> Hellblazer of Equestria: The Trials of John Constantine > by Ron Jeremy Pony > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Ballad of John Constantine > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A Hellblazer and MLP crossover Chapter 1 Ballad of John Constantine The sounds of screaming echoed through the halls. It was the same, always the bloody same. It didn’t matter where or when I was there was nothing that would ever change the sound of a bloody asylum. Arkham to Ravenscar Secure Facility every place has the same sounds of the damned here on Earth. There’s holy men, heh holy men that’s a laugh, that claim there is no hell here on Earth. Those bastards have never been inside of an asylum before. They don’t know what it’s like to be around all of that fear, anger, hate, and just plain insanity. I’ve been to the real hell before, faced the first, second, and third of the fallen there. Trust me, I’d rather take a stroll through the seventh level of hell and face off against Wormwood before I ever get recommitted to another asylum. So, being here, in this asylum is insane. It’s long since been condemned, closed, and those inside shipped to a new world of pain and suffering. Still, I find myself here, in the ruins of this hellish place in order to speak to a being who has become more and more insane over time. I look around the room. I need insanity, pure, true, complete insanity to contact him. “The things I do,” I mutter. I step into the room. The padded walls long since clawed and torn. I feel the insanity leaking over me, covering me, entering me, and it is through a force of will that I keep it out. I won’t bloody give it the pleasure of taking me. Not until I’ve talked to Shade. “Shade! You daft bastard I want a word with you!” “Patricia?” a questing voice asks. “Shade, do I look like a girl that’s been dead for fifteen years?” I asked. The room fills with bright colors, those colors look vibrant for a moment before they all become a crimson red. The walls begin to bleed, old dark blood seeps up through the drain in the floor, but I don’t move. I can’t move. If I do then this is all for nothing. I have one shot to protect Epiphany, my unborn child, Gemma, and Maria. Shade is insane, but if I can get him to swear, to promise to watch, to protect, then nothing will dare bother them. “CONSTANTINE! I said the next time I see you I will kill you! You took Patricia away from me! You made her want you! You cast your dirty suggestion magic on her and ruined her!” Shade roared as he took form. The years had not been kind to Shade. He had slipped so much further into insanity than before. Before he was content to reside in his little world, and create images of his lost love and pretend to be with her. Now, his clothes changed from the multicolored pinstripe suit he always wore into a multicolored straight jacket, pajama pants, and sandals. His hair was no longer even pretending to be combed or in place. It stuck wildly out, showing how far he had fallen. It was hard to see someone who had so much power, who had one time rivaled Gabriel’s own raw power, so lost to the insanity. Still, it was that insanity, that power I needed to secure. Even Shade had to obey promises made. Insanity or not he had follow any promise he made to the letter. Even if that promise was part of a deal it had to be followed and obeyed. Nergal, Wormwood, and any of the fallen that still wanted my head wouldn’t dare try to make a move on Epiphany, Gemma, Mary, or my unborn child with Shade’s promise to protect them. They’d have to come for me, and I could protect myself. I watched as Shade raged, the blood on the walls and floor rising up to my chin, threatening to overtake me, drown me, destroy me, but I knew better than to panic. I couldn’t show fear. Fear would let the insanity inside of Shade take me. I couldn’t allow that. “Shade, I’ve come to make a deal,” I said. The blood began to reside and Shade’s eyebrow arched before he became solid. He completely formed and touched the floor of the Asylum for the first time in what could be years. I was surprised to see him take form completely. The last time he had been near an asylum he had nearly lost all composure, but then again he wasn’t this lost to his own insanity. “Do you think I’m a mere demon Constantine? Is that what you think? That I’m something that will accept your terms and do so for your mortal soul? If that is what you believe then you are a bigger fool than I believed. I know the first, second, and third of the fallen fell for your trick. I know that Nergal and Wormwood both own rights to your eternal soul, and that they will neither attempt to claim it for fear that their rule over their sections of hell will be thrown into chaos. I know you John Constantine, and I will make a deal with you only if I can set the terms,” Shade said. “Well, this just went to shite,” I thought. I was backed against the wall without any other hope. I needed Shade’s help, and that meant agreeing to whatever terms he sat. I cursed myself for not seeing this possibility. I did royally screw him over with Patricia. Sure, it’s been fifteen years ago, but fifteen years to a nutter could be an eternity or it could be the span of a few seconds. With Shade I was going with the span of a few seconds. “What do you want Shade?” I asked I felt my teeth gritting, nearly grinding as I waited. His mouth twisted into a sadistic smile and he stuck out his hand. “I will send you away, far away. It is a place where you can’t bother me anymore, and the only way back will be through your own power. No other magic will help you, unless you find a way of channeling it. That is my terms,” Shade said. It could be worse. I knew it could be worse, but then again I didn’t know where it was that he wanted to send me. It could be almost anywhere or anytime. I breathed in and held it for a moment. “I agree,” I said letting my breath out after a moment. “What is it that you want?” he asked. “I want your word that you will protect Gemma, Maria, Epiphany and my unborn child. I want you to swear that you will not let any being that has a score to settle with me try to settle it with them instead,” I said. A scowl crossed his face. I could tell that he wasn’t pleased with the idea of being tied to my family, but at this point I didn’t care. I was giving up the possibility of seeing them again in order to protect them. “Fine,” he said sticking out a cloth covered hand. I touched his straightjacket and I felt the madness inside of him swirl down into the very fiber of my being. Fears of every inmate, of every child, and of every murder victim filled me. I screamed as the madness collected around me, and then as my body began to burn a bright unforgiving white. The blood covered walls and floor of the asylum disappeared from my sight. Instead I fell straight down into darkness. I felt something happening, my entire body began to shape, change, and it bloody well hurt! I felt my ribs breaking, reshaping, and then rebreaking again. I screamed as I fell, screamed as something ripped through my forehead and stuck out, screamed as my fingers and toes pulled themselves up inside of my hands and feet. I screamed until my throat was raw and bleeding. That’s when the darkness began to shift, and change. I was still falling, but the sky I was falling from was different. It didn’t look like London’s sky. There wasn’t a heaviness to air, and there wasn’t a grimy feeling all around. It felt pure, and the sky looked impossibly blue. It was peaceful, or as peaceful as a sky can be when someone was falling to their death. I felt something wrap around me, and my fall slowed. I landed on the ground and stumbled forward on my hands and feet. I looked down to see no more hands. I saw hooves, I glanced back to see no more feet, instead there was hooves. “Bollocks,” I muttered before I passed out. xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX Twilight’s POV Since becoming a princess I’ve seen more than my fair share of strange events. Actually, ever since moving to Ponyville I’ve seen more than my fair share of strange events. I’ve often wondered if perhaps Ponyville rests on some kind of universal nexis that draws unexplained events to it. It’s something I’ve been trying to study for a while. Today though, seeing a Unicorn stallion blinking into existence, falling from a height that even Rainbow Dash would be hesitant to go, and dressed in such loose fitting clothing… Well, it’s not the strangest thing ever, but I’d say it’s the strangest thing for day at least. I glanced at his golden mane, light brown colored coat, and shook my head. I felt magic coming off of him, but it wasn’t the normal unicorn kind. It felt… blended. When we landed he simply looked at his forehooves, his hindhooves, and then said a strange word before passing out. I cocked an eyebrow at him before I felt the air shift around me and one of my closest friends landed near me. She walked toward the now unconscious stallion and touched his shoulder. “Well, I suppose that’s one way of getting over Flash,” she said. “Rainbow, this is serious,” I replied. “Sure is, I mean he’s not bad looking, but what did you do to bring him here?” she asked . “I didn’t. He just sort of appeared. I’m guessing that he had a teleportation spell go wrong,” I said. “Uh huh, He really doesn’t look like he’s from around here,” she replied. “Long distance teleportation spell go wrong?” I more asked than suggested. “Well, whoever he is I bet that he’s going to need some help. Should we try to take him to the hospital?” she asked. “Sure, I’ll teleport us there,” I said. I covered all three of us with the spell, and as soon as it touched him it failed. I felt the energy of the spell simply fall apart. I glanced at the unicorn stallion and tried to cast the spell directly on him. Once the white light of the spell touched him it turned brittle and fell apart. My eyes widened at this. There was no pony, no pony anywhere that could simply destroy magic like this when they were unconscious. Celestia had once told me that Star Swirl the bearded had created a way to break down magic, but it took way too much focus and time to be of any use. “Twilight, what’s going on?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I don’t know, but I’ve got to study this! This is unprecedented! There are so many questions going through my head about this! What kind of magic was he using that makes any other magic simply break down?! I know that there are barriers that Princess Celestia can create to cause magic to dispel, but it doesn’t really destroy the magic. It just returns it to its natural state. This actually causes the magic to become brittle and break apart!” I said, perhaps a bit too excitedly. “Twilight, Twilight, TWILIGHT!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “What?” I asked. “How are we going to move him?” she asked. I thought about it. We were at least twenty minutes away from Ponyville, but Sweet Apple Acres was closer. We could ask Applejack if she had a wagon to borrow. I didn’t want to try and carry him while flying. If whatever it was that was breaking down magic around him did it to any magic there was every chance that Pegasus flight magic would be affected. But then again, I didn’t feel strained when I caught him and slowed him down. I reached down and touched him. Nothing happened. “Think we can carry him to Ponyville while we’re flying?” I asked. “I suppose we could, but if he slips out of those clothes it might get interesting,” Rainbow Dash replied. I nodded. She was right. If he slipped out of these loose clothes there wasn’t a guarantee that either one of us could catch him. I was sure that Rainbow could, but then again I couldn’t promise that she would be able to. Instead I looked toward Sweet Apple Acres again and nodded. “Rainbow, do you think that you could go out to Sweet Apple Acres and see if they can loan us a wagon?” I asked. “Sure, I was going out there anyway,” she said. “I thought that you were going to let me test the spectrum ability of your sonic rainboom after our connection to the Tree of Elements became a little more cemented,” I replied. “Well yeah, I guess, it’s just that I wanted to go by there and maybe see what Mac was doing,” she replied. “He’s married, to Cheerilee, and besides aren’t you dating Soarin?” I asked. “Naw, Soarin’s fun to hang out with, but he’s not someone I would depend on being a seriously relationship kind of guy. Someone who would be fun, has a great body, and knows his stuff, but not really a relationship kind of guy,” she said. “The great Rainbow Dash is interested in a relationship?” I asked. She nervously moved her hoof. “Maybe… I mean I’ve watched Discord and Fluttershy, Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich, and even Rarity and Thunderlane have gotten together. It seems like everypony we know is getting together with somepony else. For a while I thought that you and…” she stopped. “It’s fine Rainbow. Finding out what he was really like was the best thing possible. It most likely has saved me from some heart ache later on,” I said. “I know, but that wasn’t cool of me,” she said. “It’s fine. But do you mind to see if they will send a wagon?” I asked. “Sure,” she said. And before I could say another word she was gone. I looked back at the stallion lying on the ground. There was something strange about him. It interested me, begged me to find out what it was that was so different. I needed to figure out his magic. It was new, it was different, it was a learning experience, and I needed to step back now. I couldn’t do this. There was something coming off of him making me feel so strange. It felt like all I cared about was discovering everything about him. I knew that discovering things wasn’t bad. Being Celestia’s student had taught me that, but not taking another pony’s life or decision about being used to discover things was horribly wrong. I watched his head move. One of his eyes opened and I saw a beautiful blue eye. “Where in the bloody hell am I?” he asked. “The what?” I asked. “Oh Bollocks… A talking unicorn… Shade you daft bastard! Where in the fiery pits of hell did you send me?!” he shouted. “Shade?” I asked. “Love, do me a favor, and pipe down for a moment. I’ve got a headache, and I’m talking to a talking horse,” he said. My eyes widened at the insult. He called me… he called me a whorse! “What did I ever do to you?!” I cried. He looked confused. I turned away from him and heard the sound of a sigh. “Will it make any difference if I say that I’m sorry?” he asked. “Not if you don’t mean it,” I said. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I really didn’t,” he replied. I turned around and looked at him. He looked tired, ragged, and there was still that weird feeling that was coming off of him. I backed away a little. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “There’s something strange about you. I… I don’t know what it is, and it’s making me feel kind of weird,” I say. I turn back around and he’s trying to get something out of a pocket of the long off yellow coat of his. He stops pawing at it and grumbles. “I need a bloody silk cut,” he muttered. I looked at him and studied his face. “Did you mean what you called me?” I asked. “What did I call you?” he asked. I sighed and looked to make sure that Applejack, Rainbow, or anypony else wasn’t coming yet. “You called me a whorse,” I said. “Isn’t that what you are?” he asked. “NO!” I shouted. “I think there is something lacking in communication here. What does that word mean here?” he asked. “It means somepony that sells… Ummm… Sells themselves for money,” I say. “Oh, OH! You thought that I called you a whore! Sorry, no, that’s not what I meant. So, what are you then?” he asked. “What do you mean?” I asked. He rolled his eyes and looked at his hooves. “What exactly am I?” he asked. “You’re a unicorn stallion,” I said. It seemed kind of obvious. I wasn’t sure why he didn’t understand what he was. > Arcane Darkness > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A Hellblazer and MLP crossover Chapter 2 Arcane Darkness Shade had done something I hadn’t expected when he sent me here. He had sent me to a world that seems to be almost perfect. The woman, or mare, I’m staying with is a prime example. Apparently she’s a princess, has the ability to use magic, but her abilities are similar to Zatanna’s. It’s almost completely external. Everything she messes with is in the physical world, and the mere thought of the astral plain seems foreign to her. I’ve bloody well explained the spiritual realm, how what I do is tied into the supernatural, and she doesn’t understand a bit of it. It’s all theory and no practice. I looked through some of her books, most of looks like someone tried to write a detailed definition of what magic was. The only thing that seems to be close to what I’ve tried to explain is by some Git called Star Swirl. I looked out the window and watched the rain. It’s controlled. The weather is controlled. They schedule when it’s going to rain, when it’s dry, whatever will happen is scheduled far ahead of time. I almost wonder if there is something like this happening behind the scenes back on Earth. It’d make sense. Every angel I’ve known has been a right bastard, and the way it rains in London I wouldn’t have been surprised if one of hosts had gotten right pissed at some wanker. Then she flew by. I turned away from the window. The voice was the same. She sounded like Epiphany, and I couldn’t stand it. It was another reminder of what I left behind. Sure, her accent was different, but it was almost like hearing Epiphany trying out an American Accent. I had turned when I heard her voice, and I had half expected to my Pippy, but it wasn’t her. Her coat, that’s what the one I’m staying with, Twilight I think her name is, called it, was the same color as Pippy’s hair, but it couldn’t be her. I knew that it couldn’t be her. It couldn’t be because Shade had promised to protect her. His protecting her wouldn’t be sending her away. If I knew Shade his protecting her was watching from the aether. I felt a bit of Shade’s insanity stirring inside of me. I pushed it back, forcing the swirling vortex back down. I let too much of Shade’s madness enter me when we made our deal. I breathed in and let it out. “Keep it down John. You can do this. It’s just like Ravenscar. The madness isn’t part of me. It’s Shade’s, and I don’t have to have it,” I thought. I looked at the mirror. The answer would be simple. He was still in limbo, he was part of the Aether between universes now. My darker half still drifted out there, and I could send this insanity to him. I almost started when I forced myself to stop. My darker half, my demon self, was in a state of near death. He was harmless now, and if I feed this insanity to him there was every chance he would heal. If he did then I knew exactly what I would do if I was him. I knew it would involve me on the business end of a death curse, a slow, painful death curse. I couldn’t risk it. Instead I just needed to force the insanity into something else. I looked around the room I was in and didn’t see anything that would help. There was my coat, but there was enough attached to it already. Wards, hellfire, curses, and blessings had all found themselves wrapped into the old yellow trench coat. I sniffed the air and smelled something sweet. I walked toward the smell and found a half-eaten cupcake. It was a present from a welcoming party, something that apparently was thrown for every newcomer to this town. I looked at it and let the madness begin to collect. I pictured it, inside of me, moving down my arm, or foreleg, into my hoof, and then I pressed it to the half-eaten cupcake. It changed colors, becoming darker, the pink became blood red, and it there was an aura rolling off of it. I breathed out a sigh feeling the weight of Shade’s madness gone. I looked at half-eaten pastry sitting there. I couldn’t let it be eaten by anything, and burying it would only allow Shade’s madness to infect the very ground. A soft groan of acceptance covered me. I had to contain it. I had seen the others pick up objects with their hooves, and hold them, but I wasn’t about to touch this thing. “What’s that?” a familiar voice asked. I turned to see her. She stood, curious, observant, and wanting to know. It was like being with my niece Gemma again. I shook my head. “A bit of madness forced out and placed into something it can’t escape from,” I replied. I felt her eyes on me and looked toward her. “You can remove insanity?!” she asked. “Some kinds, why?” I asked. “Do… We have a mare in the Ponyville hospital. She’s been kept away from the other patients, and everything I’ve heard has pointed to something driving her insane. If you could actually help her…” she started before I held up a hoof. “First, it has to be specific. This madness is supernatural. Shade, the being that sent me here, put it in me. He does it unconsciously, and if I didn’t know what to sense or feel I wouldn’t have known it was there. Normal insanity is different. It’s some poor bastard’s mind pushed to the breaking point and then shoved a little further,” I said. “Please, could you just see if there is something we could do, and maybe show me how you do it?” she asked. “Say no John. Tell her no. It’s just like Gemma, and you don’t want that on your head anymore,” I thought. She looked at me, expectantly, then her face shifted to a pout. It doesn’t matter what universe they reside in. Women, all women, cheat when they want something. I looked at the half-eaten pastry and then at her. “We find somewhere to put this first. We can’t let anyone touch it. That madness is dangerous,” I said. “Oh, I know just the place! I’ve been working on a special containment box! So far it works on Discord’s magic, so it should work on that!” she excitedly said as she levelated it into the air. I followed her to a different room of this tree shaped crystal monstrosity, and watched as she placed it into a glass case. She closed the lid and the entire box turned black. She backed away from it slowly. “That’s really dark magic,” she said. “Aye luv, it is. It’s created from the fear and insanity of every inmate of every Asylum from where I come from. All of that insanity leads into Shade, and the poor daft bastard has to handle it on his own,” I replied. She looked at me completely surprised. “He handles all of the insanity?” she asked. “He channels it. It flows through the aether, and he is connected to the aether. Insanity needs a living host, and since he’s alive, it uses him,” I explained. “Why don’t you help him?” she asked. “Because the nutter won’t let anyone help him! He either forces them to live with him in his pretend world, or he banishes them to another time, another world, or another universe. He’s every extreme, and no constant,” I said. “Sounds like how Discord used to be,” she mused as she led me out to the hospital. We moved through the street, heading up to the building. When we finally made it into the hospital I felt it. I didn’t want to believe it. It couldn’t be here, it just bloody well couldn’t be here! Still, every single step deeper into the hospital reinforced the feeling. The heaviness of it flowed over, and I shook my head. This wasn’t right. This place was nearly perfect, but the moment I saw her I saw it. The blood red and black aura floating off of the mare in the straightjacket seemed to fill the room. She rocked back and forth, her eyes trained on a single spot on the wall. I looked at the spot, and saw what she stared at. It was a single mirror, showing the reflection of rotting red mare with six horns poking through her skull and spine. She giddily laughed as the door opened. I growled as I walked in. It was the same. It was the absolute blood same. "Always the bloody same! It's always the bloody same, even here things aren't that different," I thought as I saw the mare in the straitjacket. She laughed insanely as I neared her, and her eyes turned milky white. I cursed to myself and closed my eyes. This wasn't something to be messing around with. I had to remember what happened to my mates before. That exorcism had ended with a pissed off demon taking the heads of most of my mates. Feces and I was the only two members of Mucous Membrane left. Not that it really mattered about the band. We were shite, but we loved it. No it was seeing my mates torn apart by that thing. A being straight from the lowest levels of hell, and here was something close to the same. It laughed at me, not knowing, not understanding, not until I nearly finished the circle. I bit my tongue and drew some blood. I spat it on the circle and touched it with my... hoof. Still getting used to that. The mare ran forward and bounced off of an invisible wall. There was a gasp behind me and I knew what was going to happen. I fucking knew, and I didn't want to allow it. "Seeing something you like luv?" I asked without looking. "How... You didn't cast a shield or barrier spell," her voice said. "You focus on the here and now. Trust me luv, what I'm about to do will ruin you. Leave, walk out that door, and never come back to see this again. You don't need it. You're happy. You've got friends, you don't see things you aren't meant to see, leave, and forget about this," I replied. I wanted her to listen to me. She was a good kid, reminded me so much of Gemma. Always interested in what Uncle John was doing, how he was able to see spirits, talk to ghosts, lay the dead to rest, wrestle demons, and stop the world from falling into hell. She wanted to know, and it ended up ruining her. She's a neurotic mess now thanks to my curse. Constantly looking over her shoulder, constantly worried, wanting to stay away from the power that lives inside of her. And that fear was enough to let one of Wormwood's lower level soldiers rape her mind. I still remember pulling the little bastard from her head, destroying him, but damage done. I don't want to watch it happen again. Not with a nice kid like her. Not with her reminding me of what Gemma used to be like. "I want to learn," she said. "So magic eh? I wonder what it was that you wanted when you first wanted to learn. Probably so long ago you don't even remember, but I figure it was something you believed was worth taking the risks for. Money, sex, power, revenge, something like that right? Maybe it was thinner thighs in thirty days, but whatever it was I'm going to tell you something for free," I said turning around to face her. To her credit she stood strong, ready, and defiant to anything I might say to change her mind. "At rock bottom, it's always about the same thing. It's always about entropy. The universe is winding down, and the moving quill is writing on the wall, and what it says is 'Tough Shite'. You can't get something for nothing. You've got to work for a living. Putting in more effort than you'll ever get out. That's the third law of Thermodynamics, and it's the one we love to hate. Take that mug of cider you drank earlier. Someone had to gather the apples, test them, look them over, and then process them into cider. A whole lot of energy spent to get a little back. But what about cheating the tax man. What about summoning up a demon to give you a mug, or creating it from the raw materials at hand. Well then you've cheated the system, and you start getting cocky!" I shouted as I looked at her. "You get cocky and then your best mates pay for it! Something comes out and it knows that you've played the system, it knows that you're a cheat, and it will use that against you. That thing, inside of that mare, it's like nothing you've faced. It will crawl into your head, bend your mind over, and fuck it until you go insane. It doesn't care what you can do here, because it doesn't exist here. Walk out, and leave the room. You don't know what it is you're asking to learn," I said. "I'm not leaving," she said. She acted far too much like Gemma. I turn from her. "Don't look at it. You don't want to see," I said. I walked toward the mare who was still throwing herself against the edge of the circle. "I'm addressing the entity inside," I said. "We are the devourers of minds, the feasters of souls, and you little unicorn will become our next victim," several voices said at once. "Tell your boss, when you see 'em, that John Constantine sends his regards," I said before I closed my eyes. "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus... hanc animam redintegra... lustratus! lustratus!" I shouted as a weight began to press down on me. I heard something drop and then there was a scream. I scream that only comes when someone's entire world had been changed. When things they believed to be true suddenly were called into question. A scream that meant that the lavender princess had finally had her exorcism cherry popped. I couldn’t take my eye off of the demon facing me. It roared out in defiance. It’s hooves striking the invisible wall separating it from me. “Settle down right now,” I said. “We’ll swallow your soul little stallion! We’ll take control of your mind and rape you into submission!” its voices cried out. “No you won’t. Because I know your name,” I said. It stood very still. Its face hardened, milky white eyes narrowed, and a bit of orange flame escaped through its nostrils. “Then say it,” “Rosacarnis, seductress, duchess, and second in command of the realm of lust I command you by your name,” I said. She growled before she knelt. “What is thy bidding?” she asked. It was her. In her truest form, or rather it was a copy of her. If she existed then Nergal existed here as well. These ponies were defenseless against them because they didn’t know. They believed in magic, because it was part of their known world, but beings like her. She was different. “Return to your realm, and spit into your father’s eye,” I said. Her own eyes widened before she screamed in anger and was engulfed in orange flames. I watched as she burned away into ash before I rubbed my hoof through the circle breaking it open. The mare on the floor groaned looking up at me with confusion. “Where am I?” she asked. “Somewhere you don’t deserve to be luv. Come on, let’s get you out of here,” I said. I turned and saw Twilight, slowly regaining her composure. She faced the ground, her eyes looking away from me. “It’s real,” she said. “Yes,” I answered. “All of it?” she asked. “And more. You’ve seen them, and they don’t like to be seen. You will never be able to turn it off now,” I said. “I… I didn’t know,” she whispered. “I know, and I’m a right bastard for letting you see it,” I said. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX Rainbow Dash’s POV The weather team ran like I expected. Well, more or less. Thunderlane kept wanting to hurry up. I knew he wanted to go see Rarity as soon as he could, but the weather came first, and then anything else. After the rain finished I cut everypony loose and headed down to Twilight’s. She had that strange stallion staying with her, and to be honest I wanted to know what her plans were with him. I noticed that besides the guards, there wasn’t anyone home. I snorted in annoyance, ready to leave, when I spotted her walking back from the hospital. Near her was the strange stallion, and there between them was Screw Loose. Somepony had let that crazy mare out, but she wasn’t acting all crazy and shouting at trees and rocks. I neared them and Twilight looked toward me and then behind me. She let out a scream and jumped back. I turned around and didn’t see a thing. “Okay, what was that about?” I asked. “Trust me, you don’t want to know,” the strange stallion said. “What are they?” Twilight asked. “Souls, unable to move on,” he replied. “What is going on here? Did you do something to her?” I asked. I eyed him ready to beat the stuffing out of him if he hurt Twilight when she shook her head. “No, I wanted to see Rainbow. I wanted to see, and I saw it. I saw… I don’t know what I saw,” she said. I looked at him and shoved him hard. “What did you do to my friend?!” I demanded. “I tried to protect her!” he shouted at me. “Horseapples! What’s wrong with her?!” I shouted back. “Rainbow… I need to find Spike. I’ve… I’ve got to contact Princess Celestia. I need to tell her about this,” Twilight said. I glared at the stallion as he looked at me. “I didn’t hurt her,” he said. “I’m coming with you, and you’re going to explain what happened,” I said. > Rediscovering History > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A Hellblazer and MLP crossover Chapter 3 Rediscovering History I closed my eyes and instantly missed my hands. I needed a Silk Cut so bad I could barely stand it. It was as if there was some kind of childish torture that I could feel the weight of the pack, feel the weight of my lighter full of hellfire, and not able to really grab either of them. I let out a frustrated grunt which one of the mares took as directed toward her. “I’m still waiting for you to explain this!” she shouted. I looked at her. If I closed my eyes it was almost like hearing Epiphany before we married. It was hearing her scream at me for being an idiot and not seeing what was right in front of me. I couldn’t close my eyes, because I couldn’t let myself go there. I needed to be focused, and I bloody well needed to fix this. “She wanted to see me exorcise that bloody demon out of that wo… out of that mare! She wanted to see how it was done, and her eyes were opened. She can see things that you can’t,” I explained. “What are you talking about?! What can she see that’s making her act so crazy?!” she shouted. I shook my head and walked to Twilight. There was a chance to fix it. A single chance, something I had done with Kat to protect her from the vision. Something she wore every day because it was easier not seeing than seeing. I needed something she could wear over her head. Something that would touch her, and that she could wear whenever she wanted to wear it. If I was back in Manchester I could get a cheap crucifix from the shop, but I wasn’t. Besides, the crucifix would be pointless. The entire reason it works is because people see it as a symbol of their faith. They’re able to focus on it. That’s why it takes down some of the more physical beasties from the other side. “I’m not done talking to you!” she said as she shoved into me. “I’m trying to fix it! Bloody hell woman will you let me work for two seconds Pippy?! Two seconds luv and I swear I’ll listen to anything you say!” I shouted. “Who the hay is Pippy?” she asked. “Oh bollocks,” I said before I lowered my head. “What’s going on? Who are you, what happened to Twilight, and what are you trying to fix?” she asked. “I’m trying to fix it so that she doesn’t have to see it. I need something that she has faith in,” I said. The blank expression on her face spoke volumes. “What does she believe in?” I asked. “Friendship. That’s what we all believe in,” she answered. “So, what can she wear that’s a symbol for friendship? Something that can go around her neck would be best,” I said. She looked at me confused for a moment before she lifted a cord with some brightly colored rocks on it. “It’s a special rock candy necklace. Pinkie showed us how to make them, and only the best of friends give them to each other,” she said. I looked at it and held out my hoof. She put it on it only for it to fall off. “Why aren’t you holding it?” she asked. “How? It’s a bloody hoof! How do you hold something with a bloody hoof?!” I seethed. “Think about holding it plothole,” she said shoving it back at me. I thought about holding it, and it stayed in place. Good, now if this was something she had faith in then this would work. I started toward where she was sitting. She was sitting at the table, her head buried in a book. I’ve seen what she was doing before. Kat, Zed, even Gemma had done the same thing. Attempting to block out what they were seeing by ignoring it. I touched her, and she flinched. “Twilight, do you want me to help?” I asked. She lifted her head. Dark trails were carved down her lavender fur from the tears. I wasn’t sure how long she had been crying, but I could tell that it bad been more than just a few moments. I lifted my hoof, and showed her the necklace. A bit of confusion crossed her face. I focused on the necklace, allowing some of essence to spread over to it. Enough to power it, enough to capture the faith she had in the symbol, and all that was left was to seal it. I lifted it over her head, slipped it on, and then leaned forward. I closed my eyes as our lips connected. We had to connect, our souls had to go into the aether together at the same time, and that meant briefly finding death. Typically a good shag would be the easiest way of getting there, but from the way things felt, from what I sensed about her the Princess still had a part of her innocence left. I may be a bastard, but I’m not a fucking bastard. Her first time wouldn’t be ritualistic sex. Instead I felt for her energy, for her soul, and once I felt it I connected to it. Diving into the aether without the assistance of an orgasm was far more difficult, but not impossible. I had to pull our souls loose from our bodies. I felt the first tug, the call, the need, and then another. Moment after bloody moment I pulled until I saw the ethereal light surrounding us. That’s when I heard the gasp. “What happened?” she asked. “We’re in the aether,” I said. “Wait, didn’t you say that insanity flowed through here?” she asked. I could see her starting to panic. It wouldn’t help if she noticed her form either. Since I brought her here, since I formed the bond, she took a form suiting to me. The both of us had become human, or at least our souls appeared as humans. “Twilight, I need you to calm down. Right now we’re safe. Insanity does travel through the aether, but it does it around negative energy. There’s nothing negative here. We’re fine,” I said. “Okay… Did… did you kiss me before?” she asked. I nodded. “We needed to connect together, and I’ve done this before,” I said. She looked at me for a moment before she reached out toward me. Her hand stopped and she looked at it. I watched her eyes widened with wonder. “What?” she began. “You’ve taken the form my soul is most comfortable with luv. This is what I looked like before I came here,” I said. She looked at the differences between us. I was clothed, she was not. It was hard not to look at her. She had youth, innocence, and beauty on her side. According to what that git Star Swirl said in his book she would always have beauty on her side. She didn’t grasp modesty, and for once I didn’t want to act like a right bastard around a beautiful girl. I pulled off my Trench Coat and draped it on her shoulders, helping her arms through, and buttoning it up. “What are you going to do?” she asked. “I have to seal the amulet I’m making for you. Twilight, do you trust me?” I asked. I felt like a sod and a tosser. I was going to do something to help her, and at the same time it was going to chisel away at her innocence. I looked in her eyes, waiting for her response. She nodded, stepped forward, and I pulled her against me. “I’m sorry that your first time experiencing this has to be because I was too much of a right bastard to stop you from seeing something you weren’t ready for,” I said. Our souls glowed, and I heard a soft moan come from her. It passed into her, through her, swirled around her, and the moan built up. She began writhing in pleasure. Her physical innocence was protected, but I was stealing her spiritual one. This was something that should have happened with someone would care about. It was something that should have happened with the man she wanted to be with for the rest of his life. It shouldn’t happen with someone like me. She cried out, her face burying into my shoulder. And then the glow began to lessen. Her amulet was sealed, and I had stolen something from her she would never get back. All magic has a price. Every bit of it does. There is always a sacrifice that has to be made. Maybe it’s a bit of your humanity, or something more tangible can be used. But when it comes to making something that protects your sanity, that shields your mind. It needs to be something else. It needs the energy of two souls sharing the most intimate moment they can. She held on to me as I felt for our bodies. I felt the connections, and pulled. I felt us drifting down, moving slowly, taking hours for the connection to set. And then my eyes opened. I leaned back, breaking the kiss, and Twilight’s eyes flittered open. She looked around, and I looked at her necklace. It glowed, a dark purple. It was a mixture of her more pure soul, and my tainted one. I heard another voice, and it became more pronounced as everything became more real. “What happened?” I turned to face her. Twilight had said her name was Rainbow something, but the mistake had been made. I had already called her by Epiphany’s pet name. There was no way I could completely stop calling her by it. From this point on, in the back of my mind, I would want to call her Pippy. It was going to be something that stayed there. I breathed out and studied her. “I helped her,” I said. “They’re gone,” Twilight said. “No luv, they’re not. You can’t see them right now, but they’re still there,” I said. “How could you help her? All you did was kiss her for a second,” Rainbow said. “It was only a second? It felt like hours,” Twilight said. I smiled and nodded. “That’s the aether. Time doesn’t exist there. A thousand years can pass in the span of a second, or a single moment can last over a year. It depends on what part of the aether you enter into,” I replied. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx Twilight’s POV Sweet Celestia what happened? I can’t stop looking at him, listening to him explain what happened, and I feel myself blushing. I need to stop doing that. It wasn’t here, but then again it felt so real. I… I’ve heard Rarity and Fluttershy talk about how it feels. They talked about the warmth and love spreading out over them, and the way it felt like there was something else there connecting them. I knew what it was now, and… he was so sweet. I want to feel it with him again. I want to be his special somepony. I want to feel all of that, and I wanted it so bad that I almost didn’t hear Spike. I turn to see him walking toward me with a letter. “Twilight, Princess Celestia said that she’s coming. She’ll be here as soon as possible. She wants to hear about what you saw, and about him,” Spike said pointing to John. “Guess it’s time to break out the tea and crumpets,” he said. “Tea and what?” Spike asked. “It’s not important. Spike, I need you tell me when Princess Celestia gets here,” I said. How can I explain this? How can I explain what I saw, what happened, and how do I explain John? I tried to breathe. Celestia is understanding, and I know that she’s seen so many strange things in her life time. Still, this is unlike anything I’ve ever read about before. Sombra was the closest thing to what I saw in the hospital, but what he was and what that thing was is as different as night and day. If she’s flying here it could take a while for her to arrive. After all she would have the guards, get her royal regalia together, arrange for a carriage… “Twilight, I see her carriage coming near Ponyville!” Spike shouted from his new favorite lookout. “Or she could have just sent the letter, and decided to come immediately,” I thought. I readied myself, looked back at John, and instantly I felt the blush return to my cheeks. I needed to have a clear head for this, but after what happened. “Twi, you’re having a little issue with your wings,” Rainbow Dash said. I blushed furiously and forced them back down. Now was not the time. I didn’t need to think about that. I waited for a moment before I walked toward the door and opened it. Celestia walked inside, followed by her guards, whom she ordered to go outside and wait, before she smiled at me. “Twilight, your letter caused me to have some great concerns,” she said. I nodded and cleared my throat. “Princess… I saw something. It was something that I can’t fully explain, but it wasn’t really part of our world,” I said. “I can tell you what it was,” John said. “I assume you are the new pony Twilight has written to me about. She has said that your origins are… interesting,” Celestia said. “Everything about me is interesting luv. Here, this card should help with the introductions,” he said. I turned to see him stick his hoof into that oversized coat of his and pull out a card. He then pulled out a small flimsy pack and what looked like a lighter. He hoofed the card over to Celestia, and I watched as she looked at it, and then at him. “John Constantine, Exorcist, Occultist, and Master of the Dark Arts… I do hope that this card is a joke Mr. Constantine. Black magic is punishable, and it carries a very sever sentence,” she said. “Black magic and the Dark Arts are two different things. Dark Arts implies that I know about Black Magic, but it doesn’t mean that I use it. Besides, if it wasn’t for me one of your subjects would still be the host to a demon,” he said. I watched as Celestia’s eyes narrowed. She pointed her hoof at him, and then at a spot in front of her. “I want to know about this. Tell me everything right now,” she demanded. I had never heard her sound so cross toward somepony who wasn’t an enemy before. “I informed Twilight about my abilities with the supernatural, and how I could remove certain types of insanity. She asked me to look at a mare in the hospital, and what was going on was the poor mare was the host to a demon. Now, I’ve had a moment to look at some of the books you have on magic, and with the exception of this git Star Swirl no one really mentions anything close to that demon. I understand that his books were written well over a thousand years ago. So, how is it that a mare gets possessed by a demon when there hasn’t been a documented case of it in order a thousand years?” he asked. “I do not like your tone,” Celestia replied. “Princess, it was just a happenstance right? I mean an accident right?” I asked. “She said that her employer told her to go into a locked room in an old part of the castle at Canterlot. A room that was rumored to have been locked by Star Swirl, and had runes similar to this around the outside of it,” he said as he held out a piece of paper to her, “Those ruins are different than I’m used to seeing, but I can tell, by the way they’re arranged, that it was meant as a barrier ward. He locked something dangerous away in there didn’t he?” “We had to know. Twilight, we needed to know what it was that Star Swirl had been working on. He… He was so secretive about things, and I remembered that one of the things he worked on after I banished… After Nightmare Moon, was a spell that would allow me to monitor everypony. He wanted to make sure that no one else fell to something like Luna did ever again,” Celestia said. “So, you bloody well sent her in knowing that it could be something waiting to get her. You let her go in blindly!” he shouted at her. “Silence! I made a decision to protect my little ponies, and one that I would make again to ensure their safety!” she shouted back at him. “Fucking Gabriel all over again. Thinking that you’re above everyone else, and you use the excuse of wanting to help us as the reason to whatever you want. So, sending in an innocent woman, er mare is perfectly fine! Better to risk one soul right?” he asked. “You are trotting on very thin ice Mr. Constantine. I wanted to protect my subjects, and I will do what needs to be done in order to protect them. I regret that Ruby was, hurt, but it just meant that the room needed to remain sealed,” she said. “And you sealed it back the way he did right? Good, with just one problem luv. You let them into your world. You opened the door, invited them in, and now they’re here. They’re here, and they’re going to enjoy being here. At least that git Star Swirl had the foresite to keep them located to a single place. I don’t know what he did to do it, but he had the understanding that they had to be in a single, lockable, place. Now, these things are out, and none of your ponies know how to defend themselves. They don’t know because they’ve faced this before,” he said. “Celestia, he did save her. He pulled that thing out and banished it,” I said. She looked to me, and then back to him. I could see the way she studied us that she was noticing something. “What happened?” she asked. “I… I saw. I saw it, and then I saw even more. There’s so much that we don’t see every day,” I replied. Her eyes softened, and then she pulled me under her wing. I felt the warmth in the hug. “I didn’t mean for you to see this yet. I’ve kept it from Luna and Cadence as well. It’s something that is very hard to deal with,” she said. “What… can you see them?” I asked. “Twilight, I try to help them cross over. There are many who simply are not ready, but I try to help them as much as I can,” she replied. > Whispers > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A Hellblazer and MLP crossover Chapter 4 Whispers She left, but not before letting me know that I would be watched. It’s not the first time I was informed by a near deity that they didn’t like me. I didn’t have to make this my business. I could stay out of it, let whatever she had unknowing released cause strife, and keep myself out of it. I could do that, but once look at Twilight told me that she wouldn’t. “Okay, what the hay were you talking about?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Demons, spiritual beings that love to cause strife, pain, and misery. Them and lost souls were what we were talking about,” I replied. She looked at me and shook her head. “Wait, how can something like that exist?” she asked. “Rainbow Dash, I don’t know how to explain it, but they exist. I know what I saw. That thing was staying inside of Scr… inside of Ruby. It had taken her over,” Twilight replied. “It wasn’t just taking her over. It was feeding off of her misery. It loved every perverse thing it could make her do, and it was showing it to her. Anything she had done that would have caused her torment was what the demon was forcing her to do,” I said. “It listened to you once you called it by its name. How does that work?” Twilight asked. “It’s part of the rules the supernatural. If you know something’s name you have power over it. The deeper of a connection it has to the Nether realm or the aether the more control you’ll have, but that’s also the problem. Their names aren’t just normal names. It’s entire titles. If you simply stop at what one of them calls itself then you don’t have true power over it,” I said. “That’s a bunch of horseapples. There’s plenty of ponies that know my name, and none of them have any power over me. I’m my own mare,” Rainbow Dash said. “Rainbow Dash,” I said. She looked at me. Her explanation stopped, her movement stopped, and she simply looked at me. “Notice how you’re attention turned to me? Did you also notice how everything else just stopped when someone used your name. Because of free will, and because you’re not a creature of the aether, or the nether realms, that’s the limit of the power a normal pony has over you. They can make you stop and take notice of them. Give that information to a demon, and they can use it to make you take notice of them long enough to whisper in your ear. That’s something you don’t want,” I replied. “Twilight you’re seriously not buying this right?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Rainbow Dash, you weren’t there. You didn’t see that thing, and you didn’t see what I saw afterward either,” Twilight replied. “What? What did you see?” she asked. “I’m not sure how to explain it. It was something that shouldn’t have existed here. It looked… dead, and it had three sets of horns. Its eyes were lifeless, and that voice. I’ll never forget that voice,” she said. Rainbow Dash looked at her and then made her way toward her. She looked at her for a moment and then sat down in front of her. “Are you sure that’s what you saw?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I wouldn’t make something like that up. I’m still trying to understand exactly what it was that I saw,” she said. Rainbow Dash then turned toward me. “You said that those things are here now, so what can we do about them?” she asked. “Don’t listen to them. They want to break all of you down. They need you at your weakest, and when you are they’re going to climb inside and do to you what they did to that poor mare. They work hard to break apart friendships, destroy trust, and ensure that there’s no one who will be around to help you,” I replied. I was a little surprised that she took Twilight’s word so easily. It was rare to have a mate like that. Chaz had been that. He was a true mate. He was the kind of bloke that would drop everything to help, and that would take your word. He was loyal, very loyal to his friends, and perhaps that was what Rainbow was. She was a true mate, and if she was anything like Chaz she would follow Twilight straight to the very gates of hell. “John, could they already be here? I mean I saw those… I saw all of those other ponies out there, but could more of those things that we saw in the hospital be here?” Twilight asked. “Luv, I don’t doubt that they’ve been here since the door’s been opened. Everyone here is an easy target. None of you know what it is that you’re going to be facing. These things haven’t been able to enter your world in over a thousand years, and I would imagine that they are hungry,” I replied. “What, they feed off of bad emotions?” Rainbow asked. “It gives them strength, adds to their power, the more miserable someone is the better they like it, but what they only feed off that misery until they are able to collect and feed off of their souls, and they collect the soul when it’s been completely tainted. That mare was near collecting,” I said. That was something I knew all too well. I’d seen men and women fall victim to these devils before. Sorry sods that had either willingly sold themselves, or had unknowingly let themselves become open to the demonic forces. All of this happened in a world that knew, on some level, about the dangers present in the unseen. Here there wasn’t any restrictions. No one knew about them, or at least on really knew about them anymore. Star Swirl had obviously known enough to limit their access to a single room, and then he locked it off with a set of runes. “What did you mean about the door was open?” Rainbow asked. “Star Swirl’s book, and what that mare had told me, made me understand that Star Swirl had found a way of limiting where they could enter from. He had limited it to a room that he surrounded the entry point with runes. They couldn’t leave the room until a willing host entered. The moment she walked into the room they went to work on her. She fell victim to them, and now without that restriction they are free to enter where ever they please,” I replied. “Then the answer’s simple! We can just find out what it was that Star Swirl did and copy it! If he was able to trap them then we should be able to!” Twilight exclaimed. “Luv, whatever it was that Star Swirl did, whatever it was, they fell for it once. I don’t know if they will fall for it again,” I said. “What makes you think that he tricked them?” Rainbow asked. “It was too perfect. The way it was done was too perfect. There was something he had, or did that they must have wanted badly, and it was enough, more than enough, for them to direct all of their attention in one place. On top of that I’ve closed entry points before, and it takes more than one to do it. There is a certain ritual to closing them usually, so he had to have someone helping him,” I replied. “I bet it was Clover the Clever. She was supposed to be his assistant!” Twilight said excitedly, “I bet that he figured out what spell to use, and then told her the part he needed her to play in it!” The answer came to me and I began to laugh. It changed from a simple laugh to a more hysterical one. The answer of how he was able to do it was far more present. He had to collect enough power to close the entry points, and he needed someone at those points. But the problem would be power. Closing an entire world’s worth of entry points would take more enough than a single life had. He would need to collect power straight from the aether, and he would need to channel it through a physical act. He and his assistant must have shagged like there was no tomorrow. “What is it? John? What’s wrong?” Twilight asked. “He shagged his assistant. That’s how he was able to get the power to close everywhere, but that one room off,” I said. “What?!” The way she asked was as if I had just destroyed the perfect image of someone she had some hero worship over. The more I read over this git the more I realized that he had power, but he was smart about it. He didn’t just rely on his magic. He also included rituals, ceremonies, and anything else that would give him an edge. The bastard sounded a bit like me. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx Pinkie Pie’s POV Wow! My Pinkie sense is going super crazy! I feel a leg tremble, ear flop, eye blink, chatty teeth, itchy nose, and sprungy hair. You know Sprungy… It’s kind of like Springy only it’s already done it’s springing so it’s more like it’s sprung, but sort of wanting to be spring, so Sprungy! I’ve felt this all morning, and it’s weird. I’ve never had this sense before. There’s a soft cry and I pick up little Strawberry. Strawberry Maud Pie, my little rock kicker. She looks so much like her daddy. “What’s wrong Strawberry? Do I need to break out the flour?” I ask. She blinks at me and then coos as I hold her. She’s such a sweet little filly. Ooooooo… itchy rump! Itchy rump is added to it! Okay, I’ve got to go see Twilight, I know! I can sneak in through the basement! I love doing that! “Cheese, do you mind watching Strawberry for a while?” I asked. “Of course not. Who’s daddy’s little prankster?” he said as he took her. I handed her off to him and started to walk toward Twilight’s castle. The first thing I noticed was that there wasn’t any guards there today. That’s kind of sad since I like trying to sneak in around them. It’s always fun to watch them get so flustered when they don’t know it’s me. Oh well, it’s still going to be fun to sneak up on Twilight! A few seconds pass by and I’m Twilight’s little lab she has set up down here. Wow… I’ve never seen that box before. Ewww… It’s all black. Why would Twilight have a black box? Ooooo… I wonder if it has something inside of it. Just a peek won’t hurt. “Open it,” “Who said that?” I ask. “You want to see don’t you?” “Who’s there?” “Open the box. It’ll be fun,” “I like fun, but who’s there?” “Why Pinkie it’s me, Madam Le Flour! Ze box, she is a secret, and friends share secrets right?” “I suppose,” I say. I lift the lid and inside there’s a dark red cupcake that looks so good… It looks so delicious… Maybe just a bite. > The Endless > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A Hellblazer and MLP crossover Chapter 5 The Endless I had no sooner turned from Twilight when an ear piercing scream ripped through the entire crystal monstrosity we were in. I knew the direction it was coming from. I had followed her down into that lab, and I saw her place that bloody cupcake into that sealed box. Without wasting a second we ran toward the door, heading down into the room when the door busted open. Standing there was something beyond odd. It looked like one of the ponies I had seen before, but it appeared that everything was changing about it. For a moment it had wings, then it had none, it had a horn, and then it didn’t. The one thing that I did recognize, that stayed constant was a blue eye. I stepped toward it and it lifted a small bipedial figure. The creature was green, had razor sharp teeth in a mouth far too large for its head. It had a mop of stringy fire red hair, and a long bifurcated tail. It lashed the tail defiantly at its captor who simply held it in a hoof. “HOW?! HOW COULD YOU SEE ME?!” It screamed. Rainbow Dash walked forward and looked at the creature. She saw how small it was and began to laugh. “That’s what we’re supposed to be afraid of?! HA!” she said. “That’s good Dashie, giggle at the ghosties,” an over and under tone set of voices said. I studied her, knowing that I had heard the voice before, but it had been an exceptionally long time. It had been back when I had dealt with Destiny and Death. The demon in her grasp tried to escape before it let out a horrific growl and tried to grow larger. Rainbow Dash backed away from it as it grew to the size of the small dragon named Spike. The mare holding it simply pushed in on it making it groan and shrink back down. She looked at me and her face became a frown. “There is another voice I hear. It’s distant, and it says that you have been a bad pony. It tells me that you tricked a young mare, more of a filly really, into giving herself to you, and leaving behind the one that had been her special somepony. That’s an awful thing to do,” she said. “You ate the bloody cupcake didn’t you? Shade you daft bastard, you miserable sod, you had to leave those memories in your madness didn’t you?” I asked. “The voice also says that you know how to send these back,” she said. I drew a circle, letting her drop it into it, and then connected it with my blood. The demon screamed as it grew to an impossible size only to find that it couldn’t escape. It then shrunk back down and looked at me. “My mistress has already spoken of you. She swore at you even as her father tore the flesh from her bones. She has ordered more than me to seek out your destruction. We shall watch you burn little unicorn,” it said. “Not bloody likely. So, Rosacarnis has sent a lowly soldier demon to seek out revenge. I didn’t think that she was daft, but then again she isn’t is she?” I asked. “HA! If you think that I shall reveal anything to you then are a bigger fool than I thought!” it laughed. “Tell me, what do you think would happen to an entity like you if it was suddenly forgiven and allowed to enter into paradise? A demon in a roomful of angels, and mate, I’d love to be the fly on that wall,” I replied. “You lie! We cannot be forgiven! We are created to be the damned!” it hissed. “I CALL UPON THE GREAT ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL, MASTER OF AIR, TO OPEN THE WAY FOR THIS TO BE DONE. LET THE FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT NOW DESCEND THAT THIS BEING MIGHT BE AWAKENED TO THE WORLD BEYOND AND THE LIFE OF EARTH, AND INFUSED WITH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,” I said in the loudest voice possible. The demon shook, its face faltering, its eyes showing repressed fear, and finally it screamed. “Don’t! Don’t do it!” it cried out. “What is your mistress’ plan?” I asked. “I don’t know everything. I only know that I was to begin breaking apart the bonds of friendship. I had every intention of making her do terrible things, but… something else was there. Something more powerful than I am,” it said. I studied the demon, and I knew it was a soldier demon. It would be easy to defeat on its own, but knowing who sent it was as good as knew its name. “In the very name of your mistress, in the name of Rosacarnis, seductress, duchess, and second in command of the realm of lust I command you to return to your world of filth. Return with this message mate. I’ve faced the first, second, and third of the fallen and beaten them. If she thinks that she can take me, then mate, she’s going to have to stop wanking off,” I said. It howled in apparent pain as flames covered it. Soon there was nothing but ash left of it, and I broke the circle. Once I did I turned to look at the newest addition to the room. She stood there, seemingly content to watch me work. Once it was over she smiled, walked forward, and yawned. “Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I am Pinkie, and Pinkie is me, but Pinkie is also Pinkie,” she said. “You’re an endless, an ancient right?” I asked. Her attention turned to me. The smile she had was far too wide to be natural. She neared me and then her smile became a scowl. She looked up and down me for a second. “The other voice, this Shade, he doesn’t like you very much,” she said. “I know luv, and I know I did some things to earn that ire, but Shade is a nutter. What he’s holding against me was done fifteen years ago. Besides, he might not understand it, but Patricia wasn’t meant to exist in the aether. Being there was breaking down her physical body. She was dying, and he was killing her. As it was she only lived another year once I brought her out,” I replied. “Who are you?” Twilight asked. I watched as she turned toward her. The entire time she had wings appearing and disappearing, a horn appearing and disappearing. Her very shadow seemed to be a physical thing that was being dragged along like a bit of cloth. It snagged once nearly causing her to trip before she pulled it closer to her. “I am your friend, your inspiration, your sanity, and your insanity. I love, live, exist, and thrive on laughter, but the laughter that brings me the greatest joy is that of friends. I am that which I am,” she said. “Maniae, or Delirium right?” I asked. “I am known as Maniae here,” she answered without looking at me. “What happened to Pinkie?!” Rainbow Dash asked as she rushed her. “She was tempted… Talking like this… It hurts…” she said collecting herself. Twilight looked at me and I let out a breath. “Where I’m from Delirium is an endless. She’s basically hysterical laughter, and insane thought all rolled into one. I’ve never had the chance to meet her, but Death and Destiny spoke of her pretty often. They said that she always seemed to be smarter than she let on, and that being sane was painful for her,” I replied. “It hurts, but you are my friend Dashie. You are Pinkie’s friend, and that makes you my friend. Pinkie is still here. She is unlike the other lives I’ve lived… She exists inside of me, and she is scared. That thing tempted her… made her eat the cupcake… she… broke…” Maniae strugged to say. A moment later a balloon floated past and her eyes darted to it. “Something floaty!” she exclaimed as she bounced after it. “Well, that should help her relax a little. It could be that I showed up just in time. After all, when I felt that presence I just couldn’t stay away,” a disembodied voice said. “Who in the bloody hell are you?” I asked the air. “Dipcord, what are you doing here?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Why Rainbow Dash, I’m surprised at you. A friend decides to stop by and offer up a little help, and you snap at him. Somepony might think that you simply didn’t want any help,” the voice said as the owner became solid. I’ve seen things. I’ve seen demons straight from hell, I’ve faced vampires, hell I helped Dr. Alan Holland keep his humanity, or memory of it, when he became Swamp Thing. I had never seen a hodgepodge being like this before. His entire body was a collection of different beings. I studied him and drew a blank. “Ah, I see that I’ve stunned yet another pony, but then again, you’re not really a pony are you? Well, not one of ours anyway. No, you’re more of a visitor from another existence. I felt you coming in, but at the moment I was a little busy. Fluttershy may not seem like it, but she is quite demanding when it comes to her cuddles,” he said. “Flutter who?” I asked. “Oh, Dear me I see that Princess Twilight has left out a few things hasn’t she? Well, I am Discord, god of Chaos, but I’m not giving you the rest of my title. You know the rule, and I don’t like doing anything anyone says,” he replied. “How do you know Maniea?” Twilight asked. “Oh, it’s because she’s one of the endless. There were eight of us at one time. I didn’t like being restricted to watching the world. After all, I wanted to be in the middle of it. So, the eight became seven. Well more or less. I could reclaim my power and become an Endless again if I wanted to,” Discord said. “What do you mean reclaim your power? You’re as powerful as Celestia!” Twilight exclaimed. “Before I stepped down I abilities that even an immortal mind can’t begin to understand, but it was so boring there! It wasn’t like it was here. Here there’s always something to do,” he said. “So Pinkie is an endless?” Rainbow Dash asked. “No, Pinkie is a pony. Maniea is an Endless. Maniea has lived in the Pie family for generations. She’s influenced the birth of several of the more notable members of that family. Surprise was one of my favorites. She was a bubbly Pegasus that loved pulling pranks, and gave bone crushing hugs,” Discord said. “She said that Pinkie is different,” Twilight said. “She is. Pinkie has a Destiny, a fate, and she has done part of it. She became the emblem of her element, but to have a destiny one must have a soul. The other ponies she’s been have merely been reflections of herself. Pinkie has been something special. She’s her own mare, and while she is quite a bit like Maniea she has free will. That was something even Surprise didn’t have,” Discord said. “Does Princess Celestia know about this?” Twilight asked. “I don’t know… I mean she would surely tell you everything she knew right?” Discord asked. “You were an Endless?” I asked. “Yes,” Discord replied. “And you gave it up so that you could live in the mortal realm?” I asked. “Don’t act so surprised. Being there, in that realm, is boring. It’s the same thing over and over again. Oversee all of pony kind. Ensure that they are doing what they must to survive, and make sure that the scales are always balanced. It’s the same thing every day, but here, here it’s different. Here I get to have all of the fun I want,” he said. “Why is Maniea here?” Rainbow Dash asked. “She wanted to see what it was like to be a mortal. She’s enjoyed it so much that she’s allowed herself to be reborn over and over again, and she loves being a pie,” Discord said. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx Fluttershy’s POV The moment Discord left it became so quiet. It’s not that I don’t usually like the peace and quiet, but I’ve come to enjoy having my house, well our house, being a little more lively. I felt a kick and gently touched my swollen belly. The doctor wasn’t sure what to expect, but I know no matter what our baby looks like she, I hope it’s a filly, will be beautiful. I moved to the edge of the bed, stepped out of it, and moved into the living room. “He cares more about having fun,” “Who’s there?” I asked. “He wants to visit Twilight. It’s because she’ll live forever just like he will. What makes you think that he wants to have somepony that will die?” “Please, show yourself, if you don’t mind,” I said. “Oh, element of kindness you are so sweet and precious. Your little heart is so full of love, and it disgusts us!” “Who’s there?!” I cried. I heard something moving and watched as Angel ran in front of me. He looked scared, and I looked around. Whatever had bothered Angel must be exceptionally scary. Angel’s barely had the energy to get out of bed, and here he was trying to stay near me. I walked toward the door and tried to open it. “It’s scary out there. The entire world is full of ponies you don’t know, and they are all looking at you, judging you, laughing at you,” “No!” I screamed as I opened my door and ran outside. Angel followed me and I scooped him up into my forelegs. I couldn’t stay here. I don’t know what it was that talking to me, but I needed to get away from it. I flew toward town, and headed straight toward the castle. Once there I made it inside and found Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and somepony I didn’t know. I looked at Discord, and without a second thought he moved toward me. “Fluttershy what’s wrong?” he asked. “There was something… I don’t know it was, but it talked to me. It said some terrible things, and I had to get away from it,” I said. He narrowed his eyes and snapped his fingers. A pair of strange red and blue glasses appeared and he put them on. “Well, I haven’t seen any of you in well over a thousand years,” he said. The room felt lighter within seconds. I looked at him as I took a seat and he extended a claw to me. “I’m glad that you came here,” he said. “What was it?” I asked. “Something that will never bother you as long as I am able to keep them from it,” he said. “You have to obey certain rules mate. There’s not any getting around that,” the pony I didn’t know said. “No I don’t. That’s why I did what I did,” he replied. I didn’t know what he was talking about, but right now I didn’t care. I was safe, and I was with my friends and my husband. There wasn’t any reason to fear anything right now. I settled down and felt another kick. I saw Discord’s eyes widen as he felt it. I felt his hand staying in place in the attempt to feel the same thing again. A smile crossed my face as the sense of wonder filled his. “We should go check on Applejack and Rarity,” Twilight said. “Why? What’s going on?” I asked. “Something that wants its meal to be easy luv, and that means taking out anything that can stand in its way,” the pony I didn’t know said. “Is one of these things going to be bothering all of us?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I think so. I think that they’re setting their sights on us first,” Twilight said. I heard a scream, a long horrible scream, and it was somewhere outside. All of us moved outside of the castle and followed the sound until we stood outside of the Carousel Boutique. The pony I didn’t know looked angry as he rushed the door and slammed into it. It held, and I wondered why he didn’t just use magic. Twilight instead ripped the door from its hinges and we went inside to see Thunderlane standing over Rarity. Rarity’s face was swollen, it looked like she was bleeding, and it looked like he had been beating her for a while. I couldn’t understand it. Why? Why would Thunderlane do this? He loved Rarity! He turned toward us and his eyes looked dead. “Hello John, John hello,” a dark voice said. “Get away from her you tosser!” “I don’t know… She didn’t seem to want to be loving toward her husband. Perhaps finding my little punching bag upset her,” he said pointing toward the closet. The door opened to reveal a severely beaten, and barely breathing Scootaloo, and I couldn’t help by squeak in fright. I heard Rainbow Dash growl in anger before she rushed toward him. I watched as she hit him and drove him into the wall. I knew seeing Rarity had made her mad, but seeing Scootaloo like that had to pushed her even further. “Get out of him!” she screamed. “Gladly,” it said. She stumbled back, shaking her head back and forth. She fell to the ground groaning in pain. “So ripe… So much potential! Oh, the things I’m going to do with your body,” the voice said from her. “Get out of me!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Foolish little mortal, you have no idea of what I have in store for you. The things that I will force you do, and all of them will make you regret the day you were born,” it said. I watched to see the pony I didn’t know, the one that the weird voice had called John, drew a circle. He spat a little blood on it and touched it with his hoof. The thing screamed as it slammed into an invisible wall. “Going to exorcise me John? Good luck. You don’t know my name, and I’ve been waiting for this day. I’ve been waiting for the moment that I could take this little bit of strumpet and make her do the lecherous things that’s so forbidden,” the voice said. I watched the pony I didn’t know as he dug something out of the loose fitting yellow trench coat he was wearing. He held up several small bits that were long gold stems. Each one of them fell down until the voice screamed. “Okay mate, I know your name now. Triskelle, wyrm queen of succubi, and bloody cocksucker I command thee by thy name,” he said. “What is your desire John? Do you wish to have this filly? Is that it? I know your tastes, I know your desires. I can smell them. She sounds so much like the who you ache for. If you close you close your eyes I would imagine that it would even feel like her. I can promise you that I can do things even the little strumpet you left behind wouldn’t even know,” she said. I watched as she flicked her tail showing her filly bits. She put her head down, holding her back legs straight and presenting her rump to him. I could see her forehoof moving up, stroking that part of her, and coxing a soft moan from her. “Take me John. Take me and this body. Let me free and I will be everything you ever wanted,” she cooed. He stood there. His entire body seemed stiff for a moment. “I’m sorry Pippy,” he whispered before he looked up, “Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus... hanc animam redintegra... lustratus! lustratus!” he shouted. The voice screamed before it exited her. What appeared looked so different. It was a beautiful mare. Her coat was jasmine, her eyes were solid purple, and there was a set of deer antlers on her head. She leaned against the invisible wall. “I would have made you so happy Johnny boy. I can do things that most men only dream of,” she said. “I’ve fucked a Succubus before, and trust me, none of you are anything special,” he said. “I’ll swallow your soul little stallion! I will make you regret rejecting me!” she screamed. “Return to the pits of hell from which you came,” he said. She burned, a fire spread across her, but she didn’t scream. Instead her eyes narrowed at John until she was gone. I watched as he rubbed out the barrier and Rainbow Dash stood up. She looked around and then she looked at him. She didn’t run, she didn’t hide, but instead she hugged him and cried. “I know luv, it’ll be okay,” he whispered. “What happened? Rarity? RARITY!” Thunderlane screamed as he ran to her. “I didn’t mean it! Oh Sweet Celestia I didn’t mean it!” he cried out as he held her. > Rearview Mirror, Mirror > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A Hellblazer and MLP crossover Chapter 6 Rearview Mirror, Mirror I blinked my eyes open through a dull pain. I’m not sure how long ago I had been with Twilight inside of Celestia’s Castle. I had felt something, odd. Not demonic, but off. It was similar to when I found that one bloke who was killing families in their homes. None of those souls had been able to rest, and they had followed him. It was similar to that, but it didn’t feel like the departed. It felt like someone was trying to reach into the aether for help. I followed the feeling and found a blocked off room. There were no runes, wards, or even guards around it. It was a non-descript room, and I knew enough about illusion magic to see that someone was hiding something. I pushed at it with the magic Twilight had been teaching me. It felt incredibly strong, powerful, and it was almost as if someone insanely powerful with this type of magic had created it. I felt for any kind of crack and found a small one. I pushed just hard enough to make the illusion fall away and saw the door looked scarred and burned. I pushed on it and looked inside to see another alicorn princess. She was tied with glowing shackles, and someone had slipped a bridle in her mouth and then tied her mouth shut. It was inhuman, horrific, and something that didn’t sit well with me. “Mr. Constantine, you were not to stray from the throne room,” a voice said. I started to turn around when my world went black. I looked around in the darkness and didn’t hear a word. So instead I began to think about earlier in the week. It had been after we had brought Rainbow Dash back to the castle. She was upset, and trying to explain what it was like to have a demon take up residence inside of you would be too difficult. I couldn’t bloody well tell them that for all rights and purposes her very soul had been raped. I could tell that Maniea knew. The way she tried to comfort Rainbow spoke volumes about the Endless. She was ancient. It was possible, and I believed, that she could be older than Celestia was, but she cared deeply for the cyan Pegasus. She was her friend, and if I had learned anything from Death and Destiny it was that friendship meant the world to the Endless. Destiny had nearly been on the receiving end of punishment by allowing a few mortals he considered friends to have the tools needed to change their destinies. It was something that had upset the balance of things, but in the end the fate of the world remained the same. A few small deviations had happened, but the world itself didn’t really change. The night pass, and the Pegasus had finally calmed down some. She had stayed with us, inside of the castle, near Twilight and myself. The entire time Twilight begged to be taught how to preform exorcisms. I wanted to talk her out of it. It was insanity to want to learn this. This had ruined Gemma. I didn’t want it to ruin her too. She had told me that if I didn’t talk then she would find something that git Star Swirl had written. Finally I gave in. I asked her to get a book by that git so that I could put it into terms she could relate to. She levitated a book off of the book shelf. “How do you bloody do that?” I asked. Twilight looked at me as she levitated a book over to where she was sitting. “How do I levitate a book?” she asked. I nodded and she looked like I had just asked the idiotic question of all time. “You can exorcise demons, force madness out of yourself into another object, and pull somepony’s soul into the aether, which brings all kinds of questions to modern magical theory, and it’s actually a very good case of supporting some truth to Necromancy. You can do all of that, but you can’t levitate a book?” she asked. “You can levitate books, call upon elements that make up the magic of your world, and you can’t exorcise a little demon. I can go without knowing how to levitate something,” I said crossing my forelegs. “Okay, Okay, I didn’t mean anything. So, you want to learn how to use unicorn magic?” she asked. “I bloody well do. I should learn it in case I want a smoke. It took me half an hour to get a silk cut. Half an hour. I should have been on my forth,” I said. She shook her head. “So, if I teach you unicorn magic you’ll teach me what you know?” she asked. I nodded. “Okay, let’s start with the basics. I want you to feel the energy inside of you. It’s going to be different from the normal energy around you. It’s centered, for the most part, and it should reflect you,” she said. I did like she asked. Zatanna had tried to show me something like this once. I had learned how to create projected barriers instead of relying on making the summoning circles. I felt the energy in me. Light and dark, good and evil, tainted by having sex with a succubus, and all of reflecting the soul I had. I focused on that energy and when I did I heard a gasp. “I’ve never seen an aura that color before,” Twilight said. I opened my eyes to see the room painted in a swirling crimson red and robin’s egg blue. When it dawned on me that the cause of this was from my horn the light that bathed the entire room disappeared. Twilight looked shocked for a moment before she smiled at me. “Oh, I’m going to teach you everything,” she said. The next few days was filled with practicing, watching over Rainbow Dash who was starting to act like her old self. I knew most of it was a front. Someone didn’t just recover from that kind of violation. It might not have happened physically, but what Triskelle had put her through wasn’t easy or pleasant. She had forced her soul into submission. The moment Dash had stopped speaking, stopped trying to move on her own, it was the moment that Triskelle had completely dominated her. She wasn’t broken, but she was hurt. It was hard to watch, to listen to because it was like hearing how it happened to Epiphany. When I had held her after exorcising Triskelle she had cried, and each tear was fueling my anger toward the ones that had let these bastards into this world. On top of that I could see a change in Twilight as well. She seemed… a bit more interested in me than just as a happening fancy. I chalked it up to what happened in the aether. What had happened there created a bond between our souls. It happened, fairly often, and those bonds eventually would break. They’d never disappear, but they would end up breaking. The end was always the same. I’d have to go somewhere those who bonded with me couldn’t follow. I wanted to say that my bond with my niece, my daughter, and my wife were still as strong as ever, but I knew better. In order to protect them, to save them, I had to break the bonds that held us together. I had to sacrifice being able to be with them to protect them, and that was a terrible feeling. If I ever managed to make it back to them I would work to rebuild those bonds, but Shade had done a masterful job of sending me far away. While I was sure that Maria could reach me through the aether I wasn’t sure if she would want to. She was a smart girl, and she had to know why I did what I did. I also had to wonder if I ever did go back would that end the protect I had sacrificed for. Would Shade decide that he no longer had to protect them since I was no long away from him or them. I hated it. Shade was doing a better job of tormenting me than Nergal or any of the fallen had ever done. On the fourth day of Twilight’s teaching I finally finished the lessons for that day, and found that besides barrier spells I seemed to be able to unlock complex physical and magical locks. Part of that I suppose came from years of having to pick locks and break into buildings back home. I yawned, ready for bed, and walked to my room. The bed was exactly like I had come to expect. It was made, before I ever made it to the bedroom, and again it was the picture of comfort. I used my new found magical abilities and levitated my coat off of my person. It was still ill fitting, but seeing that the resident tailor of Ponyville was currently trying to get over being beaten by her possessed husband I wasn’t going to complain. First world problems and the such. Pippy would have laughed at that. She would have pointed out, in that wonderful snarky voice of hers, that her world view was finally starting to rub off on me. I closed my eyes, and it was sometime later when I woke up. My door was open, and there was a figure standing the doorway. I sat up and tried to lightly illuminate the room. My horn glowed for a moment, casting the faint illumination spell and I saw a cyan blue Pegasus standing there. “Everything okay luv?” I asked. “What was she like?” she asked. “What was who like?” I asked. “Pippy, the mare’s name you called me. What was she like?” she asked. I laughed and patted the spot beside me. She moved, cautiously, and settled on a small part of the bed. “She’s a bit like you. She’s tough, because that’s how she was raised to be. Her father wanted someone strong to help him, and he drilled it into her that weakness shouldn’t exist. He also tried to make her use her abilities to help with his less than legal work. When I came along she had almost lost herself to the promises of a demon. I helped her find herself, and in several ways she helped me find out what I really wanted in life. That’s why protecting them was so hard,” I said. “How could it be hard?” she asked. “The only way to protect them from every being and person I had ever royally pissed off, was to agree to a deal. My part was to be sent very far away. So far away that I could never bother the one who sent me again. His part is to watch over my family for the rest of time,” I said. “Couldn’t you do it? I mean you’ve already saved Sc… er Ruby and me, and then you drove that one demon out, and you helped Pinkie sort of come back to herself. You’re like really powerful,” she said. “I’m really lucky, and I tend to be clever. That’s not being overly powerful. I knew that if my enemies ever came at once that they would overrun me, and they would kill everyone I ever cared for. It’s just their way. I couldn’t allow that, so I had to ask someone that they are all afraid of to help me. Someone that I had royally pissed off some time ago, but unlike them he was mortal at one time. He understands things a little better,” I said. “So he helped you, but you don’t ever get to see her again right?” she asked. “Yeah that’s…” I stopped as her lips connected with mine. She pushed me back on the bed, and her wings draped down over us. “Rainbow?” I asked. “Yeah, I know I shouldn’t be doing this. Twilight really likes you, but I feel safe around you. And you said that I remind of your special somepony. I know that I’m not her…” she started before I gently pushed her back. “No luv, you’re not, and you won’t ever be. There’s only one Epiphany Constantine, and only one Rainbow Dash. I’m sure the two of you could have been sisters in another world. Hell, who knows maybe you are sisters in another world, but there are several differences between the two of you. Besides, you don’t want to do this. You’re hurting, and you’re scared. I understand. What that bitch did to you is enough to make anyone afraid, and it’s enough to make you want to make a decision that you would never make if you weren’t so scared,” I said. She shivered and curled up near me. “I hate it. I know she didn’t… but it felt like she forced me down and rutted me. Like she didn’t care that I didn’t want to. I screamed at her, threatened her, but she just did it anyway. But you ended it, and it looked like you did it without any trouble,” she said. I shook my head. “Luv, I’ve got years of experience. The first time I tried to do that I lost four of my mates. All good lads, and all of them went through the exact same thing in the span of a few seconds. They ripped each other apart, or rather to someone who couldn’t see it looked that way. I saw. I saw the demon ripping them apart. I saw the things he forced them to do, and I had to watch it. If I wouldn’t have found her name, or discovered it, I would have lost you too. That’s why I’m going to help Twilight with another project. There is amulets that we can make, similar to hers, that will keep most of those things from getting inside of you. It won’t stop them from attacking you though,” I said. “John?” a different voice asked. I looked up to see Twilight. She looked at us both, and her face fell a little, or it started to before Rainbow Dash got up and walked to her. She touched her cheek. “We didn’t. I’m sorry Twi, I really am. I was just so scared, and he seemed so in control,” she said. Rainbow Dash looked at her. “That doesn’t mean that I’m giving up though, but I’m mare enough to share, if we ever come to that,” Rainbow Dash said. She left the room, and there was just the two of us. Twilight looked at the floor and shuffled her foot against it. “John, I’ve been thinking, for a while, about things. There is so much that I want to talk about, but what we did when you helped me. I’ve never felt like this about anypony before. I… want to you to be my special somepony,” she blurted it out. I was slowly starting to come to grips that this was a matriarchal society. Damn it Pippy. She would love to point out how things would be different, and here was one of her lessons staring me in the face. She had once said that in a matriarchal society it would be the woman who would start the dating process. I suppose she was right, and I had a princess, who was a physical embodiment of an element of harmony, and another element of harmony who wanted to do that for two different reasons. I started to say something, but I was hushed by Twilight trotting toward me. She crawled onto the bed, moved up next to me, and began to pull me against herself. “Please John, please be my special somepony. I’ve been watching how you interact with Rainbow Dash, and it’s been driving me crazy. I’ve had crushes before, but I’ve never felt like this. You touched me, deep inside like I’ve never been touched before,” she said. The memory her touch, of our second kiss, of her staying in there with me, sleeping beside me, all of it disappeared when I felt the first strike of something against my face. My teeth and jaw ached. I never thought I'd bloody miss a punch to the face, but right now, at this moment, I'd trade nearly anything to be hit by a fist instead of a hoof. I felt my body fall over again, and magic forced me to be righted. I coughed and spat the blood that was pooling in my mouth. I was hurt, and I had no idea of what was going on with Twilight. I looked at my attacker. He smirked at me before he sat on his haunches. "I don't know who you pissed off fella," he said before he floated a cigar over to himself and lit it off of his horn. "But you've managed to piss them off enough to bring a changeling in on this deal, or at least I figure it was a changeling. Sure looked like you. It looked a little insane, but nearly the same. The scar was on the wrong side though," he said. "What?! No! Fuck no!" I shouted as I struggled. "I beat on you for an hour, but telling you that there's a changeling taking your place makes you lose your cool. What is it huh? Afraid that the changeling is going to do something to a mare you care for?" he asked. I slumped forward. "You have no idea what you've let into this world mate. You have no bloody idea. Twilight... I'm sorry," I said. “Mr. Flare, might I speak with you?” a voice asked. “Sure, sure,” he said. I watched as he went to the door and a moment later he flew past me and landed in a heap. I looked up to see the one that had attacked me in the first place. Her eyes were glowing red, and her mouth draw into a sadistic smile. There was someone, or rather somepony else, beside her. She dropped the lavender princess who was unconscious, and thankfully so, beside her. “I must admit that you’ve been quite a thorn in my side John,” she said before he voice changed. It was Celestia’s body, but I had already guessed that she wasn’t home. This wasn’t a simple lower level demon either. This was someone who had an understanding of how hierarchy worked. They had been parading around her for a while I would guess. “I suppose I’m supposed to be flattered that you know me,” I said. “Hardly John, oh don’t get me wrong. My subjects have been talking about you, but I’ve been a creature of the aether for a long time. I’m not a normal demon like them. I’m not even a member of the fallen. I wasn’t created to serve originally. No, John I was made to be a destroyer. The ponies in ancient times called me The Terror. It’s such a cute name for an ageless being. The humans called me a thousand names. Beelzebub, The ancient one, the Nameless, the empty, The Dark Man, He who Walks behind the Rows, and a thousand others are names I have been called through the ages. My true name and title are something I’m sure has been long forgotten,” it said. “What have you done to Twilight?” I asked. “Nothing yet. Your amulet has protected her. It won’t let me in, but I’m going to do things to her. I’m going to use your darker side, the very side I took some of your blood to use to find in the aether, and I’m going to give him all of your memories. He’s going to accept that he’s with her, and he’s going to get her to the point of bliss. She’s going to do whatever he says, and that is when I will take over. I’ll seduce her, have her, and make her remove that amulet. When I do another of my subjects will take her. We’ll infect all of the royalty, and then we’ll infect the world. The entire populous will become our food. Everything that walks will become a breeding ground for us. And I have Celestia’s curiosity to thank for it. All of the work done by that fool Star Swirl will be undone,” she said. I looked around. Without knowing its true name there wasn’t a chance to exorcise it, but maybe I didn’t have to. It was a bloody long shot, but it was better than whatever it had planned. “I’m guessing that I’m not the first one you had brought here and beaten. The thing is I don’t think that you’re a killer. No, you like to watch, but you’re a little girl about it. You want to keep them alive, and it’s because you don’t want to kill any of them off,” I said. She walked forward and slammed a hoof into my chest. The bloke that had hit me before had hurt. It had knocked teeth loose, bruised my jaw, and made me miss a normal punch. Her hit broke ribs. I gasped for air as she leaned down to me. “Dainty Pillows, honey pot, Carmel, Cinnamon Sweet, Fevered Speech, Noble Heart, Fleur De Lis, and now John Constantine,” she said. “Thanks for that mate,” I said. “What? What are you going on…” she said as she lifted into the air. I watched as the spirits of the dead gathered around her. Ripping and pulling the being inside of her away from the soul of Celestia. For several minutes these souls, the ones who had true power in this realm, overpowered a being that had manipulated one of the rulers here for its own purposes. They kept on until I saw it. I had to shut my eyes to keep from going insane. What little I could see almost sent me into babbling like a mad man. I had only came close to seeing a monster straight from Lovecraft once, and this was easily chalked up as a second time. It was a being so horrific that simply seeing it could cause insanity. Moments later the sounds of its screams died down, and I looked around. Celestia lay breathing, weeping, and pulling herself up into a ball. Twilight however began to wake up. She looked at me, then at Princess Celestia, and then back at me. She nuzzled against Celestia who looked at her and slowly stood. The once proud Matriarch moved toward me, her horn glowed for a moment and my bonds fell. She then looked at the floor. “My little ponies, Twilight, I’m so very sorry. I had no idea what was behind that door. I didn’t know,” she said. I moved and fell forward. I felt the pain of my ribs, and when I coughed there was blood. Bloody perfect, a couple of weeks of hospitals and answering stupid questions about what had happened. “John!” Twilight shouted as she neared me. “I’m fine luv, just a new couple of aches. That thing isn’t gone though. At best it has left to lick its wounds, and I doubt that it will fall for that trick again,” I said. “It tried to possess Luna, but… she knew how to drive it out. For once I am truly grateful for Nightmare Moon,” Celestia said. “John, what do we do?” Twilight asked. “Luv, we need to make those amulets, and then we need to find every scrap of paper Star Swirl ever wrote,” I said. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx Celestia’s POV I have never felt so ashamed of myself. The things I have done because of that monster that was inside of me. I… Faust forgive me, but I’ve violated so many of my little ponies. I even bewitched Shining Armor… “Cadence will never forgive me when I tell her. I must tell her. I must inform her of what I’ve done,” I thought. It wasn’t me, I know it wasn’t me, but the things that beast made me do are things I’ve secretly thought about. I’ve looked at Shining Armor and longed to feel his body dominated by my own. I’ve had so many darker impulses that were simply brought to reality through that beast. It made me harm Luna. I did things to her, horrific things that I am unworthy of being forgiven for. And then Twilight… My dear Twilight… How thankful I am for your strange friend. He managed to stop me from invading your mind and implanting images of us together. But your friend, there is another like him, and he is loose in Equestria. I cannot atone for what I’ve done, but I can try. I can try, and one of the first things I will do is right this wrong, and find his darker half. It is the least I can do for him. I listened to him as he tried to convince her that he was fine. I could tell he wasn’t. I hadn’t killed him with the strike, but I broke ribs, and possibly worse. “Princess?” a voice calls from above. A royal subject has followed us, and perhaps it’s one that I must apologize to. I turned around to see a body that wasn’t completely there. The light flooded through her, and I recognized Honey Pot. “I’m so sorry,” I said. “No, I’m free now, we all are. We knew it wasn’t you Princess. You’ve never wanted to hurt any of us,” she said. “Forgive me, please,” I pleaded. “There is nothing to forgive. We drove the thing away that did this to us, that was harming you, and we’re free. I just wanted to tell you that it has always been an honor to serve you,” she said. I watched her and the others. They disappeared, but even if they had forgiven me I couldn’t forgive myself. I am the princess of the sun. I am meant to be stronger than this, and that thing… It turned me into a simple whorse. It made a perverse part of me enjoy what it had done. I barely heard Twilight and her friend talk about amulets that would keep these things from infecting my little ponies. My ears perked up at that. “These amulets will not allow this to happen to another pony?” I asked. He nodded. “And you need Star Swirl’s writings?” I asked. Twilight and he both nodded. “Twilight, I will open Star Swirl’s tower to you. You may take as much time as you need. Mr…” I said “Constantine. Bloody well figures that I was speaking to that thing the first time we met. It didn’t want you to something, so it blocked it out,” he said. I didn’t like his tone, but then again, perhaps he was simply in pain. “Mr. Constantine, I must ask that you help my guard and the princess of the Crystal Empire learn how to make these. That beast… It said that everything that walks shall fall before it. Did it mean it?” I asked. “It bloody well did. Everything that can think will become its food,” he replied. “I must attempt another peace meeting with Queen Chrysalis, and I shall need to include Emperor Ironclaw as well,” I said. “Princess?” Twilight asked. “Twilight, we cannot allow these beings to feed from anyone. Chrysalis and her changelings may not be our friends, or even our allies, but we cannot allow them to be left defenseless,” I replied. > The Sandmare Cometh > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A Hellblazer and MLP crossover Chapter 7 The Sandmare Cometh Luna’s POV There were times before when I wondered if I would have been more forgiving than Celestia was. If our roles would have been reversed and she would have been claimed by that dream demon instead of it being me. I often told myself that I would have done the same as she. That I would have banished her to the moon until the day came that I could safely free her. I do not wonder these things anymore. I know now that I am more forgiving. Even though the foul spirit that took her was worse than Nightmare Moon I couldn’t bear the thought of banishing my only sister. I couldn’t subject her to that loneliness, and because of that I share in her guilt. It is partly due to my inability to act that several of our subjects have left this plane of existence. It’s funny that Tia believes I am unable to handle the thought of knowing about the afterlife. She doesn’t realize that I’ve guided more than my fair share of ponies to their just rewards in their dreams. Many of the Elderly have died, in their sleep, and thus I led them to the very gates of the underworld to be judged. Most, I am happy to say, were accepted into paradise. Still, at the moment I am enjoying the ointment Twilight Sparkle’s Zebra friend has made for my wounds. ‘Tia hasn’t been able to look me in the eyes ever since she returned and released me. She did beg for my forgiveness, and while a part of me wanted to make her plead longer, I could not. She is my sister, and I love her. Being bound, and beaten by that beast has not changed what I feel for my sister. Well, actually it has made me feel a bit superior. I could withstand it’s assault. Celestia ended up folding over like a teenage filly on her first outing during her estrus. I had never considered Celestia to be so weak willed, but then again she had never faced a demon in her mind before. She didn’t know the tricks it would use. The way it would speak so softly, so gently, until she opened the door. When that happened it would rush in, pin her against the metaphorical bed, and rut her mind until she was completely docile. Even now I can see the lingering effects of its presence in her. The way her eyes linger too long on the guards, and the pause she has when addressing the servants. It will be a long recovery for her. It has been for me. For a while after my return I still felt the desire to spread my night. To force others to enjoy it, but I fought against those desires. They were sewn into my very soul by Nightmare Moon, and I do not want to be like her. Do I want the ponies to love my night? Yes. Do I want to make everything suffer in order to do it? No. Still, tonight is different. I’ve heard talk, from ‘Tia, and even from Discord about the strange pony that helped save her. I’ve heard much about him, and since this is the first time I shall have dreamwalked since that beast took over ‘Tia’s mind I have no greater desire than to thank him, and perhaps converse with him for a while. I close my eyes, stretch my feelings out, and touch the aether. It shimmers, like the water of a lake in the moonlight. Softly I step into it, and for once it feels crowded. There is more alive in the aether than there had been before. A presence that had been sleeping for such a long time has awakened. I must speak to this new pony, to this John Constantine, but first I must pay a visit to an old friend. I walk toward the first portal. It practically glows a bright neon pink, something I’ve become accustom to when dealing with the most recent incarnation of my dear friend. I touch the entry way into the dream and step in to see four ponies sitting together, baking cupcakes, and enjoying each other’s company. I Watch as Surprise, one of the few non lunar pegasi who enjoyed my night bounced from pony to pony. She smiles her happy smile, hugging them all, and then there is Twinkle. She floats a bit of frosting off of her cupcake and shoots it off toward Pinkie’s mouth. The pink party pony swallows it and rubs her belly. It was then that they all turn toward me. Maniea stands from the table, walks, uneasily, toward me and hugs my neck tightly. “My niece, it is so good to see you,” she says in a slow and pain filled voice. “Please, auntie, do not harm yourself for my sake. I have simply wanted to see you. I’m surprised to find you awake,” I reply. “Oh, that’s because of me. I was being a super snoopy snoopypants, and I found a cupcake in Twilight’s basement. It loooookkkkkkeddddd soooooo goooooooddddd. I couldn’t help but have a bite. When I did… It really hurt me. I felt like I was being torn into a billion pieces, but Maniea came out and saved me,” Pinkie says. “She has saved all of us at one time or another,” Twinkle replies. “Yeah, like when those gryphons decided that they wanted have just one more pony before the treaties were signed. She came out and saved my cute little flank!” Surprise exclaims. “Oh! Does this mean that we’re all sisters?! Because you know what that means?! Super Best Friends Rock Candy Necklaces!” Pinkie shouts. I smile at Pinkie Pie’s energy. Of the three present she is the closest to Maniea’s own personality. Secretly, I believe that she is Maniea’s daughter. It wouldn’t be too surprising to find out that my dear friend had given birth to her soul, but then there are some things even those of us who walk the aether can never know. “Dream is dream. Dream is brother, dream is father, dream is everlasting, and dream never lasts long enough. Dream visits, Dream disappears, but Dream loves,” Maniea says. “I know, I know that father loves me, and I know he loves you too auntie. I don’t see him often, but then I know I won’t. He can’t be near me for too long otherwise the others will believe that he is bestowing some great favor upon me,” I say. The words are a bit more bitter than I hopped they would be. It isn’t as if I don’t understand my father’s position. He is dreams. I dreamwalk, but father, Dream, he is the dreams of every pony. He is their hopes, their aspirations, their fears, and their courage. To know that he fell in love with mother, and through Celestia’s father gave me to my mother… I’ve never had the heart to tell my dear sister that in some ways we are merely half-sisters. “The mage is near, he is strong, and he is weak. He rises, and he falls, then he rises only to see others fall,” Maniea says. “Yes, and I must speak with him. I wish to thank him for freeing Celestia,” I say. “She is clueless,” Maniea says. I see the pain in her expression and realize that she was being sane. “She is, but I still love her very much,” I say. “Princess Luna, do you mind to look in on Dashie? She was really upset the last time I saw her,” Pinkie Pie says as she hugs me. Soon, I am covered in Pie mares. Their hugs feel as if three of the Endless are hugging me instead of it only being one. I return the hug to them, as tightly as I can, but I know that to a full Endless my hugs are still that of a foal’s. They back away and Maniea gives me a gentle hug once more. She smiles at me, and I back through the portal back into the aether. I walk further down looking in on the dreams of my subjects. Already I’ve split a small portion of myself into shadow versions of myself. Rarely there’s a need to interfere in a dream directly. I only do when a nightmare is becoming too frightening for the pony. Soon however I find myself before a new portal. It’s quite different from the others that surround me. The portal itself is a mixture of auras. Red and blue, but it feels as if the pony inside is mostly a good sort. I step into the portal and find myself looking far different than I was. No longer was I in my true form, but instead I resemble something closer to a shaven ape. The room around me is filled with life, but that life seems tired, and surly. I see them dressed in clothes, and deciding that I should do the same I envision a dress that was created for me some time ago. It fits itself to my new body, and I see a blond headed man sitting on a stool. “Patrick! Patrick you damned Mick I need another!” he shouts. “John, you’ve hit your limit,” a red headed man, who is dressed rather shabbily, says. “I’ll tell you when I’ve had enough! Give me another. I want to forget for a while,” he says. “John Constantine?” I ask. He turns around and looks at me. He stumbles from the stool, and the room melts away. His form changes and so does mine. No longer are either of in the form of shaven apes, but we’re both ponies. He nears me and shakes his head. “You wouldn’t be the first to come to me in my dreams, but I hope that if you’re here for a bit of the old shag that you’re ready to be disappointed. Not feeling up to it luv. I’ve got too much on my mind,” he says. I follow him as he walks and the scenery changes to that of Twilight Sparkle’s castle. I see Twilight lying on his bed, near him, and on the other side is the element of loyalty. He, on the other hoof, looks as if he’s in great pain. “That’s what it looked like when I drifted off to sleep. Both of them don’t want to leave me be,” he says. “They care deeply for you,” I say. “I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier. I’ve never been one to get hung on things. Life changes all of the time. The Stranger once told me some of my possible futures, although he left this one out, and in most of them I end up outliving all of my friends. Still, I can’t forget about Pippy,” he says. I look at him and see the anguish he’s in. It’s not just his physical body, but his very spirit is tormented. I near him and touch his cheek with my fetlock. “There is a chance for you to have a new life here. You’ve endeared yourself to several ponies already, and I know that my sister thinks very highly of you,” I reply. “I’m sure she does. Thing is luv, I know that a demon only takes what it is someone wants and perverts it. I saw you locked in the castle, and I know it was Celestia that had done all of those things to you. It means that somewhere inside of her she desired to the kind of power and control that thing gave her,” he says. I can’t help but raise my eyebrow. I knew, from what I heard, that he knew about these beings, but it seemed that he knows a great deal more than most other ponies. I know how the demons work, but that is through personal experience. “What you say is true, but I also know my sister. Celestia would never allow herself to do those things, or become like that. She cares far too much for our subjects, and she wishes to rebuild the sisterly bond between us,” I say. He looks at me before he turns away and looks at the bed again. “What am I supposed to do? I’m married, but I’ve already broken my vow. I’m not dead, not yet, but I can’t be with her. I bloody well can’t! I know Shade, and I know his mind. If I go back there’s every chance he’ll remove the protection he agreed to. I won’t be able to protect them on my own,” he says. “I’ve sensed this Shade’s presence before. He is unbalanced, but not without honor. If he made a deal with you he will hold to it, but as you said the moment you return he may see it as the end of the agreement. Perhaps what you need is to evaluate your life as it is now. You have a chance to begin again. Mourn those you have lost, but understand that every life must continue. Fate has saw fit to bring you here, and I see great things in store for you John Constantine,” I reply. “I have no doubt there are things that will happen luv, but greatness isn’t one of them. I’ve always survived, and I’ve done so more by luck and being clever than I have by any great source of power,” he says. “I’ve heard the same argument before. A pony that believed he wasn’t destined for great things, and yet he ended being known as one of the greatest mages in all of Equestria. It is through his discoveries and innovations that we have many of the spells that most of the population use even today,” I reply. He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “That Star Swirled git eh? It seems to me that most of what he discovered was done by luck more than anything,” he says. I laugh and nod. “Perhaps it was, and perhaps it was because his assistant was somepony who made checklists and kept up with his discoveries. It would seem that there is one interested in you who does the same,” I say. I point my hoof toward Twilight Sparkle who snuggles closer to his wounded body. “Pippy would worry about me, keep me close, and try to make sure that I was fine, but she wasn’t one to crowd me when I was hurt,” he says. I laugh and look at them again. “Twilight has new insticts inside of her that she’s dealing with. One of them is from the Pegasi, and they guard those they consider members of their flock. You’ve been accepted into as a flock member by both of them, and right now you’re wounded, so they are going to watch over you,” I state. “How do I do it?” he asks. I smile and gently pull him against me with my wing. “You take it slowly. You’ve lost your entire family. They are not dead, but in order for them to stay safe they must be dead to you. Mourn them, mourn your loss, but do not ignore those around you. Allow yourself to see what life has to offer you, and know that even now there is the chance to live a life you can be proud of,” I answer. “What’s going to happen? I can’t ask the stranger, and I don’t want to seek out Destiny here. I could ask Maniea, but her answers are...” he says before I stop him. “My aunt’s answers are often cryptic, in a sense, and for her to be straightforward takes an amazing amount of will on her part. I can’t give you all of the information you wish to know. Because of who and what I am I can see things most ponies, even other alicorns, will never see, but the future is always changing, always murky. I do see great things in store for you, but how you get there, and who you get there with is up to you,” I say before I smile and gently nudge him, “Although at one time herding was very common place. I am certain that it would not take much for either of them to agree to do so.” His eyes widen at my suggestion. It is always so much fun to mess with stallions. Even one as strange as him has most of the same buttons I can press. He turns away and huffs out. “I don’t bloody think so. The last thing I want is to have two wives to watch over. I had trouble enough with one,” he says. “It’s a different world John. Things here are different, and social norms aren’t the same as your world. What would have been looked down upon where you come from is far more accepted here. Besides, isn’t the dream of every stallion to have two mares who are so in love with him that they would willingly give of themselves?” I ask. “I’ve known blokes like that, and it never ended well,” he replies. “Then perhaps you could learn from their mistakes; however, my night is ending, and I fear that I must leave you. Think of what I have said John Constantine. Consider the kind of life you could have here, and know that you have the thanks, and support, of three princesses. There is a fourth, but I fear she will be rather distant. Some of the actions my sister performed while under the control of that dark being will cause some grief between all of us I fear,” I say. “If you want me to explain things to her I will, but I can’t promise that she’ll listen. Most don’t want their view of their world destroyed by knowing that there are all kinds of little beasties that truly exist when they are normally supposed to just be the boogieman from stories,” he replies. “I know, and perhaps we shall call on you to explain. Cadence is intelligent enough to know that these things are not the boogiepony,” I say. I step back and watch as the dream begins to come apart. I watch as he disappears and know that my time is short. I make my way back out of the aether, and I feel far more hopeful than I have a good long while. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx Rainbow Dash’s POV Wow that was a strange dream. Everything started out like a nightmare, and then Princess Luna showed up. I watched as she cleared away my nightmare, smiled at me, and then she seemed distracted and her mouth moved like she was talking to someone else. After that she disappeared and the dream got better. I open my eyes and yawn to see John looking up at the ceiling. His blue eyes seem to be studying the crystal ceiling intently. “Something wrong?” I ask. “I’m just not used to having someone staying so close to me,” he replies. I notice the way Twilight has her wing draped over him. It’s similar to the way I have mine on him as well. I grin and move a little closer. There’s a gasp of pain and I suddenly back off. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “It’s fine luv, my ribs just ache,” he says. He’s a strong stallion. I mean he took a beating from another pony, and then withstood a direct kick to his barrel from Princess Celestia. I gently kiss the side of his muzzle. “I’m not giving up,” I say. “I know, I had a bloodly long talk with one of the princesses in my sleep,” he replies. I grin as I realize that Princess Luna had been distracted. She had been speaking to him, and obviously it was enough to keep her mind occupied. “Morning,” Twilight says. I grin at my friend who notices that we’re all three in the same bed. “So, how do you think we should explain our sleeping arrangements to Spike?” I ask. Her eyes widen and I can’t help but giggle at the dose of panic I’ve stirred up in her. Her eyes dart toward the door and then back to John. I know she feels what I feel. John’s hurt, and he needs protecting. It’s as hard for a Pegasus to stop protecting as it is for anything to stop breathing. “He’ll be fine, I’m here,” I say. She starts to get up, but stops short. I watch as she leans forward and kisses his muzzle. “I’ll be back,” she says. I watch as she leaves and then I feel him shift, gasp in pain, and shift again. “If you keep moving it’s going to keep hurting,” I say. “If I don’t move I won’t heal,” he states. He tries to get up, and quickly realizes that it’s a bad idea. The doctors said that giving him a healing potion, or trying to use mending magic on him right now would be dangerous. His body needs to naturally start healing on its own before they help speed it up. So, for the next couple of weeks, he’s going to be very limited on what he can do. “What did Princess Luna talk to you about?” I ask. “She told me what my place is, and what I’m supposed to do here,” he answers. “So, what are you supposed to do?” I ask. “I haven’t a bloody clue,” he says. > Soft Spoken - Mini Chapter > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A Hellblazer and MLP crossover Chapter 8 Soft Spoken ‘Mini Chapter’ Twilight’s POV We’ve barely been home two days and already I’ve been asked more questions about John than I really feel comfortable talking about. Everypony has heard that he helped saved Princess Celestia, but the guard has been tight lipped about what he saved her from. I don’t really want to talk about how she fell victim to a being similar to Nightmare Moon. If it hadn’t been for the amulet, and John teaching me how to perform the magic dealing with exorcisms and creating these amulets I think that I would have been the next victim. One of the questions I wasn’t really ready for was from Spike. I expected him to ask me about Rarity, even though she let him down easy I know she’s still a good friend to him. I didn’t expect his question to be why I wasn’t in my bed this morning. I really should have considered that it would be a question he would ask though. I just wasn’t sure how I wanted to answer it. In truth I’m still not sure how I want to answer it. “So, did he really save Princess Celestia?” Spike asks. “He did Spike,” I reply. “Twilight, are you in love with him?” he asks. I drop the quill I’m using to try and write an official response to the growing questions about John. Again this isn’t a question that I’m sure I want to answer. Do I love John? I feel a connection to him that I can’t explain. I felt so jealous of Rainbow Dash when she kissed him the other day, but now things seem to be fine between the three of us. I’m not really even sure how we got to where we are. I always figured that I would be a more progressive mare than this. I’m just not sure how I feel about sharing a stallion, and especially one that touched something inside of me that no one else has. “Twilight, hello?” Spike asks as he waves his hand in front of me. “I’m sorry Spike. I just sort of spaced out there for a moment,” I say. “So, do you love him or something?” Spike asks. I let out a sigh. I might as well answer it. Spike is part of my family. My little brother and child all rolled into one. For some reason thinking of him like that feels kind of weird. It’s easier to think of him as my little brother. “I don’t know. I mean, I’ve never been in love before Spike. I mean I had a crush on Flash Sentry before, but it didn’t feel like this,” I answer. “You want to be near him, and you pay attention to when he talks right?” Spike asks. I nod. He rolls his eyes and laughs. A little puff of smoke escapes his mouth as he shakes his head. “Twilight, you’re one of the smartest ponies in all of Equestria, but you are so clueless,” he chuckles. “Just what is that supposed to mean?” I ask. “Nothing, except that you aren’t able to tell that you’re in deep,” he says. “I don’t think that he feels the same way,” I muse. “What? Why not?” Spike asks. “I don’t know everything, but apparently in order to protect his family he had to agree to leave them. He had to cut all ties so that a being, like Discord, would agree to watch over them and protect them. I don’t think that he can go back home. I don’t even begin to know how hard that would be. I mean, I was able to see Shining Armor, Cadence, Mom, and Dad whenever I want to, but he can’t see his family again,” I reply. “Wow… It sounds to me like he needs a really caring friend to help him out,” Spike says before he puts a cup of juice down for me. I watch him walk off, and I wonder exactly when it was that Spike started getting so smart. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx John’s POV This isn’t the first time I’ve been put to bed rest, but the last time it happened I was being asked questions about my bloody childhood, and forced to endure shock treatment. I look over at girl, or mare rather, beside me. She’s sleeping peacefully, but her wing is still extended over me. It doesn’t matter because I need to get up. I need to stretch, and I also need to see just badly I’m hurt. When Twilight lifted me I remember blacking out. I move and feel a sharp pain rip through my chest. It feels like the bone has been set, but it’s not started mending. It also feels like it’s more than one rib. “Small steps John, remember take small steps. You can do this. For fuck’s sake you handled a fist fight with a vampire before mate, you can manage to get out of a bed,” I think to myself. I roll over, and my vision swims. It feels like I’m going pass out, and instantly I wonder just how in the fuck I handled this when I was a younger man. I feel the wing around me tighten slightly. I look over at the mare beside me and she gives me a questioning look. “What do you think you’re trying to do?” she asks. “I’ve been hurt worse before luv,” I say. “It took you thirty minutes to get to your knees. John, lie back down,” she says.’ “I’m not about to…” I stop mid-sentence as she kisses me. It’s not forceful like it was before. She’s not trying to force her way into Pippy’s place. Instead, she’s being very gentle. I breathe out, and I also curse a part of me that enjoyed the kiss. I move to my side, grunting in pain, and then roll onto my back. She covers me with a wing again. “You know, if you keep saving ponies and everything you’re going keep somepony as awesome as me sticking around,” she says. “You don’t have to do that,” I say. She looks at me. The bravado begins to lessen, and then she nuzzles against my neck. “I know, but it helps me. If I think like that then I don’t have to remember what happened at Rarity’s,” she says. I pull her into a hug, and while it hurts I can tell it’s doing her a world of good. “Luv, you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for,” I say. We lean back and I hear the door open. I see Twilight walk into the room, and she floats a picture down toward me. I look at it and then back at her. The picture isn’t good quality, but it looks like it’s a picture of me while she and Celestia had the guard take me back the castle. “John, all of Ponyville wants to meet with you. Every one of them wants to meet the unicorn who saved Celestia, and they all want to know what you saved her from,” she says. “Oh bollocks,” I mutter. > Blue Sunny Day > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A Hellblazer and MLP crossover Chapter 9 Blue Sunny Day Rarity’s POV I’m not sure I should forgive Thunderlane. I understand what Twilight has told me how he was enthralled by whatever this being was, but I can’t help thinking that perhaps the desire to be like that was already inside of him. It could be that whatever it was that enthralled him simply gave him an excuse to act like such a ruffian. It only makes it worse that I’m so torn about the decision. I want to love him, and forgive him, but I don’t want to simply give in and allow him back into my life just to have him turn and attack me again. I wish that it was just the physical attack, but the things he said as he hit me. How the only thing I was good for was… I had never been so hurt before in my life. Hearing the love of my life tell me that I was only good for satisfying his physical desires hurt worse than when he beat on me. “How’s our patient doing today?” the doctor asked as he walks in the room. I looked up at him and grimaced as he touched my muzzle. He floated a pad and quill near and wrote a few notes. “It appears that you are healing quite well. Nurse Redheart has told me that you’ve shown signs of accepting the healing magic and potions. I believe we can send you home tomorrow,” he said as he turned. “Are you quite sure?” I asked. “Physically you’re past the point of needing a prolonged stay in the hospital. Princess Twilight explained that she believed it would be beneficial for you to stay an extra day or two, and we took that into consideration. Still, with how well you’ve been responding it seems that it would be best to allow you to leave and resume your life. I’m sure that you have several places you would rather be than this hospital,” he said. I lay back and looked up at the ceiling. I wasn’t sure if there was somewhere else I wanted to be. My career was waiting on me, but the idea of going back home wasn’t sitting well with me. Back there was the place where I saw and heard all of those terrible things. I breathed out a sigh. The entire bed shook violently. I thought it was just the bed, but as I looked around the entire room was shaking. I heard a scream and got out of bed. Everything felt sore, but regardless I ran to the door and pulled it open. A large black crystal had shot up through the floor, and more was doing the same. I stepped back and ran to the window. I looked out the window to see something similar happening, and all of it was coming from Twilight’s castle. “What’s happening?” I wondered. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx Twilight’s POV The darkness of the room threatened to choke out the light coming from my horn. I swallowed down the fear that was threatening to bubble up. "Come on Twilight, you can do this. John told you how this works, you've made the amulet, and you know that you can handle this," I thought as I stepped forward into the darkness. The door slammed shut and the darkness changed. It no longer was simply a lifeless void, but I felt it around me. The feeling began to get heavier, and it felt as if someone was filling the room with some thick sludge. I wanted to turn around and escape. I needed to, but I couldn't. Whatever this thing was it had hurt two ponies I care for, and I couldn't let it escape. "Whatever you are I am here to stop you," I said. "A princess, the fates have sent us a princess to feast on my brothers," a raspy voice said. "Yes, she is a juicy one. Should we get to know her flesh before we consume her?" a softer raspy voice asked. "It's been a while since I rutted a suitable mare. A princess would be an interesting addition to my collection," a deeper raspy voice said. "I'm not afraid of you," I said. The darkness began to gather into one spot, and I watched as it formed a being. It had two hind legs, but it stood awkwardly. Instead of two front legs it had six, three heads looked at me, and all of them smiling with long white fangs shining. The middle head laughed. "That will change princess. Trust us, that will change," it said. I forced the light from my horn to become brighter, and the creature backed away. It growled viciously at me. John had said knowing its name would give power over them, but I didn’t know its name. Right now, John and Rainbow was both suffering. This thing had attacked them. It growled just outside of the light I was producing. “These beasties don’t like purity Twilight. That’s why most of them can’t stand to be around symbols of purity,” John had said. I grinned and increased the light of my horn. It spread through the room and hit the creature. It let out a pain filled howl. Light, all light, was one of the greatest symbols of purity in Equestria. Light banished the Darkness, gave protection, helped things grow, and banished fears. I put more of my magic into the light and watched as the creature screamed in pain and fury. It rushed toward me, past me, and slammed into the door it had locked. “LET US OUT!” all three heads screamed. “Undo what you have done,” I said. It turned toward me. The three heads grimacing in pain, and then all three of them sneered at me. “Do it. Destroy us, and they shall die with us,” all three voices said. I shook my head at the thought. I couldn’t let them die, but then what guarantee did I have that this thing wasn’t lying. I closed my eyes. “I’m sorry,” I said. I focused my magic, putting everything I had into the light, making it brighter, and the screams of the creature echoed through the room. I fell to my haunches, and I opened my eyes to see a rainbow colored orb, and a crimson red and soft blue stripped orb floating in place. The two of them shot off out of the room. I leaned back, and breathed out a sigh of relief. I had chased this thing down for the last twenty four hours. Somehow it had arrived in the form of a puppy, and from there… I thought about what had happened. It started when I asked John what he had wanted to do about the questions the ponies were asking concerning how he saved Princess Celestia. “Luv, I don’t know what to tell them. I suppose we could tell them the truth,” he said. “John, I don’t think that the public is ready to hear about these dark forces. I had to explain that thing that had taken over Thunderlane as a sort of energy based parasite. Most of the ponies think that these things are like Changelings, and for right they are able to deal with it because at least that they understand. If I tell them that these are actually spiritual beings that have come from the netherworld I don’t know how they will react,” I replied. “I could tell them that she suffered from a problem that many have faced in the past, a barrier that prevented her from living life in the most satisfying way. It was hard, but my great experience and skill allowed me to push through to the end, the climax of which left her quite satisfied. The details of the particular ritual that was involved however, should not be told in the presence of foals,” he said. “What?” I asked. Rainbow Dash looked at him, giggled, and then began to gwaff loudly. I looked at her like she had went insane until I realized what he meant. I couldn’t help but face hoofing. “You expect me to tell everypony that you did… that to Princess Celestia?!” I shouted. He shook his head and laughed. “No luv, but I don’t expect you to focus on it either. If these ponies are anything like the people back home they’ll be happy with some answer they understand. Anything that will let them move back on with their lives,” he said. I sighed, and nodded. He was right, but I didn’t like what his suggestion originally was. There was knock and Spike walked into the room with a dark red box. It had a black bow tied around, it and it seemed to shift back and forth. “This was left for us out front. I think it’s a present from somepony who’s glad that we saved princess Celestia,” he said. There was a yip inside, and Spike opened it to reveal a small black puppy. “Awww, what a cute little fella,” he said. The puppy got out stretched, walked over toward Rainbow Dash and John. “So, you think that I should just make something up?” I asked. “Twilight, anything you tell them will be accepted. Tell them that it was another one of those energy parasite things,” Rainbow Dash said. I nodded and walked out. Spike followed me and then looked at the time. “Twilight, do you mind if I head out for a while?” he asked. I nodded, and watched as he walked out. A moment later there was a scream, and I ran back to the room to find both John and Rainbow barely breathing. The puppy was gone, but I could sense something. I pulled off my amulet that John had made, and I had added to since, and looked around to see the thick dark energy in the air. It led me all over the castle, keeping one step ahead of me until it found the heart of the castle itself. Once there it touched the crystal and turned it black. I could hear screaming outside, and I knew whatever it was doing it had to be stopped. I wandered back up stairs and I found John and Rainbow looking around trying to figure out what had happened. “A demon dog,” John said. “What?” Rainbow asked. “It was a demon dog. I never thought I’d see one. I heard about them, nasty creatures made from black magic. They’re not real demons. Instead they’re formed from something’s will. Something powerful that’s trying to gauge how powerful their enemy is,” he said. “I stopped it,” I said. “What did it do?” Rainbow asked. He shook his head. “I don’t know,” he replied. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Unknown hidden figure’s POV) “Johnny boy, Johnny boy, that girl’s a right prize isn’t she killer? She figured out how to deal with that bit of black magic. The light that came off of her wasn’t as pure as I thought it might be though. Already shagged her eh? Or did you just shag her soul?” I said as I stepped over the dead Pegasus guard that had found me. I looked at the poor girl and shook my head. “I have to say it’s odd being a talking horse Johnny boy, but then anything is better than being trapped in the aether. Trapped and stuck between being alive and dead. You used me killer. You used me to trick Nergal, and I’m going to return the favor. That girl, she’s obviously your new apprentice. That’s good. Train her good for me Johnny,” I thought as I walk the street. I looked at a mare who winked at me. I grinned and walked toward her. Before she could say a word I’ve pressed against her, my mouth covered her own. She moaned out as I heard the voice of an angry male, but he quieted down as I faced him and allowed a little hellfire to form on my free hoof. “I’m married,” she whispered. She couldn’t tell that her husband had pissed himself and was pressed against a wall. Looking at hellfire will do that. It will show you exactly what you’re afraid of, and let you live through it. He looked, and he saw all that he was ever afraid of. I knew his mind was nothing more than quivering bit of custard now. “I don’t care,” I said. I pushed her forward. She moaned, thrusting her hips up into the air, presenting herself. I could tell she was most likely from wealth. Her kind usually are. She moaned out as defiled her. I needed my strength back. I would become Constantine again. There was room for one John Constantine. Only one, and the Demon Constantine would have his day. She gasped out loudly as I finished. She collapsed, and I stepped back. My presence had corrupted her, changed her, and I watched as she stumbled out into the night. Off to infect others with my corruption. “I’m coming Johnny boy,” I said. > Rebel Yell > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A Hellblazer and MLP crossover Chapter 10 Rebel Yell John’s POV “I’m coming for you Johnny boy. I’m coming,” the dream had said. I hadn’t dreamed about my darker half in ages, and when I did it usually meant that things were getting ready to go to shite. I relaxed my breathing and felt the dull ache of my ribs. Ten years ago I would have shrugged this off, but now it was just staying with me. That wasn’t the only problem I had. Despite the vision of my darker self I had woken up to a problem that I couldn’t fix. Pippy wasn’t here in all of her hormonal, and overly horny, glory. One look at my hooves and I realized that trying to take care of the problem on my own wasn’t going to happen either. I breathed out a huff of annoyance, and closed my eyes. I felt sleep coming back to me. I began drifting off into a peaceful dream when I heard a voice. “John, I need you,” Epiphany’s voice said. I felt her touch me, but I couldn’t see her. I could feel her, smell her, and even taste her to some degree, but I couldn’t see my Pippy. I reached out and felt her. My hands around her hips, and I pulled her back against me. She let out a squeal of surprise. “Woah! That’s the brownie factory!” she screamed. That wasn’t right. Pippy had never called her bum that. She called it a dozen things, but brownie factory wasn’t one of them. I opened my eyes to see a cyan pony beside me. My hooves were around her waist, her hips pulled up to my own, and I felt that I was pressing against something. I pushed off and scooted back. I was a long way from perfect. I bloody well knew it too, but there were lines I wouldn’t cross. I hadn’t been with anyone else since I married Pippy. Sure, I shagged a succubus the day of our wedding, but in my bloody defense I was drunk, and she was supposed to attempt to make me suffer. Gloria wasn’t a bad sort. She actually had gotten quite used to being on Earth, to attempting to be a good wife and mother. Her doing what she was doing was to protect her husband. I felt like shite that she had to die for me. She had done something that was supposed to be impossible. She had turned from a pure demon into a sort of mixed breed. I felt it as she passed. There was a soul in her, and one that I did my best to make sure didn’t go back to hell. She didn’t need that. Now, it was different. I had this mare that I had conflicting feelings for had snugged against me, and I was trying to pilfer the cookie jar. “John?” she asked quietly. It couldn’t have felt good. To be held, touched, and every sign given that she was wanted, and then I took it away because I couldn’t get past something I would never have again. I would never have Pippy again. I’d never see our child, our little girl… I knew it was going to be. Every vision the Stranger had ever shown me had my child as a little girl. She would have looked like Pippy. “John, are you okay?” she asked again. “I’m fine luv,” I said. She turned toward me. Her eyes were different, but I had seen that look before. The half-closed lids, the barely opened lips, and the soft feminine look of want and desire was something that seemed to be part of every universe. “You just surprised me a moment ago,” she said. I felt her hoof snake down my chest and find the object that was causing the problems this morning. Her eyes widened as she felt of it. She leapt out of the bed and pulled the sheet that had been covering us off. “Oh Sweet Celestia…” she whispered. “Rainbow? What is it?” Twilight asked. “I… uh… That!” she exclaimed pointing at the elephant in the room. Twilight turned toward me, looked at where Rainbow Dash was pointing, and her wings flared out. I heard a catch in her breath as she studied what was standing at attention. “Sweet Celestia…” she whispered. “It’s as big around as a bottle of apple soda!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. I took a moment to look at it. It appeared that the magic that had changed me decided to be somewhat kind this time. I never had any complaints from any of my lovers, but if I would have been packing this I’m sure that a couple of them would have wanted a tub of ice water to sit in. There are times that I bloody well love magic. This was one of those times, or it was for a moment. Seeing it waving there, standing at attention, it just reminded me of everything I had lost. And that feeling made me feel like a miserable sod. “John, are you okay?” Twilight asked. I looked at her and wanted to tell her that I was fine. The problem was I knew I wasn’t. I felt like shite. There was no way around it. I hurt, both physically and spiritually. My magic, powerful in its own right, would suffer because of the spiritual part. Epiphany had helped me realize that. When I was at my strongest was when I felt there was something to protect. Having Gemma, Maria, Pippy, and our unborn child was something that helped me remain strong. The last few times I had done some magic it had been out of helping to protect the ponies around me. This full feeling of being alone in a world filled with strangers wasn’t how I wanted to spend the rest of my bloody life. I needed something to take my mind off of things. A smoke, a shag, something to remind me that I was alive. It’s funny how quickly I always resorted to doing something that was potentially stupid instead of facing whatever emotional problem it was that had decided to step up and show its ugly head. Princess Luna had said that I needed to mourn. She told me that I needed to grieve my loss, but instead I wanted to bloody well shag the living hell out of one of the mares here. I felt disgusted with myself. Was this really all that I accounted to? I felt a hoof against my muzzle and I looked into Twilight’s soft eyes. I had thought about her being like Gemma. I thought about how much like my niece she was, but that’s when something changed. She might have wanted to learn like Gemma, but her personality, her soul, it was like Kat’s. There was a loving soul inside of her, and right now it was worried about me. I started to turn my head, but she leaned closer to me. “Don’t look away, please. Please John, let me in,” she whispered. I felt it bubble up. The pain, the loneliness, the realization of what I had done, and the fact that I was never going home all rushed forward. The desire to shag gave way to an old emotional wall breaking down. It was a wall my father had helped build. Every moment I had ever talked to him my father blamed me for the death of my mum and my still born twin brother. His calling me Killer every single day taught me that I couldn’t depend on others for emotional support. I had to be on my own. Hearing Twilight, seeing her soft eyes, and feeling her touching me was enough to bring that old wall crashing down. I closed my eyes and tried to keep the tears from spilling out. I didn’t want to cry. Crying was weakness, and any weakness was something that could be exploited. Instead they came hot and fast. She pulled me against her, and I felt another warm body hugging me from behind. “I’m never going bloody home,” I blubbered out. “Shhh, it’s okay,” she whispered. “John, we’re here for you,” Rainbow Dash said soothingly. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Demon Constantine’s POV) I slipped out of the bed I had found. The mare was accepting, sweet, and somewhat innocent of true desires. Her betrothed however was a bloody tosser. It felt good to beat him senseless. I walked over where he was tied up. His horn cracked, showing the marrow and nerves inside of it. I could hear him crying, soft whimpers of pain and sadness. His intended bride, a Pegasus mare, another guard, so easy to seduce, walked toward me. She didn’t notice him, and he whimpered all the more for it. If I didn’t need her, if she didn’t serve a purpose I would try to pull my corruption back and let her see what she’s done to him. A slight grin crossed my lips. I held my hooves up to her head and she groaned. I watched her fall to the floor, the protection from my corruption would last for a few moments. Long enough for me to gauge how powerful their bonds are. “Star Burst!” she exclaimed. She moved toward him, and I knew her eyes were frantic. She wanted to release him, free him from his prison, and escape with him. Even if she got him loose the protection from my corruption would end long before they got very far. Perhaps if they were far enough away from me she would be able to resist, but there would be an itch that needed scratched, and he wasn’t in any condition to do it. She would end up betraying him again, and again, multiple times. Or she would if their bond wasn’t strong. I neared her and she turned toward me. Her wings flared out, her teeth bared, and her back arched. She made herself look bigger than she actually was. There wasn’t any fear of me, or none I could see. Inside she was scared beyond belief. Inside she remembered exactly what I had done to her, how I made her forget her betrothed, and how I had violated her for hours with him sitting at the foot of the bed. “Get away from him!” she screamed. “So, your bond is actually very powerful. I’m going to do something for you. I’m going to let you be the one to take his life. My corruption, my demonic essence is already inside of you. You might not realize it right now, but there is a desire to cause so much death and destruction flowing through you that without the protection from my corruption you would become a near mindless being. So, I’m going to allow you to keep your mind, but your body… Well, this is what happens when you remove the protection from the body, but not the mind,” I said. I stretched out my hoof and she turned. I walked around to watch her strain to stop herself. “NO! I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS!” she screamed as her hooves found his horn. He cried out in pain, and she began to weep as her hoof pressed forward. He screamed in his gag. His body stiffened, and I could almost taste the pain he was going through. She wept harder. It was obvious that her mind was desperately fighting against her body. Still, she pressed forward. A moment later there was snap and he went slack. His eyes closed, his breathing erratic, and blood poured from his head. “NO! Celestia no! Star!” she screamed. I watched as she screamed and simply stood there. I put the protection back on her body and she rushed forward to him. Her front hooves wrapped around him, and pulled him close to her. The death and destruction was feeding me. I could use food, I could eat and drink, but I needed to be as powerful as possible. She continued to cry, and I could feel her misery. “I love you Star… I’m so sorry,” she whispered. I decided that now was the time to remove the protections I had placed. I pulled them back, and she turned toward me. Only the face I saw wasn’t the lust laden eyes I had seen before. It was a battle hardened mare, and it was one that I had just hurt badly. She let out a rage filled scream and rushed toward me. I felt her impact me and push me into the wall. She shoved her hoof against my muzzle trying to push it back, attempting to snap my neck. “I’LL KILL YOU!” she screamed. Her usefulness has ended, and I had no other recourse. I pressed my hooves against her and a large amount of hellfire flooded out of me. She screamed, her body writhing in agony as she fell to the floor. I watched as the fire burned brighter, consuming the very thing that made her special, the very thing that made her who she was. She finally stopped moving and the fire died down. I walked up to her body. It was barely breathing, a sign of being stuck between the living and dead. Papa Midnight had called this the Twilight Time. It was the place of death and life when a soul no longer resided in a body. I touched her forehead and felt her body shutter. I needed her body. I needed a guard, and I sat on my haunches. There had to be someone that I could call forward. A small smirk crossed my lips and I drew a summoning circle around the mare. “Rosacarnis, seductress, duchess, and second in command of the realm of lust, I summon you to this realm,” I said. An orange flame surrounded the mare and a moment later she stood up. Her eyes no longer the lovely shade of green they had been. Now they were simply glossy black. Her bright white feathers and coat turned into an ashen gray, her red mane was now solid back. She looked at me and then at her body. “Hmmmm… A mare without a soul as a host is most considerate. It also means that you are not the same John Constantine that cast me out earlier,” she said. “So, I take it old Johnny boy has been up to his tricks huh? How would you like to get back at him?” I asked. “I would do anything to make him suffer,” she said. “Bind yourself to me Rosacarnis, and become my servant. If you agree to this, and if you agree to do anything I wish, when I wish it, then I will allow you to torture old Johnny boy until the very end of time,” I said. “You have my undying allegiance my master,” she said. > Epidemic > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A Hellblazer and MLP crossover Chapter 11 Epidemic Celestia’s POV To say that I am upset would be an understatement. For the first time in well over six hundred years the dungeons have occupants. Several of my little ponies are in them, all of them seem to be crazed, deranged, and demented. I have had only food taken down after the last time. I’m still unsure how one of them used a spoon as a stabbing weapon, but apparently it happened. This twisted version of Constantine that I released while under the control of that… “Faust this is my fault,” I muttered. “Sister, what you had done while under the influence of that being is not your fault,” Luna said. I shake my head. Luna was able to fight off that things influences. She was able to keep it out of her mind, away from all she is. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of problems and disappointments. One of my personal guards, Jeweled Arrow, has disappeared, and when two guards went to check on her they found her betrothed tied up and dead in their bedroom. Murder, violence, and rapes have spread through Canterlot like an uncontrollable disease. Luna has done what she can to contain the fears of our subjects at night, but it has been growing steadily worse. “Is this the end? Is all of the work that we’ve done, that I’ve done, is it all for nothing Lulu?” I asked. “’Tia, I am surprised at you. This is not how you have acted in the past. I realize that you’re still recovering from what that beast has done to you, but you must try to reign in your emotions. Our subjects cannot be allowed to see you falling apart,” Luna replied. She was right. If our ponies saw me falling apart then one of the noble houses would demand that my ability to rule be placed under question. It would be a disaster in the fullest meaning of the word. I looked at the empty court before me. Not even the nobles have come to complain about the small things they usually worry about. Most of them have locked themselves away inside of their homes. “Sister, perhaps the reason the reason the cause of this has not been captured is because we are not able to think as it does,” Luna said. “What are you suggesting?” I asked. “Simply that perhaps we should ask the one who has dealt with this before,” she replied. I look at her with utter surprise. I thought of contacting him, but after I had hurt him, and after Luna had told me about everything he had been forced to leave behind, I felt that it was best if I allowed him time to grieve. It had seemed completely possible that I would be able to have this dark version of him captured. Instead for two weeks I’ve watched the ponies around me become victims. I’ve tried to find him myself only to discover that he is very good at hiding. “Luna, after what happened… I…” I began before she stopped me. My sister rested her hoof on the end of my muzzle and shook her head. “Celestia, I have spoken with John Constantine. I’ve spoken with him multiple times in his dreams. He is strange, but he is not one to hold a grudge. He knows what happened to you was because you were possessed, and not because it was actually you. He understands that the beast that took you over saw your desire to assert more control, to establish complete harmony in all of Equus, and it bastardized it. He will listen if you talk,” she said. “He’s not the only one I must talk to… Cadence…” I said before she shook her head again. “Our Niece will forgive you in time. Right now she is hurt and upset. Knowing that you enthralled Shining Armor and then took him has cut her deeply. She will eventually forgive you, and she will accept that it was not you who was in control of your actions,” she replied. “She said that she hated me. She told me that she never wanted to speak to me again, and that if I ever entered the Crystal Empire it would considered an act of war. Luna, what part of that sounds like she will ever forgive me? It sounds as if my niece has decided that I am a piece of filth not worth mentioning, and certainly not worth seeing. I fear the actions that I did will have horrific implications for some time,” I said. Luna looked at me, neared me and gently kissed my forehead in the same way our mother used to kiss me. She then draped her wing over me and pulled me next to her. “Sister, I’ve been in both of their dreams. Cadence doesn’t hate you. She’s upset, but she doesn’t hate you. She doesn’t hate Shining Armor either. Instead she’s been trying to help him get past what happened. Of the two he is suffering more so than she. He believes that he betrayed not only Cadence, but his very nature. He will heal, and their relationship will be made stronger, but it will be a moot point if we do not stop this dark version of Constantine. I’ve searched the dreamscape for him, and found him once, but I couldn’t enter it,” she said. “Why not?” I aksed. “The nightmares he has are too powerful. If I pushed my way through into his mind I would release them upon all of our subjects. They would walk freely in the aether, and I cannot allow that. The good of the many must outweigh the good of one. I fear that this darker version once wanted to be something better. That perhaps it wanted to be a good and kind stallion, but now all it knows is selfish desire and death,” she said. The very thought frightened me. A being like Constantine, one that knew magic that didn’t require being a unicorn, and was without a moral compass walked loose and free in Equestria. I feared, truly feared what would become of this. “I should send a letter,” I began before Luna shook her head. “Sister, go to Ponyville. Visit the Princess of Friendship, and talk to John Constantine pony to pony. Take a few moments to get to know him. Do not make this a royal decree, or at least do not do that yet. Despite how he looks John Constantine is not part of our world. He is attempting to adjust to it, to become part of it, but at the moment he is not truly part of it. Becoming a friend, and asking a favor of a friend would be better than making a demand over somepony who could claim that they are not one of our subjects,” Luna said. I studied my sister for a moment. I wasn’t sure when it was that Lulu had gained so much insight, but I am not one to question a gift presented by the fates. Instead I looked toward the stain glass windows. The courts were empty, there was no overseeing to be done today, and instead I was actually able to leave and go meet with Mr. Constantine. I stood, turned toward Lulu, and pulled her into a tight hug. “I love you Lulu,” I said. I felt her return the hug. “And I love you too Celestia. Go and ask him to help us. Ask him to help find his darker half, and explain all that has happened,” she said. I walked out to my guards that were still stationed near the entrance. “Ready my carriage I need to see Princess Twilight Sparkle,” I said. They both gave me a salute and quickly left to get the carriage ready. I walked toward the entrance and I saw a pony I hadn’t expected to see out. I had expected to see Blueblood hiding away with the rest of the nobles. I honestly expected to see him acting like the foal he often acted like, but instead he was reading a book. “Blueblood, I’m quite surprised to see you out and about today,” I said. “Auntie, we cannot allow the actions happening to sway our decisions. We shouldn’t be locking ourselves away like frightened little foals. I refuse to remain locked inside of my home. No, I may be afraid, but I refuse to let it have power over me,” he replied. It surprised me to hear such words from him. I walked near him and noticed the book he was reading wasn’t a mere novel. It was a diary. Specifically it was Fleur de Lis’ diary. I was surprised that he had it, but then I did recall that he and Fleur were friends. He lowered the magically held book and studied me. “Where are you off to?” he asked. “I’m going to visit Twilight, and also speak to someone about seeing what can be done about the cause of these horrific happenings,” I replied. He studied me for a moment before he floated the diary he was still magically holding into a gold laced saddlebag he was wearing. “I would like to go if I may,” he said. “Blueblood, my dear nephew, I have no problem with you accompanying me, but I must ask why. Every time I’ve visited Ponyville before you’ve declined stepping foot in it. You’ve actually went as far to state that the town is nothing but superstitious, uneducated, backward, and inbred rubes. To be perfectly frank there are times I’ve considered doing more than simply taking away your spending allowance for the things you’ve said about the ponies living there,” I replied. “Auntie, one of my best friends is dead. She is gone, and I will never be able to tell her how much she meant to me. Whatever is causing this has some reasonability for taking her away, and if there is somepony in Ponyville that can help then I want to urge them to do that. I don’t want anypony else to know what it’s like to lose a close friend like that. The thought that I will never again get to sit down with Fleur and have an afternoon tea is depressing beyond words,” he said. I understood what he meant, and perhaps having him along would do a world of good. Still, I did consider the fact that this was Blueblood. I’ve given him chance after chance to show me how he could be a respectable, and upstanding stallion only to have him fall short. It usually came back to his being petty and foalish. I considered telling him that it would be best if he remained here, but the look on his face. The forlorned look of having lost something so precious defeated any attempt I would have made. Instead I merely nodded. “Very well Blueblood. You may accompany me to Ponyville, but I expect you to behave like the title you have been given. I expect you to behave as a prince, and I expect you to treat everypony there with respect. Part of being noble isn’t looking down on others, but instead it’s seeing that all have worth and should be treated with respect and protected,” I said. He nodded and followed me out to where my carriage awaited. I boarded it and he did the same. I could hear some grumbles from the guards, but neither of them said anything directly to myself or Blueblood. A moment later we found ourselves in the air heading toward Ponyville. I watched as the scene below me passed by, and I wondered how things would turn out. If perhaps everything Luna and I had worked so hard for would be able to be saved, or if in the end it was destined to fall. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Twilight’s POV) Everything we had talked about rolled around in my mind. Every question we had asked John he had answered, and some of the answers were things I would rather not know. There was a part of me that wished his father was still alive so I could knock some sense into him. He had tried very hard, and succeeded to some point, of breaking John. It was hard for him to share his emotions. This was something that was normal for Unicorns anyway, but to know that it was caused by a parent who held a grudge against his own son for the death of his wife and his son’s brother was foalish beyond belief. As hard as I took it I know Rainbow Dash took it worse. There was part of her that wanted some way found to bring his father back in order to beat more than some sense into him. She wanted to make him see what he had done to his son. To force him to look at the soul he had nearly ruined. Instead our ire couldn’t be expressed to him. John’s talk about a killer who called himself ‘The Family Man’ had cleared up that his father had met a fate that perhaps he didn’t deserve. I could believe he deserved a good thumping, but not killing him. That was too far, and if that was the answer the universe had for what happened I didn’t agree with it. For two weeks we listened, talked, and grew closer. Luna even allowed us to meet with each other in our dreams. Seeing Rainbow Dash in a form similar to John’s true form had been interesting. John had called her Pippy again, and he explained that she truly looked like Epiphany. Luna helped John open his memories to us. The world he had come from, everything he had faced, and what he done for those he loved. We saw him remove the demonic energy that had been bonded to him and create a magical clone of himself. That clone called itself the Demon Constantine, and as time progressed it became convinced that it was in fact John. He explained how the demon Constantine had attempted various times to take over his life, and the final time had been when he married Epiphany. The Demon Constantine had found enough magical strength to come through a mirror, which acted as a door, and actually killed John. He said that he was dead for several minutes before his soul finally came back to his body and forced it to live again. I’ve come to accept that there are other types of magic, but there are times that John’s magic frightens me. It deals with things that apparently only Star Swirl and Clover the Clever really knew. It was some of those things that Star Swirl had tried to seal away and keep from hurting everypony. John’s magic was able to access those kinds of power, but he didn’t seem like the kind of person who would use it without some caution. From what he’s told us his magical clone is. He’s said that the Demon Constantine doesn’t really have a moral compass. It was a copy of John, with his magic, that didn’t care if he hurt anypony or not, and that was scary. I felt something touching me and I turned around to see John. His ribs had started to mend, and the doctors finally let him have some healing potion and used some healing magic on him. The result was his bones completely healed in less than a day. That wasn’t the only thing that happened. I felt him pull me against him and I turned to kiss him. Our lips met and I let out a soft moan. Since opening up to us, revealing all he is and has been, he grew closer to both Rainbow and I. I had feared that he would reject me completely, and that fear was because of how much Rainbow reminded him of Epiphany. Instead he claimed that needed both of us. “I’m broken. I bloody well know that I am. There’s something inside of me that drives me to do stupid bloody things, and it makes me take liberty with my own life. Even back home, back with Epiphany, I would do something that might kill me because of there being something wrong inside of me. I can’t fix myself, but the both of you have been able to help me,” he had said before Rainbow had stopped him with a kiss. That was the first night that things changed for us, and now, feeling his kiss, feeling loved, truly loved in a way I had never felt before is something I craved. “Spike’s out,” he said once he broke the kiss. “What about Rainbow?” I asked. “I’m here, but you both need a little alone time. Besides, I’ve hogged him most of this morning,” she said from a different room. I turned around, lowered my head into my forelegs, and felt his forelegs wrap around my waist. He pulled me up from my stance. It felt odd the way he did things. I knew it came from him being different. He kissed the back of my neck, and then released me. I was about to say something when I felt his unicorn magic around me. His other magic frightened me at times, but his unicorn magic was different. He was still getting used to it, still seeing what he could and should do with it, but he could levitate almost anything with ease. He lifted me and carried me toward the room that had become our room. I found myself on the bed. Near it was his original coat, and a new one Rarity had created for him, shirt, and tie. He moved up, slowly, delibertly, until trumpets sounded. I sat up and my eye twitched. “Princess Celestia?” I asked. We quickly abandoned where that moment was heading and headed toward the receiving hall of the castle. Well, I headed toward the receiving hall. John stated that he needed to get his coat on at least. Apparently he didn’t want to walk around without the wards he had worked into it. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Blueblood’s POV) I wasn’t exactly sure what it was that I was doing here. Granted Fleur had been taken from me, and I missed my friend desperately, but then again this was a simple country town. There wasn’t much here that could possibly stand out to me. I shook my head. It was a mistake to come here. As much as I missed Fleur I didn’t want to dirty my hooves on this simple ground. “Princess Celestia,” Twilight’s voice said. I looked at the Princess of Friendship, and then I saw someone else come out. The way he walked caught my attention. He carried himself in a way that begged to be studied, his lean body practically desired to be held and snuggled. I needed Fleur now more than anything. I needed her to tell me what to do, or how to act. She would help make sure that I didn’t make a spectacle of myself. “Blueblood, one must remember that half of the fun of finding new love is in the chase,” Fleur had told me. She had also been there when Fancy Pants had spurred my intentions. I had believed the rumors that he was like me. That he had a desire for both mares and stallions, but no, as it turned out Fancy actually only liked mares in that way. He was kind, gentle, and sweet about the rejection, but it was still a rejection. Fleur had been there with a half-gallon of chocolate ice cream, two spoons, and her petite shoulder to cry on. Now I feared that there was another stallion that I would end up needing a shoulder to cry on for. I watched as Auntie walked near him, and then she did something I hadn’t expected. She took a seat and lowered her head to look him in the eyes. “Mr. Constantine, I know I have already said this, but I am so very sorry for what happened. I honestly didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said. “It’s fine, no harm done, but I have a feeling that your visit isn’t just to apologize,” he said. She grinned, and Twilight lead us into the castle. Although it was smaller than Auntie’s castle I have to admit that it is actually still quite impressive. The crystal building seems to vibrate a different tone for each pony who walks into a room, and the tone is quite pleasant. Still, my attention isn’t on the tone or the building. It’s studying the backside of the Stallion talking to Auntie. Something gets my attention and I turn to see one of the Princess’ friends. She stands looking at me, and it’s obvious she had seen me ogle the backside of the stallion standing there. “You… That’s… I can’t believe that you’re…” I quickly moved toward her and used my hoof to cover her muzzle. “Please, don’t go announcing such a thing!” I exclaimed. “Well, at least that explains why you brushed off Rarity,” she said. “Rarity? Oh the Element of Generosity right? I vaguely remember her. No, I brushed her off because she was deliberately attempting to gain my interest. I prefer that the mares I am interested in to be a bit more discreet about their attentions,” I replied. “You humiliated and embarrassed her. I really should kick your flank for that,” she said. “Well, she embarrassed me. She ruined my outfit,” I said. “You have got to be the most stuck-up, egotistical, boneheaded unicorns I’ve ever known!” she shouted. The sound of the shout echoed through the castle. Auntie turned around and eyed us both. I lowered my head. “I’m sorry,” I said. “What’s all this?” the other stallion, Constantine, asked. “This is the jerk that embarrassed Rarity at the Grand Galloping Gala!” Princess Twilight’s friend shouted. I turned around to leave. There wasn’t any point of being here. I wasn’t going to be able to help convince anypony to help, and it’s obvious that the stallion’s perception of me is going to be tainted by this mare. I hated it too. It would have been nice to gotten to know him. Perhaps enjoyed each other company over dinner, or perhaps even a picnic in the royal gardens. I start to leave when I feel Auntie’s magic holding me. “Blueblood, you had something to say didn’t you?” she asked. I turned around and I looked at him. “Auntie said that she wanted to talk to someone who could help stop what is causing all of the terrible things in Canterlot. There’s been so much happen, so many ponies have fallen victim, and among them was my friend Fleur de Lis. I’ve felt the absence of my friend every single day since she was taken from me. I’ve felt it and wished for nothing more than for my friend to be back here with me. Please, if you can help stop this. If you are able to help find the cause of what is causing this to happen, I beg you to do so. Nopony should ever have to go through that,” I said. He looked at me, sat down on his haunches, and then scratched the bottom of his muzzle with his hoof. “I can’t promise anything, but I will look into it,” he said. I thanked him and began to walk out. I felt eyes on me and chanced a look back to catch him watching me. Part of me wanted to believe that perhaps he was like myself. That he was interested in stallions as well as mares. Part of me wanted to believe it because I didn’t want to think that I’m going to be so alone. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (John’s POV) After The Princess’ nephew gave us his little speech I watched the poor sod wander off. I could tell that he was watching me before, but I didn’t want to bring it up. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been admired for my arse, and it wouldn’t be the first time it was a bloke that did it. I turned my attention back to Princess Celestia as she told me exactly what was happening in Canterlot. The mentions of murders, rapes, and mutilations going on reminded me of when some tosser stole a bit of my blood and gave it to some of the population in London. Well over two dozen poor bastards became tainted. Their very souls corrupted, and they became something less than human. Some of them retained their intelligence, but for the most part they had fallen into a darkness that they would never return from. Hopefully I was wrong. Perhaps something pure enough could bring them back, but I couldn’t be too sure of it. Whatever it was that was corrupting them it wasn’t being showy about it, and it wasn’t going straight for a major power either. This was someone who knew to start off with the normal folks. To spread the corruption amount the people and watch the country tear itself apart. I knew exactly who this was, and it bothered me for thousands of reasons. The stallion that had beaten on me before had said he was here, but he had to be weak. When I sent him into the aether he was almost dead. Nergal had nearly killed him, and while I didn’t have any great love for the bastard I didn’t want to see him condemned back to hell. I didn’t want to think about it, but if he was doing this, and he was the cause of everything I was just told then he’s been feeding off of the malice and destruction he’s been creating. It also meant that he was using some of my own tricks to hide himself, but there was one that he wasn’t able to hide from. I could scry for him, but I would have to fuel it. “Mr. Constantine?” Princess Celestia asked. “How long do you have to wait?” I asked. “I have a while, why?” she asked. “Look, I can do something that might help find him, or at least it will narrow the search down. It might not give a precise location since I don’t know this world very well, but it should give you a small area to work with. I’ll need fifteen to twenty minutes to do it though,” I said. “Please, I will inform the guard that we need to wait,” she said. “Good,” I said. “John, how are you going to find him if Princess Luna and Princess Celestia couldn’t find him?” Twilight asked. “Tantric Sex Magic,” I replied. Her ears lay down against her head. “What kind of magic?” she asked. “Tantric Sex Magic. It’s powerful stuff, and it can amplify almost any kind of spell. I know my darker side, and if I can charge a simple scrying spell with it I’m sure it will break though his defenses,” I replied. “But that means… It means that she’s,” I stopped her and nodded. “Yes luv, she’s going to hear us moaning, and I can already tell you that will hear you moaning and screaming. I’m fairly certain all of Ponyville has heard you at one point or another,” I replied. I happened to catch a glance at the Princess who sat there with her mouth agape. Obviously she had never heard of Tantric Sex Magic before. That’s a shame. The three of us moved toward the bedroom while I floated a set of maps into the room. I floated a sewing needle in as well and poked my foreleg hard enough to make it bleed. I let the drop of blood fall onto the maps. We needed to get started before the blood dried. “I need both of you to focus on my darker self. The part of me that Luna showed you. I need you to keep him in your minds. If this is going to work we all need to keep in in our thoughts the entire time. As things progress we should get a clear indication of at least the city he’s in,” I said. > Bonus Scenes > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Cadence’s POV) I look at the shattered mirror and picture frame. The picture was one of Aunt Celestia, and the mirror is Shiny’s and mine. Shiny… Faust, what she did to him. I turn to see him looking out the window I’ve seen that stare before. Some of the soldiers who patrolled the areas where rogue gryphons attempt to attack had looks like that. They looked as if they couldn’t see anything except for the horrors they’ve faced. I don’t know what it was like for Shiny, and I don’t want to know what it was like for Aunt Celestia, but I do know that this is tearing my husband apart. I walk toward him, gently nuzzling his neck. “Shiny?” I ask softly. “It’s my fault. I should have been stronger,” he whispers. He stands to move off, but I stop him. I don’t use my magic. Not because I can’t, but because I refuse to be like her. I refuse to make him do anything that he doesn’t want to. I love him too much to hurt him like she did. “Shiny, please, it wasn’t your fault,” I say. He shakes his head and refuses to look at me. “I betrayed you, I betrayed us, and for what? A night I don’t even remember. Faust, what did I do Cadence? How could I let this happen to me? I was captain of the Royal Guard. I was taught to overcome this sort of thing, and I even worked harder at being able to withstand after the changeling situation. So why did I fail?” he asks. I hug him from behind and I feel his heaving barrel. The sobs come so quickly that I lead him back to the bed. He lays down, but the sobs don’t stop. “I hurt you! I hurt us and I don’t know how to fix it!” he cries. I pull him against me, hugging him, wishing that there was something I could do to help him. “I love you Shiny. I love you so much, and this wasn’t your fault. I don’t blame you,” I say. “I broke us…” he whimpers. Gently I shush him feeling him fall into a fitful sleep, and inwardly I wonder if it would be possible to make Aunt Celestia pay for what she has done to my husband. She broke him. She broke his spirit, his very heart and soul is broken, and I hate to admit that there isn’t anything I can do to help him. I look out the window he was looking out of earlier. “But perhaps I can avenge him,” I say looking over the training guards and soldiers. (John’s POV) The memory of a couple nights ago surfaces, and I smile. I wasn’t sure when it happened exactly, but the three of us moved from being friends to being something more. I found myself with Twilight beneth me. Her shapely bum pressing against me in all of the right places. I put my forehooves around her and pulled her close. Her tail swished out of the way and instead of going straight for the prize I backed off. I could hear her disappointment, but I didn’t give her a chance to get away. Instead I did the very thing I wanted to do. It was something that I enjoyed doing and my tongue found her entrance. She let out a soft moan as I traced it. Pressing my tongue inside, getting a good feel for what she wanted to give me. I found her prize, the special nub that was waiting for me. I sucked it into my lips and I heard her gasp. Recalling everything I had ever done for my former lovers I began to gently suckle on it. Rolling it slightly with my tongue and making her kick her lower legs out further. She pressed deeper into me. I could tell that she wanted me to take all of her sex into my mouth, and I tried to do just that. She began to thrust her hips gently. I kept up with her as she made the sweet little moans and gasps that told me I was doing a good job. Then her gasp and moans began to get louder. I was ready for this. I was ready to hear her pushed over the edge. I wasn’t ready for the sound of her voice being amplified a thousand times as she screamed out her orgasm. The sound of her voice went vibrating off of the walls and turning the entire bloody castle into an amplifier. She came down, and before I could say another word she turned around, put her hips up and wiggled them. “Please, I want you John,” she said. I climbed up behind her and pushed inside. I felt something stopping me and I realized that this was truly her first time. I nearly stopped, but she pushed back against my hips seating herself completely. She cried out in surprise and pain for a moment, but I began to move my hips. I softly told her that I loved her. She began to match my thrusts with her hips. She threw her head back and let loose with another massive scream. I watched the bloody walls shake from the sound, and when she finally came down I crawled up behind her. I looked to see Rainbow Dash who had watched the entire thing. She stared wide eyed at us. “You think anyone else heard that?” she asked. “I don’t know,” I replied. A few minutes later there was a knock at the door and Rainbow opened it and stepped outside to talk to Spike. I could hear them through the door, and the little dragon had another of her friends named Applejack run him back here, from across town, because he thought that Twilight might be in trouble. I grinned at the thought and shook my head. There was no doubt in my mind that what I had in mind she was going to be heard by nearly everyone again. > Feel Like Makin' Love > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A Hellblazer and MLP crossover Chapter 12 Feel Like Makin’ Love Celestia’s POV No, this isn’t right. I don’t need to be in here for this. This is supposed to be something reserved for a mare and her special somepony. It’s not something that is supposed to be viewed by an outsider. Instead of getting up to move I sit dumbly. Faust what have I become? How could I so easily agree to come in here and be a part of whatever it is that he is trying to do. His movements surprise me as he doesn’t simply attempt to start whatever kind of magic he said it was, but instead he draws a large circle around the bed. He levitates the sewing needle again and causes another drop of his blood to fall onto the circle itself. It glows brightly for a moment before He nears Twilight. A part of me wants to tell him to get away from her. I didn’t give birth to her, but I was there during the biggest part of her years. I feel that Twilight is as much my daughter as she is Twilight Velvet’s daughter. He kisses behind her ear, each kiss lingering longer than the last. I know she felt hesitation before about what they were doing, but her body is obviously betraying her. I watch her hips move and adjust. She’s submitting to him, giving him authority over her in this situation. It shouldn’t surprise me. Twilight has always carried too many problems, but right now, in this moment, she wants someone else in control. She needs someone else to take the metaphorical reins. Inwardly I thank Faust that there isn’t any of that nonsense. I study them for a moment more, or at least until he has his muzzle between her thighs from behind. At this point I stop looking. The filly, or mare rather, I consider a daughter is about to get rutted so that we can find an evil being. “Princess?” an all too familiar voice asks. I look to see Rainbow Dash walking into the bedroom. My mind instantly wonders where this is going, and before I can say a word she looks at the glowing circle and her eyes widen. “Oh wow… I didn’t think that he actually meant he was going to be using that to fuel his magic,” she says. I see her eyes widen with wonder and around us the room becomes brighter. I look up to see something that should have been unsettling. It should have been upsetting, but all I could think about was how beautiful it was. Both of their bodies were consumed by the bright white light. The very purity of the act of what they were doing was filling the room. I sat in wonder as my mind tried to comprehend exactly what it was that I was seeing. Instead my mind brought up a blank. Instantly I thought of the Demon Constantine. I needed to focus on him for this to work. “John… John… JOHN!!!!!!” Twilight screams and her voice shakes the very room with her Royal Canterlot Voice. A smile crosses my lips. Something similar had happened to Luna so very long ago. A stallion she had fallen in love with, one of her Lunar Pegasi in fact, had given her a night of passion and her reward to him was an orgasmic scream so loud that it woke all who were near our castle in the Everfree. I heard stories that it actually unsettled several of the woodland creatures. I look at the map and the blood that had dropped on it is doing something. It is swirling, almost as if it is a miniature tornado, and it is moving across the map living a small red line in its wake. I watch the swirling red storm as it rages across the printed land of Equestria. “This is extraordinary,” I say XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Twilight’s POV) I watch John as he draws the circle around the bed, and my eyes look up at Princess Celestia. Oh, this isn’t going to end well. I don’t want her in here to see me like this. With Rainbow Dash it’s different. We both share John. We want each other to know when we’re making love, and at times we watch. Well, she watches more than I do, but we have the understanding that watching is allowed. It’s sharing this bond in a new way, and I want our relationship to continue. I want the three of us to marry. I would never have thought that I would be a traditionalist, but I want a herd marriage. What’s even more is that I want to do as much as I can to please John. I realize that when comparing Unicorn Magic I’m stronger than he is. If his only source of magic was strictly how we unicorns use magic I would be infinitely more powerful, but it’s not. His other magic, the magic he had when he came to our world, it’s still more refined and powerful than the same magic he’s been teaching me. And he is a wonderful teacher. He makes me practice, but we do it slow. Suggestion magic, spiritual barriers, corruption protection spells, and wards that protect from physical and spiritual harm. He’s taken the time to make sure that I learn all about them. This lesson though… I’m not sure I want to do this in front of Celestia. Then I feel his lips behind my ear. The soft kisses that start there and slowly move down my neck. My back arches as he kisses down me. It’s so slow and tender, each kiss a caress, each movement showing me how much he loves me. He kisses to the base of my tail and I feel his tongue press at my tail hole. Inwardly I’m so thankful that I had showered earlier. The idea of him doing this with me being dirty is so mortifying that I almost feel myself becoming self-conscious. His tongue pushes inside for a moment and I feel my tail hole expand. I clench a little and a soft moan escapes my lips. He pulls back, his magical mouth and tongue finds both of our desire. I feel him gently lick up one side of my labia. The soft roughness of his tongue causes me to shiver as it caresses me. He isn’t rough, but then I don’t expect him to be. John has been nothing if not a gentle and generous lover. His tongue slips inside of me, tasting me. He had called the fluids in there honey from the honey pot. I can only hope that he continues to enjoy the honey that is in there. My moans increase. I begin to pant. It doesn’t matter who’s in the room now. I need him. I want this more than I can ever begin to say. “John… John… JOHN!!!!” I scream as he switches to suckling on my pretty purple princess. I see a room full of bright beautiful white light shining over everything. It covers us, moves through us, and fills me with so much love and energy. I try to focus on what he said to think about earlier. I try to think about his demonic counterpart. I try to see him for what he is, but it’s so hard. It’s so hard because my John is inside of me. My John is making love to me. My John is giving me pleasures that I didn’t even know existed before. His forelegs wrap around my barrel as he holds me against him. My hips move in time with his and I find that I don’t ever want this to stop. I need this to continue. I’d give anything to have this moment in time last forever. There must be something that I could trade that would be worth having this last, but slowly it dies down. I feel the energy between us start to flow out and gather into the circle. We lower back down to the bed, and I realize that at some point we were floating. “I love you,” I whisper. “I know luv, and I love you too,” he says as he nuzzles my neck. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (John’s POV) I always knew that Tantric Sex Magic was powerful, but I didn’t realize that it could be that powerful. When I had performed it before there would be a bit of a light show, but not like it was then. That magic was far more than I had counted on. Even if my darker half was trying to hide himself there was no way he could have blocked that energy. I hold Twilight for a bit longer, feeling her shutter from the intense orgasm she reached. The magic always seems to give something back to those who use it. A fantastic orgasm is usually part of it. Gently I move and break the circle. The magic energy seeps out and connects with the maps. They practically glow and I watch as the scrying does something different. I had thought it would give us a general location, a sort of idea of where to look, but instead it has done something more. All of that energy has created a living map. It doesn’t have his exact location, it does show almost where he is, and it shows something else. Other droplets in the shapes of horse shoes are moving on the map. Those other droplets are spreading out, moving out further. I look at it and realize that our use of the Tantric Sex Magic has done more than given us just a simple looking point. It has given us what my darker half has been up to. There is at least ten sets of hoof prints, and they are each heading in a different direction. “This… this is incredible,” Celestia says. “That’s Tantric Sex Magic luv. There’s nothing that can add power to a spell faster or better in all of the universe,” I reply. “I need to get this to my royal guard. Thank you,” she says. I watch her leave and then I see Rainbow Dash looking at me. “We are so doing that,” she says with a smile. > Fearful Visions > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The Trials of John Constantine Chapter 13 Fearful Visions Demon Constantine’s POV Fear is power. It’s a simple rule of any universe. The more something fears an object the more power that object has over whatever fears it. I bloody well love having these ponies fear me. I’ve become the bloody boogieman, or boogiepony from stories. They see me as some ancient evil that’s come back from ancient times determined to send them straight into chaos, and that fear is making me so much more powerful. Still, there is Johnny boy to be concerned with. He’s no saint, but if I know him he’s already trying to undo what I’ve been doing. Most likely he’s got that little lavender trollop helping him with some Tantric Sex Magic. I suppose it’s a good thing that I’ve got Rosacarnis with me. She’s been enjoying the feeling of being mortal. It’s interesting that she hasn’t caught on yet to what I’ve done. She thinks that she’s simply possessed that mare’s body, but since I sent that mare’s soul on into the aether, sent her to burn in my stead, well Rosey is stuck in that body. She’s become its soul. That’s going to piss Johnny boy off something terrible. Knowing that he might be able to save that mare’s soul, but he can never join her back to that body. It’s going to tear him up inside, and I know what he’ll do. He push himself away from others. He’ll blame himself, he’ll curse himself, and eventually it will drive him back into insanity. Everything he’s doing will end up falling apart, and I can take my place as the only John Constantine here. A lifetime of being a gibbering mess in a white padded room will make up for him letting Nergal nearly kill me. I feel a bitter cold seeping in through the windows of the Tube I’m riding. Celestia’s guards nearly cornered me last night. The bastards have been getting closer, and right now, this young filly I’ve taken is going to suit another need. I have no desire to hurt this child. No, she’s going to be important for another reason. I want to have some leverage against those who hunt me. Taking a filly unicorn who feels like she’s connected to some deep magic may help give me that leverage. I plan on using her as a bargaining chip against the rulers of this Empire, and besides it’s interesting to watch Rosey deal with maternal instincts inside of her. She dislikes the filly, but her body becomes aggressive when someone nears her. Perhaps I might even take this child and raise her to learn all of the dark magic I can conjure. I lean back in my seat and focus on my power. There’s memories in my head that aren’t mine. Memories of how to dream walk. They are memories that recall how to walk that delicate line of waking and sleeping, and how to enter into someone’s head while they’re sleeping. I want to give a little fear into Johnny boy’s little trollop. Madam Xanadu had taught John how to peer into the future, and by proxy she had done the same for me, and what I saw in the future is something I plan on scaring her with. I want her frightened, and I want her disoriented. I want to feel her delicious fear, and I want to feed from it. I clear my mind, lean back, and let the blackness engulf me. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Twilight’s POV) The entire castle has quieted down. Rainbow Dash and John had just went through a bout of Tantric Sex Magic, and it was obvious that Rainbow really enjoyed what she felt. John said that the magic could just be collected, but doing so was dangerous. Without a focal point the energy becomes unstable, and it could cause an spectral explosion. When he explained what that was I didn’t want it to happen, so instead of just collecting the energy he did something different. He decided to use it to fuel seeing into future. A couple of months ago I would have laughed at the idea of seeing the future, but then Pinkie Pie has done crazier things, and John’s magic defies almost every single rule of logic about unicorn magic I have. When they finally came down Rainbow Dash was crying. I was concerned at first until she hugged me tightly. “I love you,” she whispered. “I love you too,” I said a little unsure of what was going on. The smile on her face never faltered as she backed away from me. She looked at her belly for a moment and then happily walked into the room. “Did I miss something?” I asked. She saw something wonderful. “What did she see?” I asked. He shook his head and looked at me. “It’s not my place to say luv. If she wants to tell you she will, and I think that once she comes down a little she’ll want to talk your ear off,” he said. I watched as John trotted out of the while he levitated his coat behind him. I was surprised that he carried it inside of the castle, but John had simply said that he had been caught without his coat once, and he wouldn’t do it again for anything. I watched him head toward the library, and I walked toward Rainbow Dash. She was lying on her back, rubbing her belly, and looking up at the ceiling in the most thoughtful way I had ever seen. “Twilight, got a second?” she asked. I nodded and walked toward her. “It was amazing Twilight. Everything I saw, everything I felt, and I know that it’s the future, or at least the future that’s possible with how things are right now,” she said. “What did you see?” I asked. “I saw two foals, a Pegasus and a unicorn wrestling around together on the floor. They both had my mane, but they had John’s eyes. They were perfect, beautiful and perfect, and I love them. I felt so much love for them, but that’s not the only thing. We were all together, right here, together,” she said. Foals, Rainbow Dash had seen her foals, and she knew that she had them with John. I wasn’t sure if I should feel upset or excited for her. I smiled, listening as she told me every single detail she could about her two foals. The day continued, and finally toward the end of it the three of us found ourselves back in the large bed. I hoped that Spike was okay with the new sleeping arrangements, and I was sure that he was happy to have a large bed of his own. I closed my eyes and darkness soon began to take me. As I began to dream I heard a soft little voice off in the distance. "Mama?" the soft voice called out. I looked around, trying to find the owner of the soft voice when I felt something rubbing against my foreleg. I looked down to see a small lavender Unicorn filly with blue eyes. She looked perfect and beautiful. I gently levitated her up and hugged her close to my barrel. "I love you mama," she said. "I love you too..." I whispered. Something suddenly ripped her from my grasp. I screamed as I watched her levitated away from me. The dark being holding her looked like John, but its face was twisted and menacing. "I've seen what you're afraid of Princess, and know that I will kill her. I have ways of seeing the future, and she is part of it. I will find her, and I will take her away from you. You will watch me as I corrupt her soul, and then send her straight to the very fires of hell," he said. "No!" I screamed. I sat up and felt my stomach. Before I could think another thing I grabbed John and pulled him against me. I needed him, I needed his confidence, and I just needed to be held. John pulled me close, and so did Rainbow. He tried to ask me what was wrong, but all I could really do was cry out in pain. That filly wasn’t even born yet and it hurt having her ripped from me. “Luv it’s okay,” he said. “He took her! He stole our daughter! He stole her!” I cried. “What? What happened?” he asked. “He took her away from me! He stole her and he’s going to corrupt her!” I cried. “Luv, no one is going to hurt our children,” he soothed. “He took her,” I whimpered. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (John’s POV) I held her as the tears ran dry. I held her as she finally relaxed, and long after she fell back to sleep I continued to hold her. I knew exactly what she was talking about. I could feel the dreamwalking going on, and I had seen it. I was outside when it happened, and I couldn’t get to her. I had to watch, I had to horribly watch as my darker half stole our daughter. And that is what hurt Twilight. She knew, on some level, that it was our child. She understood it, had seen it, and now she was dealing with the knowledge that when we did have a little girl there would be a threat looming over our heads. Behind me I felt Rainbow Dash adjust herself, her wing spreading over both of us in protection and a snort coming from her nostril. She wanted to protect, to stand guard against what could happen. She was so loyal, and that was part of Epiphany I missed. Pippy was loyal, loyal enough that she faced a room full of bloody halfbreeds holding a pistol to save my arse. Rainbow was the same. She wanted to stand by us, and make sure that nothing could hurt us. But that was the problem. Something could, and something was going to try to. If I was going to protect them, and everything that could come I couldn’t stand outside of it anymore. I would have to face my darker half, and in the end only one of us would be walking out. > Civil War > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The Trials of John Constantine Chapter 14 Civil War (Cadence’s POV) This week couldn’t be any worse if Celestia was to appear before me, claiming to be sorry for raping my husband, and then telling me that she’s having a foal from it. Shining… My sweet, sweet Shining is hurting so badly, and there is nothing I can do to help him. I talk with him, try to explain that I know it’s not his fault, but all he can do is spout nonsense about how he broke what is between us. It hurts so badly to see him in pain. It hurts to see the stallion I love more than anyone else in the world suffering. I’ve considered going to war with Aunt Celestia over this. I truly have considered making her suffer. The Crystal Empire has grown quite a bit stronger, and I know my army actually has seasoned veterans in it. These ponies had stood their ground against King Sombra before he took over. They didn’t just roll over. Shining, before all of this, had the good sense to appoint Sergeant Swift Arrow as his second in command. I questioned the decision before. Swift Arrow seemed like the Pegasi of old. War like, determined, ready to start a fight, but he’s also proven to be a loyal member of our army. When he found out what had happened to Shining Armor he asked when we were going to attack. He was ready to call the troops together, and march on Canterlot. That’s the very loyalty I respect. He’s checked in every day, and it’s obvious by the way he looks at Shining Armor he knows what he’s going through. I’ve never asked Swift Arrow what happened to him during Sombra’s reign, and I’m not sure that I want to know. I do know that the scars on his face aren’t all from battle. I’ve never worked with the guard before, but I heard stories from the Lunar Pegasi about how some things were done. How they would take a hot iron and press it against a pony’s flesh in order to get to the truth of the matter. Aunt Luna’s troops are the reason I’m still hesitant in going to war with Celestia. Celestia may have Unicorns in her troops, but so do I. No, it’s the lunar Pegasi I’m worried about. They don’t have the same morals about attempting to preserve life. They know battle means doing what must be done in order to win. They won’t stop until either they are all dead, or until they’ve destroyed my troops. I’m lucky enough to have half a dozen Lunar Pegasi here, and all of them are standing members of my army. All of them are ready to serve, and I know all of them will die trying to accomplish whatever mission I assign them. They aren’t ones for going in half ready. They are ones who will do anything and everything they can to ensure that we will win. Still, half a dozen isn’t near the horde of Lunar Pegasi that Luna has. Her numbers don’t stop at a mere hundred or two hundred. Luna has a standing guard of well over a thousand Lunar Pegasi. “It’s her fault,” a faint voice says. “Who is that?” I ask. “She knows lust, but not love. She doesn’t understand love. There are so few that do. Let me in. Let me help you show the world the power of love. We will make them love one another. They will understand what they do to one another daily. They will feel what they do to one another through love. Just let me in,” the voice soothingly says. It sounds so good. I could do it. I could heal the world. I could change it. I’d be making everypony understand each other. I would be helping, and I would make Aunt Celestia understand what she’s done. I close my eyes and see the being that’s talking to me. She’s a darker shade of pink than I am. Her mane is ethereal, flowing with heart swirling around through it. She stands taller than me, and her fangs… They are somehow beautiful. “What about Shining?” I ask. “Do you doubt that I love him any less? We will heal his heart, give him peace, and we shall heal all of Equestria. They shall know the love they need for one another, and it will not stop there. All of the world will understand. Everyone will feel each other’s pain, and they will love one another. Just let me in,” she says. I open my forelegs, and the hug I feel is warm. There is a warm breath on my neck, the scrape of fangs on my skin, and then I feel myself being pushed to the bed. I feel her becoming one with me. Her power entering me, and I understand. I see the answer. The truest answer that exists is love. Love is more powerful than anything else. It’s more powerful than Friendship, because it is the next step of Friendship. Love is more powerful than the strongest magic because it controls magic. Love will make the world obey. It will make the world understand, and it will heal Shining Armor. It will give him peace. I feel what is happening, and part of me feels excited, until I feel something else from her. What she plans to do, how she plans to rule, and how she plans to destroy those who would stand against us with the very love I want to spread. “No, this isn’t what I want!” I scream. “It’s too late for that Princess Cadence, much too late,” she says. Her voice no longer feels like honey. It’s acidic, terrible, full of venom and anger. I try to push her out. I try so hard, but she pushes back. I feel something, and I know I shouldn’t feel a thing. I feel her behind me. My tail is moved out of the way, something presses against my tail hole. “You are mine. This body is my body, and your soul is my little slave now. You are my pet, and you shall know me as your master. I am Nightmare Heart,” she says. “NO!” I scream. Suddenly I feel myself pushed back, throw into a dark place and I watch as she shuts me away from my own body. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Nightmare Heart’s POV) So much anger over what has happened, so much hate and despair fills this body. I had no idea Cadence would fall so easily. I had almost expected Celestia to fall, but then she is wearing one of those damnable amulets. Constantine, that bastard, he has been working to prevent our rise to power. The Gryphons already know how to block our attacks. They’ve kept the ancient ways because of tradition, and it has saved them. The same for the Minatours, but with Love, oh with love they will fall. Still, there is a special place I need to be. I would be lying if I said I don’t care for Shining Armor. I am Cadence, and she is me. I love him, and I will heal him. I will bring him back, and then I will watch Celestia burn for hurting him. I will watch all of Canterlot turned into rubble, and I will laugh as it happens. I will laugh as Celestia is brought before me bleeding and begging for her life. I will laugh as I allow Shining Armor to choose her fate. It is the least I can do for my beloved. I look at the mirror and study how I look. I am a mare of unknown power now. Nightmare Moon’s mistake had been trying to destroy everything in an attempt to make every subject love her and her night. That wasn’t the answer. In order to bring order, in order to create true harmony with the entire planet would take more than destroying everything with unending night. It would take making the world love each other, forcing them to feel the pain they’ve caused to others through that love. Love was many things, and this world is going to learn that love is pain, love is greedy, love is spiteful, and love demands to be first in everything. They would learn, and they would fall in line. They would want the softer side of love, and I would give it to them. I would bless them with the warmth of a lover’s embrace. I could give them the comfort of knowing they held their one true love, and I would ensure that they would want nothing more than that. But first I needed to tear them down before she built them back up. Still, there was someone else that needed me. I walked to the door, and focused. I needed him to see me before. I didn’t want to scare him. His love powers me, completes me, and I want to return it to him. I step into the room he is in and hear the choking sounds. My eyes widen as I look on in terror. Shining, my Shining is trying to pay for what he considers his sins in the most foolish way. I rush toward him, and drop the illusion of being merely Cadence. I hold him up and see his bulging eyes. They close, his breathing is faint, and I force the noose from around his neck. “No! You will not leave me! Shining I love you, and I will not let you leave me!” I shout in my Canterlot voice. His eyes flutter, but they don’t open. I hold him against me. Standing on my hind legs, my forelegs wrapping around him, and I hold him as tightly as I can. I hold him as his breathing slows. I hold him as it grows fainter, and I hold him as all that could possibly keep me from destroying this world teeters on the very edge of it. “I won’t let you leave me,” I say as my magic covers him. “You will never leave me,” I promise. I feel it change inside of him. I feel the very part of him that once made him the stallion he was rip away. I know that I am violating him as Celestia had, but I am his wife. I am doing this to protect him. I am giving him a blessed gift of Immortality because I love him. I am tying him to me forever because I cannot stand to be without him. I am… destroying his very soul because I’m afraid of losing him. I let go and he falls to the floor. His eyes glow a soft pink, and they are hallow. I back away from him, I look at what I have created and another emotion floods through me. I feel so much self-loathing, so much self-hate filling me. I watch as he steps toward me. “Ccccaaaaddddyyyyy,” he slurs. “Shiny, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “I lllllloooooovvvvveeeeee yyyyyyyooooooouuuuuu,” he slurs out. “I know, and I love you too. I love you so much,” I wisper. My self-loathing changes into a burning rage. Celestia has done this. She has caused this! I once again make myself look like Cadence, and walk out onto the balcony to look at my soldiers. “Swift Arrow, ready our troops! We march on Canterlot!” I shouted. There is a roar of approval from the troops. All of them love Shining Armor. All of them would lay down their lives for him, and now they get to help avenge him. We march on Canterlot, and we burn it to the ground. I will be merciful, I will be loving, and I will mercifully, and lovingly show every citizen of that city what their beloved Princess has done. I will display what Celestia forced me to do to Shining Armor, and I will free them. I will either free them from her grips, or I will free them from their lives! XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Demon Constantine’s POV) I see it, and it surprises me. A nightmare has taken another princess. I’ve heard Rosey talking about it. I’ve heard her talking about the dream demon that took Princess Luna, and how the princess has long since learned how to shield herself from it. Seeing it now, seeing this before me and hearing her declaration of war I smile. I had hoped to use this filly for leverage, but I won’t need to. I merely have to wait and watch. What another demon did has sparked what I wanted, and my own corruption is spreading out of Canterlot. It won’t take long for things to splinter and fall apart, and all I have to do is watch. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Luna’s POV) I feel something I haven’t felt in so long. Fear, true biting and horrid fear fills me. It crawls up inside of my chest and weighs down on me. I look at the empty bed I’m in and for a moment I wish that Amethyst Star was still alive. He had been one of the few ponies of the day that loved me back before I fell into Nightmare Moon’s clutches. He was my rock, and his death… It gave Nightmare Moon the grip she needed to take me. I try to envision what he would say now. “Luna, we cannot stop that which is beyond our control. We can only focus on that which is within our grasp,” a memory of him says. I get up and feel the aether. It’s there, and it has taken Cadence. A nightmarish spawn like Nightmare Moon has her, and it is corrupting her. What I feared would happen if Cadence wasn’t able to climb out of the abyss she began to slip into has happened. I walk toward the door. My sister is in her day court, she is undoubtedly dealing with the few nobles brave enough to step out of their homes, but they will have to go away unanswered. I walk into the room, and what I see is not what I expect. I expected to see nobles complaining about trivial things, but instead there is a couple holding a beaten and bruised filly. Blood streaks down her thighs, and from her back I can see the whelps from harsh hoof prints on her. I feel the anger of the mother, the despair and rage of the father, and the fear of the filly. She cries, burying her face in her mother’s mane. I walk closer and see an eye, barely hidden by her mother’s mane, swollen shut. I touch her shoulder and she looks at me. When she does I see that she has teeth missing, an ear missing, and one of her nostrils have been ripped open. Anger rises inside of me. I’ve seen these things in their dreams. I’ve helped Celestia find those responsible, but this changes what I considered. An ancient anger fills me and I turn toward my sister. “No more,” I say. “Luna…” she says. “No, no Celestia no more. There will be no more of this. I will gather my troops and we will clear those who have fallen to the corruption of this false Constantine. We will deal with them, and then we shall find him. You’ve tried Celestia, and my dearest sister… you have failed,” I say. I look at the couple and I gently touch the filly. She is barely bigger than Sweetie Belle was when she tried to sabotage her sister’s work. She is so young, and she’s been exposed to the worst that could happen. I gently touch her with my magic and pull her to me. My forelegs wrap around her and I hold her close. I know violation, different, but still there. I hate that another feels it. I gently kiss her forehead. “Little one, I promise you that I shall do everything I can for you,” I say. “Make them suffer,” her father says. I look up at him. “They made us watch. The three of them made us watch what they did to her. Make them suffer. Make them wish they were never bucking born!” he screams. “Trust me, I intend to,” I say. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (John’s POV) I’ve had Twilight and Rainbow help me recreate the spell to find my darker half. I need to find him, and I need to end this. This bloody well can’t keep happening, and this time I plan on doing what must be done. I’ve stopped before because he is part of me. In a strange way he is family, but I can’t excuse what he’s done. I have to bloody well take everything he’s done and hang it on my shoulders. I have to do it because I created him. I feel Twilight’s wing on me. She is gently nuzzling my neck. She knows, they both do, and they’ve said that they’re ready to help. I want to keep both of them out of it, but it’s not just them. There is four more coming with us, well five more with Discord. “Where is he?” Twilight asks. I point at the map and she looks at the frozen area. “That’s the Crystal Empire!” she shouts. I watch as she writes a quick note and then she looks up. “Spike! I need you send a letter to Cadence for me!” she shouts. He walks down and looks at her. He lifts the letter, breathes fire, and soon it’s turned into a bit of sparkly dust that flies out of the window. “Maybe she and Shining Armor won’t fall prey to him,” she says. I hope not, but it’s possible they already have. We walk toward the platform and we wait. For a moment there’s nothing and then finally a tube pulls up. “Twi, what in tarnation are we doing?” a pony I’ve never met asks. “Applejack, there’s something that we’ve got to stop, and I want all of us to be together when we do it,” she says. We begin to board the tube and I wonder. What will happen. “Woah!” Pinkie Pie shouts as she begins to shutter and shake into the tube. “What is it?” I ask. “It’s a doozy! Whatever’s happening is a DOOZZZZZYYYYYYY!” she shouts. > Battle Lines > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The Trials of John Constantine Chapter 15 Batlle Lines (John’s POV) I knew it. I bloody well knew that something had happened. We were forced to stop before we reached frozen land surrounding the Crystal Empire. Sounds something above us had caught our attention and the moment we climbed off we could see what it was. Pegasi filled the sky, and between them were airships. Large Zeppelins that appeared to work off of Steam power loomed overhead. Like everyone who had ever watched a bit of the History Channel I had seen the documentaries over the Hindenburg. It was the single most reason why the airships were mainly discontinued. The cons of flying what was basically a helium filled balloon with combustible engines were far more than the pros of what those airships could do. Seeing those airships I wondered what it was that we were watching. A few of the Pegasi swooped down to where we were. One of them gave a half salute to Twilight before another form swooped down. Even without the amulet I made for myself I could see the reality below the illusion, and I knew that Twilight could see it too. I looked at Twilight and saw her shaking her head. I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. “Cadence, this isn’t you,” Twilight said. “Twilight, I offer you a chance. Because you are my sister-in-law, and because I love you I am giving you this one chance to surrender, become my prisoner, and sit out what is coming,” she said. “You’ve got to fight this Cadence! I know that you’re strong enough to fight this!” Twilight shouted. “Guards, the Princess of Friendship is distraught over the happenings. Make her, and her friends board the train, and take it into the Crystal Empire. They are to be treated as confined guests. Give them rooms in the palace, but do not let them leave,” Cadence said before she took wing back up to a large Airship. “Princess, I suggest that you board your train now,” one of the Pegasi said. “Mate, you want to try to make her?” I asked. He turned toward me; his eyes showed a silent fury I had seen a few times. It was the fury reserved for a deep seeded anger. It was the kind of anger that’s caused when someone close has been hurt. I’d seen it with Gemma. It was aimed at me after I couldn’t save her mum. The fact that her mum was taking half of the punishment meant for her bastard of a father only made things worse. She had believed that Uncle John could save her mum. She knew that I could walk right into hell and drag her mum out, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t because it had to be her mum’s choice, and her mum loved that bastard too much to let him suffer like he should have. Whatever the Pegasus I was looking at had happen it was similar. They had something happen, and they wanted to rip someone’s bloody head off for it. “Don’t make me repeat myself,” he said. I looked at him, and I got ready. It was going to be a fight. There was no other choice. This wanker was itching to start a fight, and I was going to give it to him. I’d bloody well do what I had to do. Besides, I hadn’t had a good tussle in a while. I got ready to throw the first punch when something painful exploded against the back of my head. Everything turned brilliantly white, and I heard Twilight and Rainbow Dash yelling. Both of them angry, and then it turned black. It was black for several minutes until a bright and blinding light surrounded me. I walked a few steps and then I heard a throat clear. “Well, Maniea did say that you were special,” a disembodied voice said. “I’m guessing that you’re one of the bloody Endless right? Want to tell me what in the bloody hell is going on?” I asked. The bright white light began to pull itself into a single spot. I watched as it gathered from every stretch of my view and formed into a stallion that looked very similar to the princesses including Twilight. He stood there for a moment and smiled at me. “What’s going on John is something that shouldn’t be happening. We can’t get directly involved, but there is nothing against me helping to shape a dream. So, I want to show you something,” he said. The world changed until I was looking at a ruined city. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of bodies littered the streets. Houses, businesses, and other buildings were destroyed. It looked as if somehow the Blitzkrieg had happened all over again. In the distance I heard a pain filled moan and I walked toward it finding Princess Luna. I looked up to see Celestia in the middle of a battle. The princess that had talked to us a moment ago was still fighting her, but it was obvious that Celestia was pulling punches. That’s when I heard the cackling. It was the horrible cackling that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. I felt every hair of my coat standing on edge. My eyes turned toward the sound and I saw the cackling creature. I could tell that she had been a beautiful creature at one time, but now she looked as if there was more of a demonic presence than anything else. Behind her was another being I hadn’t expected to see. She looked different as a pony, and there was tears streaking out of her eyes. She never cried before. Out of all of the times I had seen her collecting souls I had never seen Death cry, but she was openly crying here. I started to step toward her when I saw the demonic mare that was laughing stamp her hooves on the ground. For a moment nothing happened, and then the very ground began to split open. I could see ancient seals and wards breaking. Any daft bastard knows that Hell isn’t really underground. It exists in an entirely different plane of existence, but the symbolism is needed. Breaking open the ground, and destroying the wards is symbolic enough to release whatever is trapped, or making the door wide enough for everything to come spilling out at once. I turned back toward Dream, and whatever he was expecting I’m certain a hoof across the muzzle wasn’t it. “What was that for?!” Dream yelled. “You daft wanker! Why show me this if there’s nothing I can do to stop it?!” I yelled back. “John, there is a way to stop it. The others are going to be angry at me, but I can already feel your mind trying to awaken. I need you to listen carefully John. There’s going to be a choice you have to make. It’s a dangerous choice, and likely it’s something that you’ve been offered before and turned down,” he said. “Oh bloody hell, you’re saying I have to join him back into me aren’t you?” I asked. “John, it may be the only way. You were the strongest when he was part of you,” Dream said. “I know mate, and I remember what it was like having him in here. The anger, the rage, the pain, and the guilt all swirling around at once, and it never left me alone mate. I had to do the hardest thing I’ve ever done by tearing out part of my soul and creating him. It was just as hard as it was to tell Gemma that I couldn’t save my sister,” I said. He nodded and touched my cheek. “John, I wouldn’t ask this, but I can’t let any harm come to my daughter. I will not sit idly by and do nothing. The problem is if I interfere then it brings all of the Endless into this. The battle wouldn’t last long. In truth the war would be over before it even began, but then some of the Endless wouldn’t want it to finish,” he said. “Destruction is one of them right?” I asked. “Actually, here he goes by War, and yes he and Despair would want this to continue. They would grow more and more powerful, and both of them would be too drunk on that power to listen to any of us. Right now they listen to Destiny and Death, but the moment they surpassed their powers there would be nothing either of them could do. It would be us watching this world come to an end,” Dream said. “What if there is another way?” I asked. “Like what John?” he asked. “The House of Mystery is still connected to me. I could call it here, possibly,” I said. “That’s a long shot, but even if you could what could the House of Mystery give you?” I smiled at him. “Mate, the house of Mystery holds the knowledge of every magi that has ever lived. The wards around it are unbreakable, and when the one that it is connected to touches it the house offers up its magic to them,” I said. “John, you would be taking a living being, that has unknown power, into a conflict and using its power against a dream demon,” he said. “Yeah Mate, I would. I’d do it to protect something worth protecting,” I said. He shook his head. “You are a reckless pony John Constantine. Go, call the house and see if it will respond to you. If it does then perhaps your plan stand a chance, but if not then you need to find your darker half,” Dream said. I felt myself waking up. It was no longer cold and we were pulling up to a train station. I stood, wobbly, and closed my eyes. I had one chance of doing this. I thought of the House of Mystery. It’s old fading paint, the dark windows, and the familiar aura surrounding it. I focused on it. As I did thunder erupted overhead, and several of the Pegasi looked around. “What’s going on? There’s no storm scheduled for today,” they said. The thunder erupted again and I felt it. The house was breaking through into this universe. It flew straight toward us only to be bounced off of an energy shield. “Luna Teats! Did you see that?!” one of the Pegasi shouted. “John?” Twilight asked. “It’s help luv. I reached out and asked for some help,” I replied. She looked up to see the house hit the shield again this time causing a crack. “You better let us go mate,” I said. “What’s going on?!” one of the Pegasi asked as he pushed me to the ground. “That there is my house, and you’ve seemed to upset it. I’d say that right now, letting us go, and letting us step outside of your shield might be the only way to protect yourselves,” I replied. “Call it off!” he yelled. “Mate, that house is protective. It sees you being rough to me, and it’s going to react. You might think of it as a really big dog. A really big dog that has just seen you hurt its master, and all it knows to do is react,” I said. “If you don’t call it off I’ll give it a reason to be upset,” he replied evenly. The shield cracked more as the House of Mystery slammed against it. I knew that the house might would get through, but it even if it did there was no guarantee that we would be able to get to it. The house itself wouldn’t attack anyone. That wasn’t what it did. It needed guidance to do what was needed, and right now it was only doing the one thing it could do on its own. It was trying to get to me. “Sir, the crack is getting bigger!” a mare shouted. “Bucking Tartarus! Fine, we’re all going out there to meet it. Don’t try anything foolish,” he said. I nodded and we began to trot out there. “Twilight Sparkle, you’re invited. Pinkie Pie, you’re invited, Rainbow Dash, you’re invited, Discord, you’re invited, F… Oh Bollocks… Flutter something… Come on John think! You’ve got less than fifty steps before you reach the edge of the shield. She’s shying away from… Fluttershy! That’s it Fluttershy! Fluttershy, you’re invited, last one mate… We saved her life mate. Rar… Rare? No… Rarity? Damn it… We’re almost there… I hope that it’s your name love… Rarity, you’re invited, and Apple... Applejack, your invited” I thought as we made our way out of the shield. Once we were outside of it the cold hit. We walked toward the front of the house and I stepped up toward the door. “What are you doing?” one of the guards asked. “Mate, I have to let my house know that I’m fine. We’ll just all walk in and then it will settle down,” I said. They began to follow us and the moment the last of us made it inside the door slammed shut. “OPEN UP!” he yelled. “Good luck on getting in mate!” I yelled back at him. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Twilight’s POV) I could hear the guards shouting, but that wasn’t what was getting to me. There was so much magic here. It was all kinds of magic. There was magic like John’s, unicorn magic… I felt a strange bit of magic that felt really familiar. It was magic I had felt when I was studying magic under Celestia. Magic that she told me had lingered around since… “Star Swirl used this house,” I said. “It’s possible luv. The House of Mystery exists between universes. Every generation it chooses someone to bond to, and that someone gets the joy of being the house’s connection to the living world. There’s been a few magi, wizards, sorcerers, and other magical beings that shared the house. It gets to experience their lives, and in return it keeps their memories alive. I haven’t explored all of it yet, but if that git Star Swirl was connected then everything he knows is in here,” he said. “John, this is perfect! We can find out how Star Swirl contained the break out, and then we can adjust it!” I exclaimed. I watched as he nodded and all eight of us began to walk into the house. In the distance I could hear something whispering. I tried to listen to it, to hear what it was saying, but it was just faint voices coming from a darker part of the house. John stopped and turned back toward us. “Stay together. I invited all of you in, but the house does have a tendency to reflect some of the people it has bonded to. Not everyone that has been bonded to it has been a good person,” John said. “You mean pony right?” Rarity asked. “I’m afraid not,” he said. She looked worried, but I gently hugged her with my wing. She settled down and we followed John into a large library. It was enormous, and I could see texts and books everywhere. I started to step forward when John stopped me. “Give the house a moment,” he warned. I waited and finally a huffing sigh came from a corner. I watched as dark shadowy being walked out. It took shape and then reshaped once more until it resembled a pony. “I do wish that you would have let me frighten her,” the shadowy pony said. “Not very likely mate, so you know why I called you right?” he asked. “John, I’ve existed since the beginning of your planet. I watched it form, and I even watched the spat that happened between the Lord of Hosts and the First, second, and Third of the fallen. One thing I will say is if they adopted the attitude these ponies usually have then your world would have been a much nicer place. But then again, I suppose when you’ve went through the trouble of creating a world only to have one of your underlings demand that they have the right to rule it… It is bond to make someone quite upset,” the shadowy pony said. “Who are you?” I asked. He turned to me and studied my wings and horn. For a moment he smiled, and then suddenly he copied me sprouting a horn and wings as well. He also formed a bit of a shadow into a crown and wore it lopsided on his head. “Why I am a multitude of things. I am Star Swirl the bearded, Clover the Clever, Faust the loving, John Constantine Petty Dabbler of the Dark Arts, Dr. Fate, Dr. Stephen Strange Sorcerer Supreme, and if he bonds with you and your friend there I will be Princess Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash. I am the lives of those who have lived and bonded with me,” the shadowy pony said. “Wait, how could you be John, or me?” I asked. “I am connected to the lives of those bonded with me. In return I am connected to the lives bonded with them. That is how I am also Clover the Clever,” the shadowy pony responded. “Wait… Star Swirl and Clover married?” I asked. “No, but they joined together as one flesh inside of me. When they did that they bonded. Their souls joined together. John, Rainbow Dash, and you have bonded already, and I can feel your experiences, see them, hear your thoughts, but it’s faint. It’s a mere echo, but once you talk to Star Swirl I’m sure that three of us will become far better aquatinted,” the shadowy pony said. I felt my cheeks blush. John had told me his theory on what Star Swirl had done in order to seal up the entrance before. If that was what was going to have to happen the shadowy pony meant that John, Rainbow, and I were going to have too… XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Rainbow Dash’s POV) I really should be getting used to seeing Twilight having a minor freak out. The moment that Shadowy Pony said something about finding Star Swirl she began to twitch and her eyes shrank to pin pricks. I shook my head and walked over to her. “Twilight, it’s fine,” I said. “We’re going to have to do that thing together,” she whispered. “What?” I asked. “We’re going to have to do that Tantric Sex Magic thing,” she whispered harshly. My eyebrow raised as she said that. That was one of the best experiences I had ever had with magic. I had never felt my body respond like that before, and then when John pulled me back against him. The moment he filled me.. Oh sweet Celestia I would have agreed to anything he would have asked at that moment. It was better than Soarin’ ever tried to be. I felt everything he was doing to me, and then I felt everything I was doing to him. I could feel what it felt like to dive into me, and to be honest… I feel awesome! I wanted to try everything, do everything, I wanted to live in that moment for the rest of my life! If that’s what we have to do then I’m fine with it. That’s when I noticed Twilight still freaking out. I gently hugged her and felt her shiver a little. “Twilight, it’s fine. It’s going to be okay,” I said. “It will be more than okay! We’ll be joined, and I will be able to see through two more lives! I love the idea of doing that! It’s so exciting to know what life is like through another being! Why when I became one with Clover the Clever I was able to see what it was like to fall in love and then have the one you love so much pull away because of the fear of losing them. I felt her pain as she gave birth to her son alone, and I watched through her eyes as she experienced every great and wonderful joy. She was one of my favorites, but then again so was Star Swirl,” the shadowy pony said. “What do you mean she was pushed away?” I asked. “Oh, Star Swirl felt that if he got too close to her that it could hurt her. He felt that just being with him that one time could have been enough to corrupt her. After they closed the gates, and sealed them, he tried to see her less and less. I felt it break his heart as he pushed her away. He honestly felt that it was the only way to save her,” the shadowy pony said. “That egghead, what the buck was wrong with him? Twilight always goes on about how smart he was, but if he had somepony that was his special somepony he should have wanted to be with her!” I exclaimed. “Sometimes it’s not that simple Rainbow,” John said. “Sure it is! You love somepony and they are part of you!” I exclaimed. “Yes they are, and sometimes you have to leave in order to protect them. You have to make a deal that makes you realize what a daft bastard and miserable sod you are in order to protect them. You do it for a noble reason, but inside you question if that was really the reason at all,” he said. And suddenly I felt like an idiot. John had left his entire family behind. He had to count them as dead to protect them, and here I had just said that what he did was stupid. I walked toward him and nuzzled his neck. “I didn’t mean it,” I said. “You did luv, but I know what you truly meant. You felt that git Star Swirl wasn’t being loyal to himself and to Clover, and that just didn’t sit well with you right?” he asked. “Yeah, that was part of it. I… I just don’t want you or Twilight to think that we can’t be together,” I admitted. “Oh that feels wonderful… Oh I like flying!” the shadowy pony said. “What?!” I exclaimed. “You bonded, completely, with John,” the shadowy pony said. “But… We didn’t do the Tantric Sex magic thing,” I replied. “You don’t always have to rely on one type of magic. Friendship and Love are two separate types of magic and they are just as powerful. In fact the Tantric Sex Magic works better if the people, or ponies, that are doing it are in love. It has even more power to draw from,” the shadowy pony said. “So, Star Swirl fell in love with Clover the Clever in here?” Twilight asked. “Yes, she loved him before they did, but he loved her afterward. When he realized how devoted she was to him. The fact that she went along with preforming that kind of magic without question had touched him deeply. It was all the more reason he was so heart broken,” the shadowy pony said. I looked at him and then at John who had turned his attention to one of the books. He pulled it out with his magic. It looked old, really old, and the cover looked like it was made of something really weird. The old book creaked open and a bright light erupted up through it as he turned the pages. A moment later he closed the book and shook his head. “That was a long shot,” he said. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Discord’s POV) I felt Fluttershy’s hoof on my paw and I smiled at her. Gently I lifted her up into an embrace. The truth was I knew of this house from long ago. I had seen it bond with Celestia’s mother not long after I felt Dream with her. The house wasn’t an Endless like I was, or like Maniea is, but instead it was a different kind of being. It simply existed. There was no rhyme or reason at all for it. The house simply existed without having ever been built, or ever been designed. It simply came into being. It was one of the truest sources of Chaos in the universe, and I felt a huge draw to it before. Fluttershy gently nuzzled her head against my shoulder, and I held her. “It’s okay Fluttershy,” I cooed. “There are so many ponies here,” she said. “There are, but most of them aren’t dangerous,” I said. “Discord, this house is like you isn’t it?” she asked. It was another reason I loved her, and perhaps the main reason I was willing to face eternity alone after she was gone. I would have her memory with me. “It is Fluttershy, and like the house has done with those who bonded with it I have done with you. You are part of me, and I am part of you,” I said. “Won’t you be lonely?” she asked. She didn’t finish because neither of us liked to think about that. It was a time that was far too soon to come, and I didn’t want to think about spending the rest of my everlasting life without her. It was true that part of her would forever be with me, but the thing that makes her who she is would be gone. “I’ll have your memory, and perhaps one day more, but until then we don’t need to worry,” I said. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (House of Mystery’s POV) Oh I like this. I love this feeling. I haven’t been back to Equestria in so long… Out of every reality I like this one this most. The ponies are friendly, and I get to see their world through their eyes. Star Swirl was a little stuffy, but that’s just because of how he was. They’re talking to me, and I can hear them, but I’m seeing through Rainbow Dash’s eyes, and now I can see through Twilights. That kiss, that gentle kiss John gave her let me see through her eyes… Oh no… No… Cadence… “We don’t have any time to lose John,” I said. He looked at me and I shook my head, “John, we don’t have much time. Cadence needs to be saved,” I said. Twilight’s ears twitched and I know she understands now. I am one with her. I see into her head and I’ve seen everything. I felt everything she experienced. Flash Sentry becoming an ass and letting me know that he had no intention of really being with me. Then I felt when she met John. That strange connection she had, and how it blossomed, and spread. I felt as John took her to bed, how they kissed, and I felt when she lost her virginity. It all rushed through my head. Every moment, every thought, but right now the main thought was of saving and stopping Cadence. We had to do it. “Where’s Star Swirl?” John asked. “Follow me,” I said. > A Lover's Memory > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The Trials of John Constantine Chapter 16 A Lover’s Memory (Twilight’s POV) Every room was different. It was like someone had given Pinkie Pie a decorator’s license and told her to go crazy. Each room reflected someone or something different, and it didn’t help that most of the beings that had bonded with this house were of a species I only knew about because of John’s dreams and that stupid mirror. I followed John and the Shadowy Pony deeper into the house. We climbed up a stairwell and John stopped as we reached a room. His hoof gently touched the door, and it swung open. I looked inside of it to see rolls of books about magic, crystals, skulls, and various ingredients for what appeared to John’s magic. He stepped into the room and a voice called from the other side of the room. “You left us John,” the voice said. It was clear, and it sounded like Rainbow Dash trying to talk like John did. I looked around and a moment later something stepped out of a darker corner. At first it looked like John did in his dreams, but then it fell and it reformed. She walked closer, and there was an almost exact copy of Rainbow Dash without her wings, and with a darker blue mane than her coat. Her eyes were a very pale blue, but her voice. “I’m carrying your child you wanker and you left us!” she shouted. I started to walk forward when I watched her slam a hoof into his muzzle. She hit him again, and this time she knocked him on his back. She straddled him and kissed him deeply. “Don’t you realize I love you? Don’t you understand that you miserable sod? John Constantine, bloody pillock, tosser, and most family oriented daft bastard to ever live,” she said letting him up. “I’m sorry Pippy,” he said. “You can’t tell me, her, whatever that you’re sorry. I’m her memory, and you know that. I feel everything she feels you miserable sod, and she feels this,” she said touching his cheek. “John?” Rainbow Dash asked. “The house bonded with Epiphany because I bonded with her. She’s in the house, part of it, and I know she understands,” he said. “Yeah, I bloody well understand. You wanted to protect me, all of us. You did it. Shade has kept his word, and not one of your enemies has even thought about coming around us. They’re too frightened. They know what he’s like John,” she said. I stepped closer to him and her eye raised up. “So, ponies eh?” she asked. “This is where Shade sent me,” he replied. “She’s cute, and the other one sounds like me. I should say that I’m glad you haven’t forgotten about me, but I’m still bloody well pissed off at you,” she said turning from him. “I know, and I can’t rightly ask you to forgive me,” he said. I watched as his head hung low. That’s when she did something I didn’t expect. She neared him, the strange jacket and pants she was wearing working with her. Unlike John the clothes simply changed to cover her in this form, and now she was touching his cheek. “She already has, and so have I. We… I know why you did what you did. I’m going to be pissed off, but I understand. You’re protecting your family, and in a way you had to die to do it. John, we both know what comes after this life, and we both know that you’re going to live a lot longer than I will. I might be an alchemist, but you’re a full-fledged Magi now. I might have eighty or ninety years, but you’ve got centuries. So, I’m going to tell you know what I had planned on telling you after I talked to the stranger. Be happy John,” she said as she smiled sadly, “Be happy, and you better come back in here to see to my needs.” “We’ll try to make him happy,” I said. She turned to me and looked me in the eye. Before I could say a word she grabbed me, pulled me close and kissed me just as deeply. She stood on her hind hooves forcing me to do the same. Her front hooves moved down to my cutie marks and I felt her pause there before she pulled up on them. “Mmmm!” was all I could get out of the lip lock. She broke the kiss and looked at me. “You found a straight one John,” she said. “Wha… What are you talking about?” I asked as I stepped back. “Nothing, I just considered what it would be like to have the three of us, gathered together, going at each other, and at the same time pleasing John,” she said. “What?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Oh, so two of them? John, I’m surprised at you, so are you…” she started to ask before Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No, I like Stallions. I’ve been asked before, and yes, I experimented, that’s how I learned that I like stallions. Besides… this would be too weird,” she said. “True enough,” Epiphany’s memory said. She walked toward Rainbow Dash, threw her forelegs around her, and hugged her. Rainbow looked almost panicked for a moment before Epiphany nuzzled her. “Be good to him,” she said. “I intend to,” she replied. After the two of them separated she walked over to John again. I watched as she nuzzled him. It wasn’t lustful, or demanding. It was just a sweet caress from her. She gently backed away and then looked at him. “Whatever you’re doing in here, you need to do it,” she said. He nodded. We backed out of the room, but she followed us. Together we walked down the hall into part of the house that looked more like an old castle than the house we had been in. The Shadowy Pony touched a door and it opened. When it did I could see a familiar cloak facing away from me. A gray stallion stood there, looking over several maps, a huge assortment of books were scattered around him, and finally he turned to face us. “It’s about bloody time, so I’m going to guess it was that cake guzzling trollop that’s up and done something. I’ve warned her. Don’t mess with magic you don’t understand!” he shouted. “Star Swirl?” I asked. “That’s Star Swirl the Bearded, and what seems to be going on?” he asked. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Discord’s POV) Seeing Star Swirl is exactly what I expected. The last time I had seen him was right before I was turned into a lawn ornament. It was quite funny that Twilight hasn’t done a genealogy study of her family. If she did then perhaps she might gather a few similarities between herself and old Swirly. Actually, looking at her I see quite a family resemblance between her and Clover as well. “Discord?! What are you doing here?!” Star Swirl’s memory demanded. “Oh, why I’m reformed. Been a perfect angel this entire time,” I said. “Ya mean except when ya’ll sold us out to Tirek right?” Applejack asked. I rolled my eyes and looked blankly at her. “In my defense his argument was quite pervasive, but it hurt when I lost all of your friendship,” I said. “Discord, god of Chaos, Avatar of Disharmony, has friends? Is there some new kind of madness released upon the world I am unaware of?” Star Swirl asked. “Just how would you know if there is? I mean you’re part of this house right?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Yes, and the house is connected to everypony that has bonded with it. While I am everything that Star Swirl ever was, or at least knew, I have access to everything every magic user who is bonded to this house knows. I must say the knowledge of Arcane Magic has been most useful, or it was,” he said. “That’s how you knew to make the runes isn’t it?” John asked. “Very good, but that’s not all I did. I found out how the runes worked, and I learned how to charge them, but I had to make them special… That cake guzzling trollop… She opened the gate didn’t she?” he asked. I laughed as he said that. I would have to remember what Star Swirl called Celestia. It would be fun to watch her trip around her words for a while. XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx (Demon Constantine’s POV) “This never gets old,” I thought as I lifted myself off of Rosey. She moaned, her body making her inner self feel things she had never felt before. A demonic body has several differences from a living body. The fact that she’s become the soul for the mare she’s in has finally become apparent. Her first act of rebellion was to attempt to use some of her dark magic to curse me. Lucky for me she’s a demon, and demon’s don’t use Arcane Magic to cast spells. No, they simply pull from the power that flows through them. If she was merely possessing a body she could pop out for a moment and call a soldier demon, or use her own power, but at the moment she’s stuck there. It’s also nice that she’s in a Pegasus body. She might have magic, but it’s for flying not for casting curses. “You’re a bastard,” she growled. “I know,” I replied. The small filly I had kidnapped lay sleeping in the other room. I walked toward her and touched her head. She woke up and looked up at me in wonder. A memory wipe spell and she was a blank slate ready to be imprinted on. “Why are we here?” Rosey asked. “We’re here because I want to gather some power together. The other John is keeping the guard busy, and this is a chance for me to see what powers this empire. I can tell it’s magic, and deep magic at that,” I said. “Do you plan to steal it?” she asked. “Not at all Rosey. I plan to use it to save Equestria right when they need it the most. I plan on giving them the peace they claim they crave,” I said. “Why?!” she demanded. “Because, then they’ll do anything I say to keep it, and I’ll be the only John Constantine left,” I said. “That’s it isn’t it? You want to be the only John Constantine. You don’t care about anything else,” she said. “I want to exist, and for me to exist the other John must take my place. Babbling inside of a padded room should work,” I said. > The Only Way to Travel Mini Chapter > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The Trials of John Constantine Chapter 17: The Only Way to Travel (Twilight's POV) I couldn't help but study the mare in front of me. The both of sitting down in what looked like a cross between a kitchen and an old laboratory. She had made some peppermint tea for all of us, and at the moment she, Rainbow Dash, and myself were currently drinking the tea, and studying each other. Finally, after another sip she looked up at me and winked. "You know Princess you have the worst poker face I've ever seen," she said. I looked at her and then breathed out a sigh. "I'm not used to traveling inside of a house. Not a train car with some of the creature comforts of home, but an actual house," I replied. "The House of Mystery is the only way to travel. The magic that surrounds it is older that most planets. It would take a combined effort of the Endless to break in here, and I'm not sure what they could do if they did," she said. "If this house is that old, and it's been everywhere, why haven't we heard of it before?" Rainbow Dash asked. Epiphany shrugged her shoulders and drank a little more tea. "My guess is that it appeared away from the notice of others, and those who found it didn't want everyone to know about it," she said. "Exactly," mummered Star Swirl as he went over the spell with John and Clover, who had finally been convinced to come out of her room. "You're still a right bastard, you know that right?" Clover said as she pointed to Star Swirl. "Clover, it has been well over a thousand years ago. I'm sorry that I shagged you so well that you fell in love with me, but let it go," Star Swirl said. "I loved you! I loved you and I had our child!" she cried out. "I doubt that you're the only one who did. For what it is worth I am sorry, but they need our help," he replied. I watched as she quieted down, but she gave him the stink eye as she went back to helping them. "That's another thing that bothers me," I said. "Finding out that your idol rutted his assistant?" Rainbow Dash asked. I stared at her before I nodded. "Twilight, he was a stallion, if he didn't rut anyone I'd be worried," she replied. I shook my head. "I grew up hearing how great he was with magic, and how powerful he was. Princess Celestia never told me anything else, and there wasn't anything else written!" I exclaimed. "She didn't tell you anything else because it wasn't any of that cake guzzling trollop's business what or who I did on my own time. Besides, she passed up her chance," Star Swirl said. "Ugh... how much longer until we get there?" I asked. Epiphany patted my hoof and smiled. "Well, there are a few things we could do to pass the time," she said with a wink. I leaned back and stared at her. I could feel my mouth hanging open. She began laughing as I sat flabbergasted. > A Slight Glimpse at the Past 'Mini Chapter' > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hellblazer of Equestria: The trials of John Constantine A slight glimpse at the past 'Mini Chapter' (Rainbow Dash's POV) In order to reach Canterlot unnoticed John, Star Swirl, and Twilight all thought it might be a good idea to enter into the aether. I wasn't sure what it meant, but from what they said time would pass differently, and if they followed certain pathways less than a few moments would pass in the physical world. I let out a huff and walked into the room that was supposed to John's. There was posters, books, skulls, and all kinds of things to look at. I noticed a record player, and I walked toward it. I touched it and it began playing a song. There was a sound from the doorway, and then I turned to see Epiphany, or her memory walk into the room. “John said that this was his life,” she said. I listened to the song. The the stallion on it sung about being locked up, beaten, going insane, and somehow I could believe it was John. I wanted to grab him, and I wanted to squeeze the sadness out of him. “How did he do it? How did he manage to survive everything?” I asked. She laughed and shook her head. “John Constantine survived because he is insane. When it comes to protecting what’s important to him he’s very insane. He faced down the king of all vampires for a bloke that happened to be a mate. He knew what could happen to him, but he faced that daft bastard down anyway,” she said. “I’m going to lose him aren’t I?” I asked. “I hope not. John’s powerful, and clever, but sometimes that’s not enough. What he needs, what he really needs is his friends ready to be there with him,” she said. I looked up as the song ended, and the player shut down. “What’s going to happen?” I asked. “I don’t know, and there’s no telling if the Phantom Stranger is around. If he is… Then perhaps you’ll find an answer. Well, perhaps you will if John doesn’t piss him off. He has a way of doing that,” she said. I nodded as I followed her out. We walked a little further and she stopped once more. “Look, if you want to save John then give him a reason to live. Give him something he had to leave behind. Give him a family. That man, stallion, whatever you want to call him, is at his strongest when he’s protecting family,” she replied to me.