after her outburst. "You mean to tell me you met the changeling princess? The changeling princess?"

This news had taken everypony by surprise, even the princesses, and all eyes were intently locked on the alabaster unicorn as she stared back at the group passively.

Rarity, while miffed at the interruption, sighed in defeat. "Indeed; even I was surprised to run into such a creature being held captive by those repugnant beasts. As it happens, from what we've seen of her mother, Pupa was almost her opposite."

Celestia piped up, having been silent. "I’m impressed that you would go out of your way to help a changeling in captivity, Rarity." She smiled warmly at her. "You really are the Element of Generosity for doing so."

Luna frowned. "I’m not sure how to respond to this, myself, considering our current status with the changeling race, namely their Queen Chrysalis." She nodded in respect towards Rarity. "But you saved an innocent – and a royal icon at that – from captivity, and I couldn’t be more proud of your demonstration of benevolence."

Rarity blushed at the praise she had received from the princesses, giggling mirthfully. "Well, we were both ladies of our own kind, and who am I to turn my back on one in her time of need?"

Shining Armor rubbed his temple with a strained expression after processing the information he had taken in. "Wow. I'm not sure what to think about this… One of our little ponies managed to save a changeling, and a princess to boot…" Cadence comforted her husband by nuzzling his cheek, though was just as befuddled about the news herself.

Pinkie tilted her head at a ninety degree angle "I’ll say, they’re the enemy!" She then drew her head back up straight and poked her chin with a forehoof. "Well, then again, this happened when Rarity was a filly, and the changelings weren’t a threat to us back then."

Fluttershy frowned. "I hope Princess Pupa didn’t turn out like her mother. She sounds kind from what we've heard so far."

Twilight was intrigued. "So you’ve actually managed to stumble across a royal changeling upon random chance after you were imprisoned by the diamond dogs?"

Applejack snorted "Mighty redundant t’ repeat a question after it’s been answered, Twi." She then faced Rarity. "Ah’m just as surprised, though. Ya actually met with a changeling before any o’ us and made friends with her. Mind tellin’ us th’ rest o’ yer story, Rarity?"

The fashionista nodded with a thin smile. "But of course, darling. Now, after the introduction with Princess Pupa…"

~~~~~

Rarity’s view of Pupa shifted as the changeling introduced herself. "You’re royalty?" she asked in surprise before looking down pensively. "That would explain your mention of guards…" She looked back up at Pupa, her determination coming back to her eyes. "Well, regardless, it’s about time we get out of this place so we can return to our parents. Shall we, your highness?"

Pupa grinned brightly, showing a set of sharp teeth that almost broke Rarity’s concentration. "Yes!" She quickly lunged towards the white filly, startling her until she wrapped her holed forelegs over her. "Thank you so much for rescuing me, Rarity! I won’t forget you!"

Rarity smiled nervously. "Yes, well, you should save your thanks until we’ve managed to escape." She looked towards the entrance to the area with a frown. This could be a problem. I don’t even know my way around here, and I could barely make out where I was being dragged… Rarity’s eyes narrowed. No! I shouldn’t let doubt get the best of me! Pupa is counting on me, after all. She gently broke Pupa’s embrace. "Now let’s hurry out before they come back." The two escapees went to gallop, only for Rarity to yelp in pain as she looked down at her ankle with a discouraged frown. "Oh, of course…" she muttered.

Pupa gasped lightly with a worried expression. "Are you hurt?" she asked in concern.

Rarity stared at her ankle for a moment before she shook her head at Pupa. "It’s nothing to worry about; a lady shouldn’t fuss about the little things, after all."

Pupa tilted her head before nodding reluctantly. "Okay, if you say so…" She and Rarity then departed from the area, though the latter traveled more carefully.

They looked both ways to make sure that no dog was around, and Pupa whispered to Rarity, "Which way do we go, Rarity?"

Rarity looked down in thought and hummed to herself before she voiced her decision while pointing to the right. "We’ll go that way. Come, Princess Pupa," she whispered back as they trotted off quietly.

Shortly after they left the area, the sound of a howl reached Rarity’s and Pupa’s ears, causing them to stop in their tracks and dart their heads around to find the source. Their captors must have learned of their escape and signaled for some other dogs to find them. Rarity turned to Pupa with a shocked look. "We have to hurry!" Rarity hissed as she mustered the strength to gallop with her minor injury, Pupa following close behind with fear in her eyes.

Rarity did not have time to plan each turn that she and Pupa took over the anxiety that had plagued her mind from letting their escape get compromised. She blindly ran, huffing in her pace and praying that she would find the way out through her own path. A fork had come up ahead and she decided to turn left, the changeling behind her following suit, but both skidded to a halt when they noticed two armored dogs running towards them from a far distance, growling when they spotted their prisoners.

Pupa shrieked, but Rarity gently nudged her out of her fear. "Come on! We’re going the other way!" The escaping duo chose to go down the right pathway, though the dogs were catching up to them. Their fears worsened when two more were spotted behind them and joined in to try and recapture them.

They felt that all hope would be lost the moment the dogs would get a hold of them, but Rarity felt relief wash over her body at the sight of a skylight up ahead in another area. Sanctuary! We’re almost out of here! They managed to reach the area, but Rarity looked up to see the hole she had made was too high for them, causing her and Pupa’s spirits to drop to unthinkable depths.

Pupa looked back and huddled next to Rarity as she saw the quartet of armored dogs slowly advance on them with their spears. "We’re trapped!"

Rarity and Pupa backed up near a wall of dirt as the dogs inched ever closer; It was as if their efforts were for naught. The former could not deal with being confined once again, if not put to work after her and Pupa have been captured. As she was being cornered, a boiling feeling brewed in Rarity’s chest. The more she thought about opposing her and Pupa’s containment, the more she wanted to properly punish the ones responsible for it. Her eyes narrowed as she took a stance. "You don’t scare us, you know. And we have no desire to go back with you whatsoever!" she snapped defensively, trying to intimidate the dogs.

One of the dogs pointed a spear. "We care not for pony’s opinion! Changeling princess is very important to us, and so are you! You go back to cage like good pony!" he snapped in command to the children.

Pupa hid behind Rarity and shivered while the white filly’s newfound courage grew. "Honestly, you lot could at least have the courtesy to work on your speech… But I digress! We’re not going with you, and that’s final! You’re nothing more than uncouth brutes for kidnapping a princess and hoping to get a reward from it!" she said, standing up to them as if they were mere bullies in a schoolyard.

Another dog snarled, "Pony acting noisy again. She’s starting to become less useful with more noise."

The lead dog snorted in agreement. "It was probably mistake to capture her, since she almost ran off with princess." A murderous glint was seen under his helmet as he bared his fangs at Rarity. "We shut noisy pony up permanently…"

Despite her natural color, Pupa went pale from what was said. Rarity, however, leered back at the lead dog as she pawed at the ground. Pupa saw the action and almost felt her heart go up to her throat; she almost lost her next words. "Rarity, you can’t honestly expect to fight them, can you? They’re armed and ready!"

Rarity snorted steam from her nostrils as her eyes were locked on the dogs. "I’m sorry, princess, but I’d rather fight my way out than linger here in this dirt-ridden place forever, and I promised myself to get you out of here as well. I would gladly take up arms and fight these monsters if it meant getting you out of here!"

Pupa couldn’t feel moved by Rarity’s speech over her rising fear and concern. "Don’t do this, Rarity! I beg of you! You’re the only friend I’ve ever had! I don’t want to lose you!" she pleaded.

Pupa's words broke Rarity's concentration for a brief moment. She herself hadn’t been friends with anypony, especially since her abnormally white mane had caused her to be ostracized by many. She never expected to not only meet a captive princess, but actually be considered a friend towards her; it was all the more reason to defend her to the bitter end. Without a response, she let out a battlecry and pounced on the nearest dog; the one who issued the death threat without hesitation.

Sadly, Rarity’s rush proved futile; she felt her stomach open up, followed by her back due to the dog mercilessly driving his spear through her body. She felt her coat become red from the blood that flowed from her wound. The armored dog gave a dark grin before slamming the filly’s body towards the ground while she was still skewered by his spear. "No more noise…Just how I like it…"

Pupa felt herself tear up from the haunting sight. "No…Rarity…" she whispered in profound sadness. Rarity looked up blankly before she felt her vision blur out, prompting her to slowly close her eyes as she laid on the ground with the spear inside of her.

*****

This was it for her now. To think that her act of courage would end up costing her very life… it was a heavy thought at first, but the weight lifted as she felt the warmth in her body drain away. But as she remained in her position, she felt the bleeding stop momentarily, causing her to open her eyes. What? What happened? She could see nothing but the spear that was still inside of her; it was the only company she had in what appeared to be an endless dark void. Where am I? Have I finally expired?

"Have you forgotten already?"

Rarity perked up at the familiar sound, and her eyes widened when she found a bipedal figure standing in front of her. His arms were crossed while the three folds of his blue trenchcoat flowed in a nonexistent breeze. He stared down at Rarity with disapproval clear in his ice blue eyes. He was even in a good position to pull the spear out of the white filly’s chest, but he simply chose not to. "Who you are… You’ve actually forgotten, haven’t you?"

Rarity stared in shock before her expression faded into stoicism. "I… was almost obligated to, since I was growing so used to living how I am now… I’ve forgotten that life can be full of suffering and torment, and that there exists all sorts of fiends that will do whatever they please."

The man narrowed his eyes. "Not just that… You’ve forgotten the key element to living your new life; the same element that has gotten you far before you were even given your new name."

Rarity’s expressiondid not change until she let out a sigh "Correct… Before I became a daughter, I was a son… A son of a legendary knight who had what I’d sought for so long."

The man nodded, and simultaneously, the two beings said "Power."

Rarity stared up into the void that surrounded her and what could be considered a shell of her former self "Might controls everything - and without strength, I cannot protect anything; let alone myself."

For the first time, the man cracked a thin smile "Now you remember… I do believe it’s time to exercise this profound philosophy, don’t you?"

Rarity hesitated before nodding. "Yes… It’s about time I’m reminded of who I once was if it means defending my newest friend…"

The man drew out a gloved hand towards the spear, holding it in his grasp as he began to pull it out slowly.

*****

Rarity remained frozen in her position while her killer was laughing at her injury, Pupa crying into her forelegs as she knelt by her side. After the lead dog finished his laughing fit, he turned to his cohorts "Grab changeling princess and lock her up again. I go dispose of corpse…"

Pupa stopped her crying when the command was given, and she backed away from the advancing dogs as they held out their paws to grab her. Before they could even touch her, however, Rarity’s horn began to glow, earning the attention of Pupa and the dogs. "Huh? Pony’s horn is glowing?" the dog asked in bewilderment.

As Rarity’s horn continued to glow, three lights appeared before taking the form of sharp and glowing swords that were pointed at the dogs ganging up on Pupa; they stared back at the swords in a mixture of wonder and fright. Suddenly, Rarity’s eyes shot open in a glare; this glare was entirely different from the one she'd had before. "Might…controls…everything…" she uttered as the swords were launched at the dogs, stabbing each of them in the face and sending them to the ground as blood splattered from their wounds.

The lead dog woofed in shock and confusion before he felt a hoof on his spear, and he broke into a cold sweat to see that it had belonged to the same pony he stabbed earlier. He whimpered in fear as he released his grip and hopped away from her as she pulled it out of her body using her magic, levitating it next to her while the end was coated in her blood.

Pupa stared in complete awe at the sight. She mumbled aloud, "My own subjects can only regenerate so much, and not from a fatal wound like that. Rarity's amazing…"

Rarity kept her cold gaze on the dog that continued to back away from the seemingly demonic filly. "Now listen, you mutt, and listen well," She said in a level, yet venomous tone, "my friend and I will not be prisoners in this impetuous cesspool you claim to be your home again. You will lead the two of us out of here unless you’re willing to suffer the same fate as your comrades lying next to me…Understand?" she asked expectantly.

The dog continued to whimper, and he frantically nodded at Rarity’s order as he quickly turned around and walked off at a pace to where the two children could keep up. Satisfied with her actions, Rarity smiled at Pupa. "Well, princess? Shall we escort you home?"

Pupa snapped out of her awe-induced stupor and nodded. "O-Of course! Let’s go…" she said, following Rarity and the traumatized dog. She would later tell Rarity that she was happy the unicorn had survived, if bewildered that Rarity had been able to come back from a should-be fatal blow like she had.

When they got to a pile of dirt leading towards a hole in the ceiling, Rarity shot one last spine-chilling glare towards the surviving dog before marching outside with Pupa in tow.

They both breathed fresh air the moment they were able to come outside to see the blue sky. Rarity sighed in contentment. "And after all of that, we’ve finally managed to leave." She looked back at Pupa. "I hope you’re okay, princess."

Pupa nodded. "I am, but please, Rarity," she neared Rarity with a warm smile, "call me Pupa from now on. We’re friends, aren’t we?"

Rarity stared before she nodded back with a smile. "Indeed we are. I’m glad to have met you, Pupa, even if the meeting could have been in better circumstances." The two children shared a hug after they exchanged their words. After breaking the embrace, Pupa smiled, but it vanished as she stared at Rarity in surprise, confusing the white filly. "Pupa? What’s wrong?" She saw Pupa examine her hooves, seeing some purple spots on it.

The sight was enough to fill Rarity with dread, knowing where the purple had come from.

~~~~~

Rarity smiled. "I expected her to make fun of me like everypony else I’ve met prior to our little escapade, but she understood where I came from, especially since she brought up how she herself was alone as a royal. She managed to help me with my dye problem and kept my secret hidden from everypony else." She sighed wistfully. "I miss her quite a bit."

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. "You’re forgetting something, Rare. How was she able to go back to her own kingdom without getting discovered?" Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and even Shining Armor cast deadpan stares at Rainbow Dash, who facehooved when she realized the error in her question.

Rarity continued, ignoring her friend’s goof. "We managed to sneak back to my place and she helped me dye my hair before she chose to leave Ponyville and contacted some of her subjects to escort her home." She smiled at the warm memory. "Nopony suspected a thing." Rarity chirped playfully.

Twilight chuckled. "Somepony sounds devious." She then held a serious stare. "Speaking of devious…You implied that you lived your previous life as a male like Applejack, but you never told us his name."

With a nod, Rarity acknowledged Twilight’s request and identified herself in a straight tone, "In my past life, I was named Vergil, first Son of Sparda, the legendary knight. Sparda was a powerful demon who fell in love with a human priestess named Eva and conceived two children that happened to be twins." She placed a hoof on her chest. "I was the oldest, while my younger brother, Dante, was just as strong." Rarity looked down. "In fact, he was so powerful, he bested me several times, even when I was under the influence of another powerful demon known as Mundus."

Rainbow Dash arched her eyebrow. "And I thought Applejack’s names were strange; yours take the cake."

Rarity shot an annoyed glare. "Would it harm you to show some restraint for once, Rainbow? I mean, really…"

Twilight frowned at the cyan pegasus as well. "I agree. We’re busy trying to listen in and all you’re doing is criticizing the foreign nature of Applejack’s and Rarity’s stories." She turned to face Rarity. "But as far as what’s been explained, it doesn’t add up to you being here with this knowledge."

Applejack nodded in agreement. "Y’all seem t’ be goin’ outta order there, sugarcube," she said to Rarity.

Rarity hummed in realization. "I suppose I have been, haven’t I? Well, allow me to start from the beginning, then." She cleared her throat as she began to tell her story. "To put it simply, the father of my previous life had a lot on his plate. He was very powerful and quite the formidable foe to others, even his own kind; he was also a loyal general to Mundus, the emperor of darkness. But unlike other demons, he actually valued humanity, and later rebelled against Mundus to fight for their sake."

She took a moment to sip her tea after remembering she had her cup. "He fought and defeated Mundus before sealing him away and driving his forces back. However, he wanted to ensure that no demons were able to enter the human world, so he used his blood along with the blood of a priestess as part of a ritual that sealed off the connection between both the human world and the demon world." She frowned. "It cost him most of his power, but he knew it was worth it in the end. He ended up ruling over the humans benevolently before vanishing from the public eye."

Shining Armor hummed. "He must have been a legend for his heroics for a while, right?"

Rarity nodded to Shining Armor. "Quite so, actually. But after a couple of millennia, he finally reappeared and met with Eva, which led to my conception. However, Mundus had managed to send some demons into the human world and issued an attack on Eva, which led to a heartbreaking separation between not only our mother and us, but Dante and I as well… We took our own paths and eventually clashed whenever we crossed each other."

She wore a sad frown. "I wasn’t there when Eva had been extinguished, and I mourned her death and cursed myself for not only not being there for her, but not being powerful enough to prevent it. It led me on a path of destruction; all I cared about was gaining power and nothing else, and that was all that mattered once I had gained too much…"

Cadence and Fluttershy both frowned sympathetically after hearing about Sparda’s loss. "That poor woman…" Cadence mourned, until she perked up. "Wait a minute, was Sparda not around when she was ambushed?" She asked inquisitively.

Rarity shook her head. "Alas, no…Ever since his power had been drained from his seal, he had died of old age sometime after Dante and I were born." She shook her head. "It's almost ironic; having to die from losing a good amount of your own power that had kept you alive for so long."

Celestia stared neutrally. "Power can be too much to handle, even for those who seem capable of handling their own amount."

"It can also lead to a path of pain and destruction if misused…" Luna added in a serious tone.

Rarity frowned. "Oddly enough, it was what led me to my death." Everypony listened carefully as she continued. "After losing to Dante in our last battle in the demon world, I chose to remain, only to confront Mundus out my pride as a son of Sparda. I was defeated, and ended up losing my consciousness and being reborn as another one of his pawns…" She sipped her tea again. "I was unaware of my actions until I noticed something from Dante; one of two amulets given to us by our mother."

Twilight held a calculating glance. "Judging by her relationship with a demon knight, something tells me that those amulets aren’t just ordinary mementos."

Rarity smiled at Twilight’s prediction. "Perceptive as ever, darling. Yes, the amulets were indeed special; they were another part of the ritual that sealed the gate to the demon world, known as the Temen-ni-Gru."

Rainbow Dash widened her eyes. "And this Eva girl just gave them to you and your brother just like that?" She asked incredulously.

Rarity waved a dismissive hoof. "I’ll admit, it did seem risky and questionable in hindsight, but when Dante and I witnessed and harnessed our power, it made it all the more special to guard them with our lives." She frowned again, this time in regret. "That is, until my quest for power led me to breaking the seal between both worlds…" Her audience gasped.

Applejack stared at Rarity as if she were insane. "Had ya spit yer bit back then?"

Rarity gave a dry chuckle. "Well, I was under the influence of another dark individual named Arkham, who sought the power of Sparda for himself. Of course, Dante and I made quick work of him, even if he was able to possess it for a small moment."

Rainbow Dash grinned. "Your past brother sounds pretty awesome!"

Rarity smirked. "He thrived on such compliments, but he also prefers the term stylish, like myself." She huffed. "But for a force to be reckoned with, he was too bone-headed and cocky in his many trials…"

Applejack smirked back "So kinda like me, then? He seems like a pretty nice guy."

Fluttershy frowned. "That was a pretty scary story…" A thought crossed her mind, and she began to shiver. "Oh dear…What if-…What if the demon world exists inside of Tartarus?" She mewled.

Rarity sent a reassuring smile Fluttershy’s way. "It would be highly unlikely, Fluttershy. Otherwise, I would’ve recognized those brutes that tried to escape from the Gates."

Applejack held up a hoof. "But y’all said that Mundus was th’ emperor of darkness an’ demons, an’ Tartarus is a land full o’ both. Ah don’t wanna scare ‘er, but Fluttershy’s idea makes sense almost." She smirked. "Hay, if he’s the boss that varmint was talkin’ about, he’ll be easy pickin’ fer th’ both of us."

Rarity smiled at Applejack’s confidence. "And you would be correct on that account." Her smile vanished quickly. "But it most definitely wouldn’t be him, otherwise I would’ve known." She rubbed her chin. "I’m still curious about who in Equestria’s history would be located deep within the bowels of Tartarus…"

Celestia coughed slightly, interrupting Rarity's musings. "I thank the both of you for sharing your stories with us. Now, let us move on to the other purpose behind this meeting; a purpose that may ensure Equestria's future."

Author's Note:

Block-breaking chapter is back-breaking to write.

Many thanks, once again, to Dirty Bit, who thankfully didn't abandon me during my long period of writer's block.

With luck, this should kick-start my other muses, and I should release a new chapter of Pony Fantasy IV soon.