Chapters Prologue
The guards spoke in hushed voices as they opened the gate. Judging by the fact that Princess Luna herself had come to deal with this, this was big. Very big. She marched in and had an entire platoon of royal guards with her and a very large cage. This would change the face of Equestria forever.
They made sure the castle’s inhabitants were sleeping when they brought the beast in. It was in a cage and bound, but still it did not seem contained. Battle with the creature, though it had felt too easy, had taken an hour. It had taken forty royal guards to take it down, and even then it had fought on even after it was bound by Princess Luna’s magic. This, however, had not saved the guards that had first encountered the monster. Two of them had gone insane after the fight was over; they kept saying that they were drowning in blood. This was especially disturbing considering it had happened to hardened veterans of ten years of service, instead of the younger members of the guards. Everypony was startled and unnerved about the fact that they had gone insane so quickly and after that many years of service. They could not be kept in any form of room due to the effects the battle had on them.
This creature certainly had its own devious purpose and they had to know what is was. It had single handily ransacked a small village, leaving a massive glowing five pointed star in the center.
Luna removed its gag with disdain and said, “We demand to know what art thou, and why thou art here.”
The monster responded in a deep hellish tone that spoke of the horrors it was capable of, “I am the servant of Hell known as Gorrog and you shall know my purpose soon enough.”
Luna replied, “That is not the correct answer.” Then, turning to the guards she said, "Send him to the dungeons, we shall see how he answers after a couple of weeks in a cage.”
The response she got was one that sent shivers through every pony in the room, it was a sound like rocks being crushed. It was this monster's laughter…
Several days went by and the guards were never able last more than a day, or two in the case of the strongest, before they fell into insanity. This was making Princess Luna nervous, so she decided to take it up with her sister.
Walking through the castle had a different feel to it than usual as of late. In the beginning it was unnoticeable, unless you went by the dungeons. The dungeons had the strongest feeling of malevolence and malice she had ever felt. She entered the throne room, where her sister had just finished court. Luna caught her at the perfect time because she was about to have short rest.
“Sister we have some tidings of great importance,” said Luna.
“Yes?” asked Celestia. "How important?" she said, showing only a slight bit of interest.
“The creature we captured has been affecting the castle and our guards who have kept watch on it. The guards have greatly deteriorated in strength and resolve, just yesterday one snapped and attempted to kill one of the other guards until being restrained; afterwards he claims no recollection of the previous events," reported Luna.
Celestia paused to think on this new information. “These events require immediate action,” Celestia said decisively after a few moments. “I shall deal with them personally.”
“I shall ready the dungeons for your arrival."
“That can wait, we must warn the bearers and the surrounding kingdoms of this evil,” said Celestia. “I will send the message,” she continued, “but we shall face this evil together.”
They left the throne room and entered a stair well into the lower portions of the castle. As they walked into the bowels of the castle she thought, this Gorrog is a terrible power if he is capable of driving ponies mad by just merely being in his presence.
“Sister he mentioned some place called Hell and that he was its servant.”
“This place, if it holds such a monster in its thrall, will be most terrible. We must sever any contact he has with it,” said Celestia.
When they entered the dungeon they discovered it had taken an entirely different look to it. It was starting to change, what was most prevalent was the door and outer wall of Gorrog’s cell. His door was completely black and the stone around it look scorched; even the torch to right of the door was changed, it burned far higher than it should and far hotter.
Then one of guards motioned to the other to open the door for the princesses. As they opened it they heard a sound that would soon become all too common in Equestria, the deep blood curdling roar of a Hell Knight. The sound caused several of the guards to shy away from the monster, and around twenty more to come running down to the cell. He moved forward, his walk causing him to lurch forward, while swinging his powerful arms from which several chains dangled. Then the demon came into good view for the ponies. His body bugled muscle and stood several feet taller than even the two alicorn princesses, and all of his strength and presence was captured by his head. It was coming out of the top of his torso on a short neck, it had two black eyes which portrayed no emotion and his expression was one of pure contempt for the force gathered in front of him. His mouth took up most of the lower half of his face and was full of large teeth meant to shear through bone and flesh with one powerful bite. And yet, the most mysterious feature was the ridge of bone on his forehead in the shape of a five pointed star.
He spoke in a deep tone, “I see you brought your strongest warriors to face me. Hopefully they will not fall as easily as their brothers did.” The last part was all but spat at them. He continued, “But I do see we meet again Luna. I see you brought this sister you spoke of when we first encountered. But I must say I can’t leave out my brethren from meeting you, can I?”
Before the two stunned alicorns could react they saw his star start to glow on his forehead, it burned with a feverish intensity. Behind him a far larger replica burned behind him. With a sound akin to thunder several creatures appeared flanking Gorrog, several looked like him but much smaller and most curiously with many more eyes. In front of them were several creatures, that would later earn a reputation as some most feared demons in his horde. They had five limbs, two of which were legs, the other appendages ended in a different hand; one had five fingers and on the other side of its body one had a pincer. Beneath that, the third and final one was a blunt stump. In addition to these it had two heads with small faces on top with long tongues hanging out of them.
“These are some of my Imps,” he said, gesturing to the ones that looked like him, “and my Maggots,” he said pointing at the five limbed creatures.
“You can’t hope to defeat us with such a small force, we have forty royal guards and you are facing the two most powerful ponies in Equestria!” retorted Celestia. The guards around her looked at her, waiting for the order to strike.
The two alicorns looked at each other and nodded, Luna knew from the last time she had seen Gorrog fight and from the terror he inspired, that had transfixed the castle on these dungeons but that entire meant nothing if he was dead. The guards advanced with spears forward and collided with the maggots, while the imps conjured fire balls in their hands and threw them at the advancing guards; who were so close together that that missing would be impossible and several went down in screams. This was followed by the maggots leaping onto to the fallen ponies, only to be speared by their fellows and in return the guards met another volley of the fire balls, but joined by one far larger one from Gorrog. Only, it was green and when it struck a pony, he and the ponies adjacent to him went flying. This was followed by him charging into the ranks of the guards who had now started to panic in the face of this assault. Then came a sound that they wouldn’t forget for the rest of lives, the sound of a pony’s spinal column being torn out of his back.
This brought all attention to the hell knight, he had grabbed the largest pony he could have and was tearing his head off along with his spine. Princess Celestia, on seeing this, charged; intending to impale him on her horn. He saw her and shifted to intercept the charge and grab her. Luna tried to tell her to stop, when she saw the red glow appear on his head. Gorrog grabbed her horn right as it went into the side of his stomach, they disappeared in a cloud of smoke and fire. The slaughter continued as the last of the demons were slain, they lost the raw fear their leader projected. Looking around, she realized that they left no corpses or remnants of their existence other than what they had done to their surroundings. This prevented her from even learning how many demons had been there.
She knew what had to be done, what this meant… war.
Chapter One: The Path to War.
The message had arrived in the normal fashion, hiccuped out by Spike; but judging by the look on Twilight’s face, it was far from normal.
“Twi, what is in that letter?” Spike asked, after seeing the look of horror on her face.
She responded, “Some type of monster has appeared...” she paused for a minute and then continued, “Celestia attempted to stop it. It intercepted her charge and then disappeared. This all happened in a larger battle between the royal guard and these demons, they defeated them but Princess Luna has a feeling they will be back.”
She finished the letter and slumped into her chair, staring at Spike. “My brother has been charged with the task of preparing an army to drive these demons back into hell and we are to play a part in this.” She sighed, “We're going to Canterlot...”
Spike stared and said, “So we are going to war?”
“Yes, Spike, we are,” she replied quietly.
She saw a recruiting drive as the train passed by a smaller town, around fifty stallions and mares marched forward headed by five royal guards; each destined for the newly formed Equestrian Army. As the train neared the column it halted and the soldiers boarded. They sat rank and file in the cars until there was little space left for any pony.
Twilight sighed and Spike asked, “Twi, what will we be doing there?”
“I have no idea,” she said, “but it will have something to do with those soldiers."
As they arrived they watched the recruits disembark and march into the castle, which now swarmed with these fresh new recruits training for war. She saw several companies training with the spear and some with the sword. On a different line they saw several rows of archers, firing at targets with completely unrecognizable shapes; each one having either five limbs and a grotesque appearance, or taller with the normal four limbs. Both were strange in appearance and she assumed that these were the demons Princess Luna’s letter had spoken of.
Spike suddenly remarked, “Twilight what exactly are those things? They don't look like anything I’ve even heard of.”
She replied, “Princess Luna is having us gather information on these creatures from the survivors of the skirmishes.”
“Survivors?” Spike asked.
“Yes Spike, about twenty of the sixty ponies who fought died, and five went insane from the shock of seeing and fighting their leader, some sort of monstrosity known Gorrog,” she finished with an involuntary shudder. “He was the one that stole Celestia from the castle and neither have been seen since the battle.”
Together they entered a large room resembling barracks where the still sane survivors had been stationed. The survivors eyed the pair warily. She approached the first guard and began her questioning. "What did they look like? What were their capabilities? How strong were they? And finally what was the big one like?" That got the attention of all the ponies in the barracks immediately, especially the ranking officer, judging by his helmet and armor.
“He tore the spine out of my predecessor, with his bare hands alone and his roars shook the room. When we started to turn the tide on those monsters, he tore through our ranks. Whenever we thought we could win we would look at him and see horrors, he personally killed five of the twenty ponies who died that day. By comparison, when we captured him, he was playing with us. When Celestia charged him, we knew he was finished, or we thought he was. He caught her horn, but not before she stabbed his side; I saw the horn go in, and saw the steam coming out as if his insides were boiling.” He finished with a barely contained shudder “If that’s what we’re fighting than many of those green foals will never see their mothers again.”
Spike and Twilight stared with looks of shock and horror on their faces.
“His soldiers just appeared behind him, as if on cue,” continued another pony, “We had more ponies but the fact that they just appeared mean that they could be anywhere right now.”
Spike looked at Twilight as they left the barracks and said, “How big does something have to be to tear a pony's head and spine out?” he asked, obviously shaken by the events that had been described.
“Very big...” was all Twilight said, feeling for the first time that this war was going to a long and extraordinary bloody one. When they would face the demons that would require this army that the Princess had gathered she did not want to think about.
“Hey, Twi, do you think the Elements of Harmony would be able to stop this Gorrog?”
She thought for a split second and immediately responded, “Excellent idea Spike but we would need to strike at him and him alone, as trying to defeat all of his army with that alone would be impossible. Also, we would need to be sure that they would work on him. We would need to fight them with this army my brother is raising.” Now I will need to report my findings to Luna.”
“I’ll go and watch the army,” he replied.
It was late when Spike turned in to go to bed. As he turned the handle to go into his room he felt a hand on his shoulder… a very large hand. Before he could turn around, he felt extremely tired and slumped to the floor. Before him stood Gorrog and behind him was a large hole which seemed to breathe out fire. The demon spoke surprisingly soft for a large terrible creature
“Hello, Spike, I see you have joined us tonight. We have something to offer you… a glimpse of what is to come."
His vision changed abruptly, he was now looking over a battlefield; what caught his attention immediately was a very large creature with mace like fists, a long body and a crocodilian head, with two massive horns on either side. It stood at head of a vast demon army. He saw several kinds of beasts that not even the ponies who had fought the demons had seen. They were facing an army of ponies and it was clear who would win, the demons had them far outnumbered. Then his vision focused on one pony in particular, he saw Rarity at the head of the army of ponies, she was saying something but was cut off by a roar from the gigantic demon, who thrust a massive fist towards them. This was the signal the demons had been waiting for and they charged. This was answered by Rarity brandishing her mace, and ordering them to charge. A four legged type of demon lead the charge, all of them howling as they ran towards the ponies, they were followed by the slower maggots and Hell Knights, who roared battle cries and launched their fire balls. His vision focused back to Rarity as she swung her mace into one the four legged demons. It fell on the ground then started to get back up when a pony next to her speared it through the midsection; most likely hitting its heart as it stoped moving, slumped down and burned away. Then a Hell knight jumped right where it was standing and roared. A large glob of saliva hit her in the nose guard of her helmet. She at first focused on the saliva, but the hell knight’s fist hitting her immediately afterwards shifted her attention back to the main threat as the armies crashed together around them. A flight of arrows from the archers feathered the demons and many dissolved back into the fires that they had come from, but not the Hell Knight, he had five arrows sticking out of his upper chest and arms, but still he fought on. Rarity swung the mace into his leg just as he was getting ready to swing again with his fists, and the beast fell to the ground. As she readied the mace for the final blow, his hand came up and grabbing the mace, ripping it from her hoof as he stood up in spite of his damaged leg, he grabbed Rarity and, to Spike’s horror, crushed her skull in his free hand. The vision faded along with the sounds of war and he returned to the pit.
Spike stared at Gorrog who said, “Spike, when the time comes you can prevent that from happening, simply join us of your free will and Hell will grant you the power to protect her from harm. On my honor as a Hell Knight.”
Before he could say anything the vision faded and he looked around, it was still dark, nothing looked changed. “That was odd,” he said scratching his head. Then the part about Rarity jumped to the forefront of his mind, of her fight with the hell knight. He resolved to tell Twilight immediately. He walked into her room saying, “Twilight I just had the strangest dre...” stopping when he saw her sitting on her bed eyes closed, her mouth moving silently, saying something unknown. He stared at her, noticing her eyes were moving beneath her lids.
“She must be seeing something from these demons as well.” He thought. She suddenly shook awake from the vision in a similar manner he had.
“I just saw Celestia die… he killed her,” she sobbed, collapsing into Spike’s arms. “I couldn’t do anything about it! I just felt so helpless!” She wailed.
Spike tried to comfort her by saying, “Twilight, you see that army out there, preparing for war. That army is going to avenge her death.”
He then reflected on the scene he had seen in his head of that giant monstrosity that had signaled the demonic charge. They went to bed that night both shaken by the things shown to them that night.
The next day Spike and Twilight were summoned to the throne room along with the rest of the Bearers of the Elements.
When they halted in front of the throne Princess Luna spoke, “We have been given the location of the place where the demons have been massing for an unknown purpose. We do know that given sufficient time they will sally forth from their fortress, and when do they will wreck terrors not seen in this land in millennia.”
The ponies stared at the princess in silence until Twilight spoke up saying, “Every day we wait to strike, is another day, they pull more demons out of their hell hole and into Equestria.”
The surprised ponies looked at her while Rainbow Dash asked, “How do you know that Twilight?”
“The demon Gorrog showed it to me, last night after he showed me how he defeated and then killed Celestia. His soldiers are, as we speak, crawling out of his portal to Hell.”
“Yeah, so we need to stop them instead of sitting and talking!” shot back Rainbow.
“If only it was that simple, then we wouldn’t need this army I’ve been raising, would we?” a voice form the back of the room returned.
The surprised ponies turned to see Shining Armor in full battle armor. He was flanked by an honor guard of six of the most experienced members of the royal guard. All of whom had fought the demons on both occasions between the now warring factions.
“Princesses,” he began, “the First Army has been formed and awaits a leader. Its strength numbers twenty-five thousand and will be ready to march on morning.”
“These soldiers, how much training have they received?” asked Twilight.
“About two weeks now. Because we know so little about what we will be fighting only the basics that they’ll need to survive in combat, along with the two types we’ve encountered so far, have been covered.”
Before he could say anything else a soldier entered the hall and quickly said, “There was another attack.” Breathing heavily he said, “A new type of demon," he paused for breath, “it had blade like arms and could teleport.”
He motioned to a long gash on his flank. “I came to warn you after we had finished fighting the creatures, though I’m afraid two escaped us,” he gasped.
A medic came into the room and helped up the soldier. As the pair made their way out of the throne room he gave a discrete nod to Shining Armor.
“Even in Canterlot, your soldiers die and we haven’t made a move to silence the demons,” Shining spat at Luna,
“Never, presume such arrogance with us again!” The wrath in Luna’s voice palatable.
The tension was broken when Applejack spoke up saying, “Why don’t we find what ‘ere up against.”
Shining Armor spoke again, “We have a basic plan for how to fight these demons,” he pulled out a map gesturing to a dark spot labeled “Hell Hole” this is where you will converge, each leading an army group behind you. With obvious assistance for some of you he followed, eying Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.”
After pausing he continued saying, “If we can divide their forces we can defeat them in the field, but they are currently concentrated around their fortress. We have every reason to suspect that they will be extremely powerful and will have some sort of aerial support. I have gathered an entire army of Pegasi, lead by Rainbow Dash, to keep the skies clear of any of their flyers and to run reconnaissance flights for the other five armies. This will be in order to ensure that they won’t be able to make the most of their numerical strength.”
“This plan of yours has several setbacks, for example, where are the other army groups and does any pony here know many demons all there in this “Hell Hole,” or their capabilities? As we saw today, a new kind has surfaced to terrorize our citizens,” Princess Luna said softly.
“I am raising new battalions daily from all over Equestria and have all but finished the second division of the airborne army,” he replied.
A soft voice that could only be Fluttershy's spoke, “What if there are other creatures like their leader Gorrog? I mean, everything has some sort of family. Right?”
The others seemed taken aback by the thought of other creatures of his nature. Spike though of his vision of the creatures who had called themselves Hell Knights. How they seemed unstoppable even when struck with weapons like maces and spears.
“There are others of his kind, they call themselves Hell Knights.” Spike murmured to the group of ponies.
As they turned to him Twilight asked, “Spike, how could you know that?”
“I had a similar dream happen to me as happened to you, " he shot back a little harsher then he meant but he didn’t want too many questions coming his way.
The gaze of the group shifted to Twilight who responded, “Mine didn’t have details like that, it only showed Celestia’s final moments in her battle with Gorrog and a voice saying how much more awaited us. Not any names or intelligence. How much else did you see?”
“Only a battle that we lost, I saw an entire demon army close with ours and it was slaughter on a scale I’ve never heard of before,” he spoke hurriedly.
Shining Armor quickly asked, “Were there any notable types we haven’t seen before?”
“Yes," Spike said, glad the topic has shifted from him to the demons. “They charged with a type that resembled a dog a little, but much bigger with a metal rear section and a large mouth framed by two large horns. Along with them I saw creatures fitting Gorrog’s description but grey, not black and red, and without the markings." He purposely left out the part where one had killed Rarity or the offer Gorrog made him.
“This is most worrisome, but why did only you get those visions?” asked Rarity. “I mean no offense, darlings, but why just you, not any other pony?”
“Yeah I was wondering that as well...” said Shining Armor. “Why show a pony and a dragon who would tell the commander of the army? They are fighting themselves and revealing their strengths.”
“This will have to wait for the morrow,” said Luna, “for the night court is taxing on our strength and patience."
Spike and Twilight walked back to their room in silence when screeching like the monsters of a foal’s nightmare came from nowhere. The two remaining blade demons the messenger spoke of appeared in a flash of orange light. They charged, using their blade arms as legs, until they entered striking distance. One leaped at Spike to close the distance while Spike spat a puff of flame at it. It leaped back, startled by the fire, but its fellow had leaped on top of Twilight and was getting ready to stab her with its blades. He tackled it off her and they landed in heap. He started to punch the demon, aiming for its face, when the lower part of its face opened up, revealing its split jaw and rows of sharp needle like teeth. He responded with a punch to the throat shutting its mouth as it attempted to impale him on its blades, he bit down feeling its hot blood in his mouth as he tried to crush its neck. Then it started to dissolve around and under him, until he was on the floor. He turned to see Twilight had her's trapped in large purple sphere.
“You captured one alive!” he exclaimed, “That hasn't happened before!”
“I know, let’s see if we can get some information out of you,” she snapped at the demon. “Now we need to find my brother and give him this scum.”
The anger in her voice was sharp compared to the fear she felt earlier. They presented the demon to Shining Armor with Twilight saying, “This monster tried to kill me and Spike, along with another of its filthy brothers.”
She was fuming at this point, the failure of the guards and the demon attack giving her no reason to be calm. Shining Armor was stunned that she managed to capture one alive.
“How in Equestria did you take one prisoner?” he asked.
“It was startled by Spike's fire and started circling me. I then took the opportunity to encase it in a protection spell and levitate it into the air. It was surprisingly difficult though, to make the spells stick, so I doubt they will be overcome by magic.”
“Chain up its arms and legs,” Shining Armor ordered. “Make sure he can’t break them. I saw the last time one was chained… it wasn’t pretty.”
Spike stared puzzled for a moment before saying, “What do mean, 'I saw what happened last time'?”
“I was there when Gorrog broke his chains and fought my soldiers, it was a slaughter. I attempted to stop him but one my Lieutenants got in the way. He paid for that mistake with his life.”
Twilight stared, insulted that hadn’t told her about that earlier. “Why didn’t you tell me” she said shocked at this revelation.
“Have you ever seen a pony’s head ripped from his shoulders? Knowing full well that if he hadn’t taken your place you’d be dead?” he asked, his voice shaking with each word. "I’m sending foals and green ponies against these monsters as Spike confirmed yesterday.”
Spike did his best to slip from the room as quietly as possible; he still had the offer that Gorrog had given him to think over. It meant betraying his friends but it also meant that no harm would come to Rarity. He sighed knowing that the choice would tear him apart either way. The deal was tempting and didn’t seem to any further drawbacks other than betrayal of his friends and if he refused, Rarity’s potential death at the hands of a Hell Knight. He knew the vision would cause him to wake in a sweat some nights. He needed to clear his head and think about this. He knew that by the very thought of accepting of the offer was treason, which would result in execution. If he was caught, that is.
Escalation
The Guards were nervous as it late at night. They always came late at night several ponies had been dragged to their death. They had only started a few days ago with the high profile raid of five of had been dubbed Wraiths for their prowess at the task of raiding. They often killed their victims with several stabs into the belly and chest leaving many disemboweled or in pieces. They had been posted all twenty of them to halt such attacks. They had encountered different types of demons after the wraiths had been surprised imps and maggots had been encountered in other villages besides Ponyville. A few of the higher ups had warned the guards about a larger four legged kind sighted in packs numbering from ten to sixteen. Deemed highly dangerous by the high command they were to be exterminated on sight. Stahl paused in his thoughts to examine something on the ground it was a large foot print five toed behind it were two smaller footprints both round at the front and square at the back. He motioned for his partner Stalwart Shield over.
“These are the foot prints of the other type” Stahl whispered “and they are still fresh.” “That means the demon is here somewhere.” Finished Stalwart.
They heard a loud howl that these creatures were infamous for. As they closed in on the sound they eight Diamond Dogs ringing a pair of these demons.
“Get the beastie, kill it!” shouted one who was the leader judging by his armor.
They advanced slowly towards them eyeing the demons shuffling. Suddenly the two demons charged towards the leader and the other diamond dogs on either side of him. When they let out their howls the two diamond dogs broke at their charge but not their leader he lowered his sword and braced himself for their charge. When the first one slammed into him he rammed his sword through the bottom of its skull through the top. It stopped pulled back and tried to get the blade while the second one circled him waiting for him to produce a second blade. When none appeared it charged. He quickly sidestepped it grabbed one of dropped spears and rammed it into demons back. The first one was dead as the other diamond dogs has impaled it several time through its main body until it stopped moving and dissolved. The leader went over grabbed his sword and turned to face the demon it limped towards him and was getting ready to pounce when he slammed his sword into its body. Stabbing it again and again until it laid dead.
“Bad beastie” was all he said afterwards.
Stahl was now interested “if that diamond dog killed both those demons that means they could be viable allies.”
Stalwart laughed “those dogs are some of scum of Equestria who happened to get lucky and you think they’ll make good warriors. Besides wasn’t one of the high command once ponyknapped by Diamond Dogs?”
“Yeah she was” admitted Stahl. “Bad idea”.
Still later that day he filed a report marked “priory” and told the commanding officer that it was for the high command
“I’ll send it but don’t be surprised if some higher rank decides it isn’t worth the higher ups attention”.
They needed to know about potential allies as the ponies could not fight this war alone and most of the surrounding nations were preparing for the inevitable assault. They were all turning inward except his Equestria and the Crystal Empire, both were raising armies to go on the offensive against the demons. However with a current strength of sixty thousand he knew he shouldn’t doubt the capabilities of the army but what they were up against was unheard of until a few weeks ago. Desperate to raise an army most of the country’s stallions and a portion of the mares had been drafted into the army or they volunteered to join. He remembered the day he signed up to the guard before the war. It had been a bad day for him he had found out that his mare friend had been cheating on him with another stallion who didn’t even know about her. He had stormed out of the house at that point cursing himself for beginning stupid enough to trust her. He had walked into the recruiting officer’s booth sat by nineteen other ponies that they were being sent to Canterlot to train for several months. He was a veteran of three years of service but not in one was the guard ever called to do what it was doing. Last week the guard had been given over to the army for use as sergeants and other duties that would require experience in combat or leading other ponies into some altercation. How many of his brothers would live through the war he couldn’t say but judging by the enemy they fought not many.
“Sir” shouted a private “a group of demons has been spotted numbering several hundred they are headed this way.”
Stahl froze his worst nightmare had come true his small force of twenty would have to face a demon horde numbering in the hundreds unless reinforcements arrived.
“Send a message to Canterlot requesting a full battalion of reinforcements we shall require them to repulse this enemy.”
A soldier quickly wrote down he asked and gave it to a pegasus “bring this to the high command we’ll need every sword and spear we can get.”
The soldier flew away straight towards Canterlot. He turned towards his soldiers. “Stallions, mares of third platoon we are to perform a delaying operation to slow down the advancing horde of demons from reaching Ponyville before the civilians can evacuate. But we will not stand alone just yesterday I saw a tribe of Diamond Dogs fighting the demons outside of their cave. They will fight against our common enemy.”
If not for his senor position or his soldiers’ disciple he knew they would have laughed at him.
“How many of you want to fight an army of demons numbering in the hundreds with only twenty soldiers with you?” Silence was all that greeted him. “That is what I thought."
"With these additional soldiers we will be able to holdout until the reinforcements arrive to finish the job. At the worst we will only give the civilians time to slip away at the best some of us will live long enough to survive when they arrive to drive them back to their fortress."
He had spent the better part of day organizing the evacuation when he decided if he wanted his platoon to survive he needed to enlist the Diamond Dogs as a last ditch defense force to help them last until the battalion arrived. As it happened the pegasus had arrived earlier that day saying that battalion was mobilizing but it would take it three full days of marching to get here, it would however take the demons two as they were closer. He need to forge an alliance with those dogs quickly. The latter part of the day was spent getting to cave and navigating it. He fell stumbling into a room crowded with Diamond Dog soldiers somewhere between eighty and one hundred this was better than he thought and simultaneously worse. Than one noticed him and the cry went up. They surrounded him some of them larger than the normal stock and judging by the fact that they actually had armor of decent quality very competent. When they had formed a complete ring around him the leader by the far largest detached himself from the crowd and moved forward the thing that bothered Stahl the most was his size easily seven feet tall he was nearly taller than the now deceased Princess Celestia.
He spoke “what does this little pony want” his tone was gravelly and slighter higher than expected from such a larger beast but still very deep for a Diamond Dog.
“I have brought news for you.” He shouted “there is a demon army numbering in the hundreds headed this way and I’ve come to ask that you help us defend each other.”
One of what was probably the lieutenants spoke “why should we help you, why not use you to bait the beasties”.
The leader turned and considered what each had to say before turning to Stahl and saying “we help you fight the beasties.”
Stahl smiled in spite of himself as he was led by his newfound army to sun light. Here is where they’d fight them in the pass that would limit the number of demons that could come at them. His platoon had been waiting for him not expecting the quantity of Diamond Dogs that came behind him or the size of some especially the leader who was by far the largest. But a voice in the back of his head reminded him that he had nothing on a Hell Knight if their description was accurate. one the monsters a black one had supposedly killed Celestia. .This battle would have several if the recon could be trusted. He knew they’d be at the pass before noon so he had his soldiers and the diamond dogs followed suit to start preparing a defensive position.
Gorrog had been in extreme pain during his battle with Celestia no matter how hard he fought she always found a way to strike back until he had revealed why he had been selected to lead the invasion. Before that his fire balls never struck and his blows rarely collided with her. She had even tried to charge up some sort of magical energy in her horn to obliterate him, forcing him to use one the ability that was always taxing his ability to become invulnerable to damage. He activated immediately feeling the drain on his strength. She fired it towards him just he finished bringing the almost lighting like shield around him. The blast struck him. He saw the scorch marks forming around him as the magic did its damage. He emerged untouched roaring his defiance. Looking around he saw the the scorch marks were very deep into the rock and knew that even his extremely high heat tolerance wouldn't have saved him. Knowing what he would have to do next would be incredibly draining. He braced himself for the end of this fight. He had to use the power of the hell hole to fuel his strength for this due to massive toll withstanding that assault had taken. Hell Time had always been favorite of his when he was in combat but did so sparingly so when he used it Celestia had been completely caught off guard. She was used to slower yet powerful movements but when they were replaced by the blazing fast movements combined with his already impressive strength. Each blow though they felt at a normal pace for him was blindingly fast for her. His blows left a telling mark on her and each was brutally strong despite the twin holes in his torso both bubbling blood from them. When at last the effects of Hell Time wore off he was surprised by her resilience suffering only a few broken ribs and other assorted bruising in the areas he had only hit once or twice any other area was bleeding and in the case of a few had bones sticking out of them. Such an assault would had killed and splattered a lesser opponent along the walls. He picked her up by her neck his hand closing around her neck and held her over the Hell Hole.
She had no choice but to look down and stare at it. Her resolve held for a few moments before she began to struggle in his grasp he spoke to her.
“Look at that soon enough my brethren in all their forms will begin to crawl out of that hole and into this land of yours. A pity you won’t be around to see it a least not truly anyway.”
He allowed the look of surprise on her face to fall upon his face. “I like to keep my best opponents of a conquest as trophies to remind me of it and you were one of my best opponents yet too bad it has to end this way. "Now scream" he roared. "KNOW THAT I WILL BREAK THE VERY SOULS OF YOUR PEOPLE BENEATH MY IRON FIST AND CAST YOUR LAND INTO DARKNESS”
He said coming as close as Hell Knight could to smiling as he ripped her horn out her head and rammed through the ruin of her rib cage. That was the only time she screamed in pain throughout the entire fight. She would have died had he not phased her from existence. He had plans for her.
He shook himself; he did not need to dwell on that he had an invasion to wage. To show that the artifact had chosen right when it had bestowed its powers on him. His first order of business was to not make the same mistake as his predecessors and tie himself down to only one source of replacements or have let himself become arrogant . So he had developed to ability of summoning other demons that artifact granted him along with the Main Three. He stood up from his stupor and looked around seeing quite well in torch light provided by the masses of candles and braziers. He shuddered it was colder here then Hell even with heat of the Hell Hole and all the fire here but not enough to bother him. He would need to face this problem in stride like the rest of his mighty race. The five members of his elite Hell Knight guard surrounded him when he left the room and went into the hallway where they were stationed. Of all the hell knights here only they maintained their normal colors from Hell. Each the same color as him the only real difference was that they were one foot shorter than him and didn’t have the same capabilities as him. No hell knight equaled his power and not even the legendary Hell Hunters equaled his intelligence. Now that he removed one the strongest enemies he would have to face he knew that these ponies would try to go on the offensive judging by his actions towards them and they would pay for that mistake with the blood of thousands. His forces though not as large as he would like numbering only fifty five thousand. This represented a massive portion of his allotted strength. He needed to move and quickly several other bands had come out the Hell Hole and were dispatched as raiding parties to cities and towns. He had deployed a thousand demons in two separate thrusts towards Canterlot but these were merely feints on his part as they were going to receive the main body of his force in a pincer each arm poised to bite off most of Equestria along with whatever pitiful force they could muster to stop him. He would personally lead the assault when his army moved to the field. He knew what lay in store for the towns ahead of his horde, death and destruction. He descended the stairwell and into the main courtyard of the citadel. His forces filling it with their bodies Imps, Maggots and other Hell Knights, the Cacodemons floating above with their Forgotten Ones as escort.
“We march to war go now my brethren, for the glory of Hell” he shouted above the din. Answering him were the collective roars, hisses and screeches of his horde. “TO WAR” the power of his voice carried over the horde.
Soon they were filing out of the gates and the sections that were outside the gates the main body of the army started moving forward. It was a sight to see the mass of Imps and Maggots, the towering Hell Knights, the Cacodemons floating over the horde the Forgotten Ones whirling around them, the Demons grunting as they assumed positions at the head and rear of the massive column they moved forward he saw several Arch-Viles who served as his officers under his elite guard. His armies’ strength was unmatched and it would not be long until it was to receive a long awaited member, a creature known as The Guardian of Hell. It would be unstoppable when sent against the pitiful armies of this nation. It would take an entire month to complete the operation he had planned. In the end his forces would crush Equestria beneath a mighty blow.
His army fell on an isolated hamlet the next day it stood no chance several farmers had attempted to fight them but he had crushed them with only his personal guard with him when they approached him he roared at them and started the characteristic gait of a Hell Knight. He grabbed one as it attempted to stab him a pitchfork “a brave one" he though he then adjusted his two handed grip and with a wrench a loud scream the pony was torn in two. He turned and saw one of his guards bite a pony’s face off. He smiled while throwing the hunks of pony at now panicking farmers. He conjured a fire ball in his hand and slammed it into one the villager's faces. he felt the heat off the fireball start to melt the pony's face. It's scream was loud enough for him to crush it's head in fist.The rest tried to run when a one his five started after him
“No let them go, let them bring tales of us to their cities” he spoke still fueled by the blood-lust that all the members of his race shared.
The feelings of invincibility that allowed them to slough off all but the most grievous of wounds. The slobber that adorned his face was starting to dry up signaling the end of his blood-lust. His brethren celebrated their victory with roars of victory and two started to eat the corpses as was often done at the end of a battle.
“We shall drench their cities in their blood!” he roared loud enough that he would have sworn that the farmers heard him.
The fellowship he and his guards had ran deep as each had been with the others for as long as they could remember and each had shared their fair share of blood and death with rest. The Hell Knights returned to column and continued the march. All were exceptional fighters as that was how you became prominent as a Hell Knight but all had an unusual bond which for some reason made them keep their Hell colors. None had ever lost a battle. Doubt would require several hundred ponies to converge on the six Hell Knights to make them question victory doubt was clearly unnatural for them to ever feel. The war was going well, for them at least it the beginning it always did. The true test was waiting for them in the Canterlot area where the majority of the enemy’s strength lay. It would take them at least before they arrived due to the slow pace of the march but that was not where he wanted to go. He had a different idea for the conquest one where he could cover his horde in blood and glory to draw every more demons from the Hell Hole.
Several days later the arch-vile sent back his report the message was simple "we have pushed them back out of the pass the suffered heavy casualties when our Hell Knights and demons got to engagement range.
That was as expected terror was a powerful weapon wielded in excess by both demons and Hell Knights especially against first timers. Towns in the warpath would probably have advance warning of the horde’s presence and evacuate to safer ground. This would put strain on the surrounding countryside and if they went to cities than they were playing right into his hands. By walling themselves into the confines of city or specific area they’d concentrate and be one large ripe target for his army. He would also have to step on the terror raids on settlements perhaps even sending a few Hell Knights. Yes maybe a few Hell Knights. Soon he would have all of Hell's Gaze on him and with that one his old enemies would arrive. The Vargary. no matter this world was ripe for conquest and eventually he would restore Hell to its former glory.
Author's Note
I'm sorry about the wait i was busy last week and i'm going to upload chapter four soon. if you guys want anything special comment and ill try to work it in.
Chapter 4: Errant Venture
Spike was reading a report given out to many of the troops of how a group of Diamond Dogs and ponies had held off a group of demons numbering around five hundred for three solid days before being forced to retreat. Fortunately their reinforcements had arrived and they beat back the horde .They had held a pass against a demon horde and later destroyed it. He only hoped the rest of the army had the same courage especially since most if not all ponies had never seen something as gruesome as battle. He didn’t know what he was doing when the wraiths attacked just some part of him knew that leaping on it and biting its neck was good idea. What scared him was what would happen to Rarity and him if he refused Gorrog. Twilight had relayed Celestia’s last moments to him and she was an alicorn princess and he was a baby dragon. The Hell Knight had even gone so far to rip of her horn and used it to finish her. This was truly a monster and he knew that refusing would like get him a similar fate. It was night again when the pressure of a large hand appeared on his shoulder.
“Spike I have come for my answer I hope you considered wisely!” he now recognized Gorrog’s voice now as he wasn’t illuminated by the hellish light in the last vision. He rubbed his eyes and looked around something he couldn’t do in the previous dream. Than as of nowhere a green light appeared. It one of Gorrog’s fireballs. He held both of his hands out to Spike one open the other holding the fireball.
“Choose Mortal”.
“No” spat Spike “I won’t betray my friends”
“you choose poorly very poorly” was all the response he got.
The vision was fading but seeing no reaction from Gorrog scared him more than a flurry of death threats. This was the demon that had single handily killed Celestia and he had an army at his back a powerful army judging by the reports he had read. He even had a personal guard of five other immensely powerful Hell Knights each one exactly the same as him except for their size. He was one foot taller standing head and shoulders above Celestia and yet the perfect control over himself was what scared spike the most. He turned away and began walking down the hall towards Twilight who had gone into the library to read some books. The latest report had the demon horde only days from Canterlot. The speed of their advance was only matched by the destruction left in its wake. Whole villages slaughtered, foals screaming as the demons flooded the village eating their family and turning to them. Only horror stories that defied the imagination were left from the survivors. This horde had no mercy and its leader had asked him to join it. At first he thought it was a good idea but later he figured that the only reason that Gorrog had spoken to him was that he would be removing an Element from the picture by ensnaring Spike to kidnap Rarity as he knew from the start that she would never go along with it.
“Twilight I have something to tell you” he started.
She turned and said “what Spike.”
“You know Gorrog well he offered me a deal.”
She stared a look of shock transfixed on her face. “Tell me everything” the sudden flash of angry in her voice surprising him.
“A few days ago on the same night he sent you the fight between him and Celestia, he showed me an army of ponies fighting a horde of demons. The army of ponies was led by Rarity. In the beginning they appeared to be doing well. I saw Rarity fight a Hell Knight and she lost.” He paused for a breath. “He told me that if I didn’t want to see her suffer that I had to turn her and myself over to him. I refused his offer today”
Twilight was surprised by the sudden outpouring of emotion from Spike. “Spike he said that he’d burn Canterlot to ashes?” she was incredulous that with forty thousand soldiers in the city that the horde would be able to take it.
“You haven’t seen his army in action they out number us and most of them are stronger than your average soldier.”
Twilight already knew this as she had been gathering as much information on the demons as possible having interviewed the Defenders of the Pass. They were famous for holding for three solid days of fighting against an enemy five times as numerous as they were. They had only retreated when their commanding officer was wounded in single combat with a Hell Knight. He was recovering from the various burn wounds. The diamond dogs that had fought alongside them had also been celebrated by the ponies and they had been offered a place in the platoon. They had accepted a few days ago and were busy telling many of the untested soldiers how to fight the demons. Fifty of the hundred and thirty strong force had died during the three days they fought the demons. Heavy casualties had been sustained by both diamond dogs and ponies. This was why the First and Second army groups had been ordered to stand in defense of Canterlot.
A pair of Luna’s night ponies marched in one saying “you have been summoned to the quarters of Princess Luna” Twilight started out Spike jumping on her back.
They marched to throne room joined by several other night ponies. Spike was wondering why such an escort was necessary until they passed several corpses of night ponies and royal guards. They all had large burns over their bodies except for one he was in two pieces missing part of the midsection. Twilight was about to ask when one of their escorts said
“a trio of Cacodemons surprised them. This is the result.”
This hit Twilight hard she had heard similar tales from survivors of skirmishes but had never seen the aftermath for herself. This was completely different than what she’d expected. She paused for several minutes just staring before her stomach turned over and she vomited on the floor. Spike nudged her and she continued walking. He too was disturbed but not as much as Twilight. He had seen similar sights when Gorrog had visited him. He had seen a whole battlefield covered in similar scenes but never in this detail. Only when they had arrived in the meeting room did Twilight fully recover. The room had a map of Equestria on the wall and several pins in it each connected with a black thread. That represented the territory conquered by Gorrog. The forward edge was dangerous close to Canterlot and was about to envelop it. The rest of the bearers had already arrived and were waiting for her.
Princess Luna spoke “I have called each of you here because our enemy is only five days from Canterlot. His forces will smash into our walls and attempt to breach them.”
The ponies stared at her expecting for her to continue. “
Each of will be placed in charge of seven to eight thousand troops each. We must hold the line against this evil”
“They do have one weakness” Twilight said “they are extremely reckless when they attack. While this doesn’t sound like a weakness they always fight in a frenzy always attacking never reconsidering a charge.”
“So they don’t ever give up” said Applejack
“they don’t ever get scared” said a surprised Pinkie.
“These creatures fight with unmatched ferocity but recklessness.” She was about to continue but a letter appeared with a flash of green light.
“It appears that our latest intelligence has Gorrog turning his host towards Fillydelphia the demons we have been seeing marching towards Canterlot were nothing but a feint.”
“They giving are up so easily why turn away from Canterlot and towards Fillydelphia” asked Twilight.
“That city only has two regiments to defend itself; it will fall in a matter of hours before his army.” Said a stunned Luna.
How quickly can get a large enough force to Fillydelphia with sufficient strength to stop them?” asked Twilight.
“We could take the Pegasi divisions there faster than those slow lame demons.” said Rainbow Dash.
“Rainbow how well do you think nine thousand Pegasi would hold up versus fifty seven thousand demons?” rebutted Twilight.
“We can’t just abandon them” said a soft voice from the back of the group. It was the first time Fluttershy had spoken up during the entire meeting. “I mean we wouldn’t like if they abandoned us to those monsters.”
They all knew her history with the demons to know that she had meant to use the word monster despite her avoidance of the word.
When the evacuation of Ponyville had occurred her animals had been left behind and a fly over by a recon team confirmed an absolute desolation of the surrounding countryside. When she had heard this along with the assumption that her animals had been killed she had cried for days. It had been two weeks since the evacuation of Ponyville and the surrounding towns. Returning to matter at hand Spike thought of how to save Fillydelphia.
“Couldn’t we just evacuate them to a safer area?”
“It would take a long time to evacuate several hundred thousand ponies and would possibly cause a panic” said Luna.
“Couldn’t we just arm the populace and overwhelm the demons with raw numbers.” Said Spike before any of the others could interrupt him.
Luna spoke first “that might just work but the losses would be grievous even if they succeeded in repelling the demons.” Some losses are better than outright slaughter.”
“Spike if we use your strategy do you have any idea of high the casualties would soar on our side.” A voice from behind them interrupted the conversation.
“Twilight we can’t help this city other than telling it to start pressing its civilians into service and sending to fight the monsters crawling at their doors.”
They group turned to a tired looking General Shining Armor.
“He made us think that the hammer blow would fall on Canterlot not Fillydelphia and we acted accordingly. He played us like a fiddle and our ponies are going to pay the price of our failure.”
‘This is unacceptable we can’t stand idle while my subjects are slaughtered by the thousands and an entire city put to the torch by these monsters!” Exclaimed Luna “this will not go unpunished Shining Armor ready the army we march when the Third Army is completed hastiness has only hurt us.”
“That task will take about two more weeks by than the demons will have moved on to another city or destroyed a massive part of the countryside our ponies will suffer greatly while we wait for our strength to peak.”
“General have you ever tried to raise an army after millennia of peace of prosperity. It is no small task.”
“Is it possible to use our current armies to fight the demons in pitched battle?” asked Twilight.
“Twilight you’ve seen how the demons fight and that was outnumbered once forty to one and later two to one. We lost twenty good soldiers in two small skirmishes and the first time Gorrog was just pretending to fight the second he was trying to goad Celestia in taking him on personally. We’ve been playing into his hands the entire time. He could have opened a portal to hell in his cell for all we know. He could have demons wandering Canterlot right now ready to strike at any moment. He spoke to you and me in our heads what makes any of you think he couldn’t repeat that feat.”
“Spike, when you get so informed on our adversary’s strategy and strengths and how did you get information his motives and strategy” asked Shining Armor?
“He’s been in contact with Gorrog twice” Blurted Twilight.
“What in tarnation” said a surprised Applejack. “
Spike continue” thundered Luna above the din. “This information could save lives so I demand that he be allowed to speak uninterrupted.”
The silence was palatable. He started haltingly describing how Gorrog had spoken to him of how he felt a pressure on his shoulder that felt like a very large hand. How he had been shown what he could only describe as visions and how he saw the massive army that fought against the ponies. He finished with the choice that Gorrog had offered him how if he had chosen to accept the demon’s offer that he would have preserved Rarity from harm. How he refused the demon and the threats he made.
“Why you why not someone in charge of troops or with a larger ability to affect the war?” asked Shining Armor.
“Maybe it was because he thinks o’spike here would betray us but he wouldn’t would you Spike? Said Applejack.
He was very nervous everyone was staring at him with looks ranging from sympathy to suspicion. A night pony entered interrupting the meeting much to his relief
“Princess we have a problem several Hell Knights have appeared in the city along with twenty imps!” “How did they get inside the city?” Luna looked furious.
“Princess we don’t know how they got in. We’ve prevented them from causing too large of a panic but we are losing soldiers.”
The terror that he heard of from the guards was very real. The meeting had been adjourned very shortly after Luna ordered Twilight to oversee the destruction of the demons. He had accompanied Twilight all the way up to the barricade that the soldiers had assembled. Fifty soldiers had been fighting the demons for an hour now slaying six of the imps and one Hell Knight. He ducked as Hell knight’s fireball smashed into a section a few feet down. A large object hit him in the side of the head. He felt a trickle of something wet roll down his head. He looked around dazed. As is vision came back into focus he looked at what had hit him. a soldier’s hindquarters was on top of him. He looked up and saw another flight of red fire balls arc over the barricade. This was immediately followed the roars of Hell Knights as they surged through the hole in their defenses. One bent down and picked him up causally brushing the soldier’s body off him. He squirmed in its grip only causing it to hold him tighter. “Put him down” said a very upset Twilight “Now.” The Hell Knight turned dropped Spike and conjured a fireball in its hand. “Spike move” she shouted to him. He ducked as she shot a bolt of magic straight through the Hell Knight. It dropped to its knees a gaping hole in its chest and reached for her. Its fist closed on empty air as it convulsed and started to burn its roared to the heavens as it dissolved into fire. Its roar caused the other Hell Knights to turn towards her. Seeing the death of their comrade sent them into a rage one threw the soldier in its hand at her like a rock. The others charged her each one ignoring everything around them except for the few soldiers who got in their way. The first to reach her raised its hand to punch her but was interrupted by a large blast from Twilight’s horn. Spike turned to her and he saw the fear in her eyes and suddenly he felt something change inside him he didn’t know but when he turned back to the hell knights he notice they weren’t so much taller than him now. In fact only the tops of their bodies were above him. He roared deep and guttural at them causing the remaining four turn to him. They all conjured fireballs surprised by this new threat and launched them at him. He threw up his arms to shield his face from the blasts. A large cloud of smoke obscured his vision but he heard the approaching footsteps of the Hell Knights as they closed in on him. The first thing he saw was fist hurtling towards his face. He caught the fist and pressed himself against the Hell Knights body biting out its throat and pushing its body into the next Hell Knight. It didn’t make it there but caused the others to pause long enough to cover them in fire from his jaws. They emerged a few moments later unscathed from the furnace of his breath. The three Hell Knights charged him. One dropped halfway to him a hole the size of a pony in its chest he saw Twilights horn glowing as she turned to help fight the imps the were now attacking in earnest as the battle started to turn against them. He punched the first Hell Knight his claws digging into its skin. The other one had circled around him and grabbed his tail and started to pull it it’s muscles straining as he let go of the other Hell Knight. He swung his tail causing the other Hell Knight to fall to its knees and decapitated it with a return swing. The other Hell Knight started to back up when he turned to it. He leaped at it when it swung its fist into his underside. He buckled coughing up blood. He grunted trying to get up when the Hell Knight slammed his head into the cobblestone street. He swung his tail into its shoulder causing it to back up dragging him with it. He turned over and grabbed a broken spear off the ground and drove it into the Hell Knights chest. It collapsed and burned away. He turned to face his next attacker when he saw there were none the demons had been routed after he had distracted the Hell Knights. The soldiers had slain all the imps expect one that was contained in a purple orb. He turned to look at Twilight. His found her staring at the street it was soaked in blood both the red of the ponies and black of the demons overall they had lost twelve soldiers putting down the demons.
“So this is what we have to fight” he said looking around at the slaughter. “this is going to be a long war”
Author's Note
sorry this took so long hope you guys enjoy it
Chapter 5: A soldier’s duty
He had started to leave the barracks; he was on leave after the battle so he had decided to use it when he heard a knock at the door.
Author's Note
I'm planning something especially evil for chapter six.
Chapter Six: Blood in the Streets.
“We must halt the demons crawling at our doors” he said “for our people for our land and for the princess” he shouted.
Gorrog knew that whoever he was he had never done this before. He stalked closer to the stage starting to edge away from the shadows. He heard the screams of terror as he fully exited the shadows and strode onto the stage. He picked up the panicking pony and roared into its face spittle flying from his mouth. He turned and threw the pony into the stage floor. Everyone heard the crack as bones broke beneath the force of Gorrog’s foot he had stepped on the pony who he could tell was unable to even raise his hoofs to get up he started foot still firmly planted on his back blood was seeping from his mouth.
“I am Gorrog lord of the Hell Knights I have come to fill your land with Hell.” He roared over the crowd.
One voice answered him “over my dead body.”
“Gladly” he said.
The soldiers had started to react and were shifting into battle position. He looked at the very large crowd before him. He quickly guessed it was around five hundred in number probably more. He jumped off the stage crushing the pony beneath his foot in the process splattering the nearest ones in its guts. He landed heavily several of his targets scattering to avoid being crushed by his one and a half tons of weight. He turned and intercepted a lunging pony grabbing it by the forelegs and swinging it around he used it a club smashing every pony who entered his field of vision. After the first couple swings the pony had been knocked unconscious but now it was starting to tear. He smashed its limp from into the raised shield of a soldier. He was whirlwind of fury smashing into another pony abandoning his now broken club in favor of his fists. He crushed another pony’s rip cage with a kick to the chest. He turned to face another opponent when he felt several spots of pain appear on his back. He faced his new assailants expecting spears but instead of them he saw archers about fifty of them firing at him. He charged them roaring slamming fireballs into whatever dared to stand in his way. By the time he had convinced them that to stand before him was to die the archers had repositioned. They notched their arrows and prepared to fire when the ground shook. Good thought Gorrog it has started.
“Please don’t kill me” she begged crying staring into his black eyes “I never hurt any demon”
He dropped her and as she started running away he followed her. His forces would be mopping up resistance and they would now have to go house to house fighting and killing everything in their path. He followed her hoof steps bringing him to a communal house by the looks of it. He approached out of the pony’s sight waiting for her to enter and lead him to additional targets. She had vanished through the doorway but he followed her moving with exception stealth for such a large and heavy demon something he prided himself on. He stalked her up a set of stairs and followed her down a hallway. She was panting from running so hard but knocked on the door.
A yellow and judging by facial structure a stallion answered her. He started to gesture her inwards but paused staring directly a Gorrog. That’s when he broke cover hurling one of his green fire balls at them. The stallion slammed the door shut trapping the mare behind it. She slammed her hooves into it but to no avail. The fireball hit its mark blasting her and the door aside. He paused staring at her she was covered in fire screaming. He turned grabbing her ignoring the slight heat from the flames and slammed his fist through her rear and out her mouth. He felt her internal organs explode out her chest and blood splattered the floor. He stared at his grisly arm guard and laughed.
“I never said you’d live either.”
He knocked the door down and proceeded to walk through the resulting hole. He looked around seeing a smaller narrower door. He conjured a fireball its green light illuminating the room enough for him to determine that nothing was hiding. As he extinguished his fireball he heard the door creak open. The yellow stallion emerged not noticing how close he and Gorrog were. He looked up as the drool from Gorrog’s mouth hit him in the head. He finally noticed the massive bulk above him. He acted quickly raising a foot and kicking him through the door.
The pony didn’t stir he approached wary of some trap but found none. His body no longer blocked the light from the fire outside the room he heard a scream. He turned to see a female shielding two tiny foals. He smiled, bent down and with swipe of his hand he cut open the stallion’s belly. He ran his fingers along his intestines locating the weak points and cutting them with his claws. He turned with the intestines in his hands dripping blood. The mare stood in his way she was trembling, her eyes starting to fill with tears. She stared at him and tried to block his way he causally swatted her away. He approached the two cowering foals and grabbed them in his fist. He used his free hand to rap the intestines around their necks pulling tight enough to start choking them but not enough where they couldn’t breathe.
He gripped the end of the in testiness giving his new flail a test swing. Confident that his weapon would do the job he started swing at the mare. Bruises and welts started to form on her skin each he inflicted with the grisly flail. Her screams were incredibly loud and he swore that every living thing in the city could hear them. Be swung again this time leaving a large gash from the horn of the unicorn foal. He swung until he could see no non bruised section of her body. He decided to be merciful and end her pitiful existence right there. He turned to the battered and broken forms of his flail. He chose the larger and less damaged one and grasped it by its legs. He broke it in half and took the rear of it and slammed the jagged section of broken spine under her ribcage and into her heart. She convulsed once and died with her child sticking out of her chest. He turned and walked away into the fire barely noticing it. He left the burning building and started looking for signs of life. He found the occasional blood splatter and imps. He gathered the imps with him and started towards the center of the city. They past several other types of demons and several corpse laden streets several demons were eating them. He gathered a small host numbering around a hundred and marched into the center and what a sight it was.
Most of the military elements had barricaded themselves here. They still held on to this entrenchment and since most of his army was massacring the civilians and had drifted from his officers. He studied the barricades closely and noticed past them were several large crossbows each one on a wheeled mounts. And manning everyone one of these entrenchments was the remnants of the 3rd and 4th regiments judging by the tattered banners that still flew.. This was a lull in combat and they obviously were waiting for the demons to strike again. The let the occasion civilian in but for the most part they had shut themselves off. He turned let loose a roar loud enough for every demon in the city to hear him. The defenders at the closest barricades looked around each one trying to see what made that noise. He felt the ground shake as two hundred Hell Knights advanced towards him he spotted scores of cacodemons flying above turn and find him soon the imps and maggots in their teeming masses surged down several streets climbing over the corpses to answer his call. His forces were gathering as more and more demons answered the call. Pouring into the streets he knew that soon the defenders would see what he was doing and begin bombarding him so had to act. He turned away from his horde and stared at the defenses the defenders had hastily constructed and he charged.
The startled defenders stared at this new threat and fire their bows at him. He immediately noticed the pain spreading throughout his chest. Behind him his army charged the cacodemons raced past firing fireballs down onto to the defenders. Even though he had a head start the demons past him howling charging the barricade. He heard a loud twang and a massive bolt split one of the Demons down the middle. The archers were now firing on them a massive volley followed a more continuous stream. He raised his arm with the pony’s body still on it a shield protecting him form most of the arrows. He was now in throwing distance from the archers. His Hell Knights had caught up with him but he noticed that even they couldn't withstand those giant crossbows. He roared up to the cacodemons ordering them to concentrate on them. The street was now filled with Hell Knights and demons charging into the barricade. He closed with it jumped on it and roared into the faces of several archers. He quickly smashed his arm into them before they could fire on him and leaped over the palisade. He looked around and saw similar sights happening all around him Hell Knights smashing into the defenses while demons tackled and mauled everything they could get their mouths on. He saw maggots swarming over the soldiers who now were in full retreat. They couldn't fight this many demons outnumbered so badly.
This was all going perfectly when a bolt struck him in the chest. He was picked up off his feet and flung into a wall. His scream of pain caused all the fighting to halt for a moment as they turned to see what made such a noise. The Hell Knights turned back to their enemies and destroyed everything in their path to get at the ballista team who seeing who they shot were running faster than ever other pony around them. He grasped the shaft of the bolt and started to pull himself off. Roaring in his rage that this happened to him he broke the shaft with a fireball the concussive blast lighting it on fire and causing most of it to disintegrate into ash. He turned to face the remaining ponies who his forces were now driving back to what looked like a small castle. The pentagram on his forehead glowed red brighter and brighter until he had fully immersed himself in Hell Time. He charged almost flying towards his targets. Slamming into a crowd of them with the force of runaway train he started his slaughter. He grabbed one and slammed its head into the ground with enough force that its neck went back into its body. He turned to the others their reactions so slow compared to his now. Slamming the horn of his arm guard into the chest of one and bit through the skull of the other bodies followed him as he went through the group like a sledgehammer. His wrath was visible by the mist of blood that followed him through the battle. He started to lose count of the bodies piling up around him meant had gone far over his count of thirty kills in this small skirmish. He kicked down the door of the tower and flew of the stairs. A pony started running up the stairs to get away from him and he stormed after it. There he encountered a thick and locked door. The pony started slamming its arms into the door demanding to be let in.
“Pitiful mortal, there is no escape.”
He said before slamming her head into the door with enough force to crack her skull. Her death was finished when he threw he down the steps into the waiting maw of a demon.
“you won’t win Gorrog”
“perhaps but whether I do or don’t doesn't matter to you or it won’t in a matter of seconds.”
Gorrog collapsed his rage spent and his wounds grievous. He stared at the ceiling wondering at the truth of the scribe's words. The last thing he saw was the hands of his guard reaching down to lift him.
Author's Note
comment if you see something wrong with my story or want to see something special. Also chapter 7-9 will be occurring simultaneously
Chapter Seven: A new Commander.
Spike was busy putting on his armor for the afternoon’s drills when he was informed he was need by his princess immediately. He ran through the passage ways making a loud noise in the process but he was after all eight feet high and clad in full armor except for his helmet. He was soon at the room of the High Command. He entered not expecting what he saw. A letter was grasped in Luna’s magical grip she was holding back tears but was barely successful as he saw one streak down her dark blue cheeks. He saw only Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had failed terribly. Whatever that letter said must have been terrible news.
“Fillydelphia has fallen Spike.” Twilight said breaking the silence.
He wasn’t surprised but still it hit him hard.
“What exactly did that note say?” He asked
They filled him on how its contents and how they had just read the final words of pony. What he thought was most disturbing was how the soldier had apologized before he died to the princess for failure. But what elated him was the previous note; apparently Gorrog had taken a ballista blot through the chest.
“So Gorrog could have died during the assault?’ he asked hopefully.
“Perhaps but I would be surprised if that bastard survived that.” Said Luna
“He took a ballista bolt straight through the chest I would be surprised if didn’t die I mean what can survive a twelve foot bolt impaling them. Even that monster has to be dead.” He said incredulous that they entertained the notion that Gorrog was still alive.
“Even if he is dead his army is still alive and likely preparing for its next assault. He had, if the reports are true, a guard of five Hell Knights each one significantly stronger than the average Hell Knight and one could have assumed command. We will however assume that Gorrog somehow survived and will be at our doors soon. Each of you is start your preparations for a siege. Also we will be no longer the hub of all our forces instead, I have ordered the standard garrison increase form a pair of regiments to three divisions. That will shut off the flow of reinforcements as they fill their quotas and we will be forced to march against the demons soon. However I fear that his next target will be Canterlot.” Said Luna.
“Even if he did survive he will need time to recover from such a grievous wound. This gives breathing room until he is ready to strike again.” Said Spike
“If he could defeat Celestia by himself why did a simple ballista almost mortally wound him?” asked Twilight.
“Well he might not have been expecting it” said Applejack.
Spike didn’t know how the city would withstand an all-out attack from the demon horde especially if that massive demon he had seen would take part in it. It scared him wondering how they could stop such a monster. His attention turned back to the conversion when his new command was brought up.
“Spike you have gathered a battalion’s worth of ponies you have found to fit the size you desired?” Asked Luna.
“Yes I have conscripted them into the First Shock Battalion” he said “but I did use a few non-ponies”
“Excellent we shall have great need for them in the coming battle as your force will be primarily used to fight the Hell Knights of Gorrog’s army.”
Spike knew why he had been chosen to do this he had fought in single combat with five Hell Knights killing three. He had shocked even himself with his sudden growth. While Hell Knights still stood head and shoulders over him he wasn’t nearly as out muscled as a pony was nor as vulnerable to fireballs, but they also were incredibly resistance to even his fire.
“Twilight what have your studies of the demons taught you?” asked Luna.
“The one we captured a wraith is only of average strength but possess a primitive form of teleportation. But from what
I’ve learned firsthand from actually battle with the demons is that they can be killed by focused magical beams but are unaffected by most other forms of magic. Hell Knights seem to generally act as leaders except if there is a higher level demon around usually what I’ve learned from the experiences of Captain Stahl is white in appearance and is capable of summoning demons. Whether directly from Hell or Gorrog’s horde I don’t know.”
He too had read the report of Captain Stahl’s stand at the pass against the demons in the first large scale battle between the ponies and demons and which eventually resulted in a victory. He had wanted to speak with the veteran but hadn’t had the time due the new responsibilities he had as a commander of an entire battalion. The most difficult part had been selecting the officers to lead his soldiers but had chosen the captains and most of the lieutenants and was having them select the NCO’s. he decided that his abilities were best used with his soldiers now.
He was about to leave when Rainbow Dash asked “When do I assume command of the third army Luna?” asked Rainbow Dash. She had been especially anxious to get her command. He allowed himself a small smile thinking of how difficult it must be to be head of an entire army group.
He walked out of the room after making his excuses and walked back to his quarters. He had to start getting to know his officers and just as importantly he had to train with the monstrous sword that they had given him. It was five feet long; single edged and was thicker at the top than the bottom. He wanted to try it on a target but found that his duties as a commander prevented him from having much time at the training grounds. He had gone back to his room and retrieved his sword and put it in the sheath on his back.
He was about to start training when a soldier ran up to him.
“Commander Spike, you have been ordered by Princess Luna to oversee the fortification of our front gate and its surrounding walls.” Said the soldier.
Spike nodded and made his way from the training grounds to the gate. His approach was marked by his heavy footfalls while not the equal of a Hell Knight but they still shook small buildings when he entered. He looked at the walls of the city; they were about fifty feet tall and sixteen feet thick. He knew that not even the most determined demon would not be able to break through the fortifications but he also noticed a pronounced lack of the newest weapons in their arsenal, the ballista. Though they only had to defend a small section of the wall due to the main portion of the city being on a mountain and hanging off it with a small approach area over land. He reasoned that the flying demons would have an easier time assaulting the city but they would have to divide their forces to do so. If they could divide the land forces from their aerial counterparts than they would be easy pickings for the soldiers on the walls and the Pegasi to bombard from above.
“Captain I want at least fifty ballista over watching the ground pass into Canterlot and I also want the remaining ones set up in positions where they can provide fire support for the Infantry should the demons break down the gate”
“yes sir” replied the Captain.
He had been reading Twilights reports about ancient pony weapons of war and how to employ them so he a decent idea of how to set up defenses to slow down the demons enough that they could attempt to destroy their air support. He also was counting on the crystal ponies now that they had marshaled their army to start going on the offensive. He thought that this would take the demons by surprise but didn’t count on them arriving for a few weeks due to the remoteness of the Crystal Empire and the small network of transportation between the two nations. They would have to cross the moat to storm the gate and since it spilled off the cliff it would prove a difficult proposition especially with the fire from the walls pouring down on them. He would position the majority of the army’s archers in the walls with the rest in the towers that adorned the city’s surface. But the soldiers would be clustered around the gate and in the denser areas of the city where they would do the most good. They were already constructing fall back positions near the gate in case the demons broke through.
He turned to see Princess Luna landing silently behind him.
“Spike I see that you are assembling our defenses but before you finish remember the ferocity and strength that our enemy wields. From what I have seen of Fillydelphia it was cleared of most of its ponies on the first days. I will not tolerate that to happen again.”
“Princess did anypony leave that city alive?” he asked.
“Very few mainly due to the sacrifice of that the soldiers garrisoned in the city made.” She replied solemnly “around two thousand.”
He knew where they were headed he also couldn’t imagine how betrayed they felt when they were abandoned to Gorrog’s savagery.
“how will we defeat Gorrog” he asked her.
“That is my responsibility. I brought him into Canterlot and he took my sister to her agonizing death. I will be the one who will bring down that monster” the resolve in her apparent from how her voice changed towards the end.
“I will help you in any way I can Luna.” He said softly pitying how cruel this war was to her.
“Thank you but you should worry about the ponies you are leading not me they will be the ones thrown against the demons and it will be them who will fill the streets of this city with blood.” She was about to say something else when he saw her suddenly shift backwards staring at him. “Did you feel that she said nervousness creeping into her voice?
“no” he said wondering why she was suddenly looking around almost scared.
“something is stirring, something powerful.” She said quietly “not even I as Nightmare Moon commanded such evil” She continued.
He looked into the distance suddenly a feeling of dread crept over him. Whatever it was if it could put an alicorn on edge it was something that must be truly evil.
“whatever it is we will probably have to face it in the coming battle” he said once again he could almost feel the hand on his shoulder but nothing happened only dread and fear.
Author's Note
if you have any questions about something i haven't explained our just comments in general please post them and thanks for reading.
Preparing the Soldiers.
Chapter Eight: Preparing the Soldiers.
Stahl was drilling his soldiers for the defense of the city. He had even put the diamond dog platoon into the field with the rest of the military. It had gotten cramped until the Princess Luna ordered that all the cities and towns were to send no more soldiers until the cities had at least two divisions garrisoned inside them. He had enjoyed the halting of additional soldiers into Canterlot but also knew that they weren’t receiving additional soldiers to fight with. He had recently ordered by his commander to begin training for the impending siege and not to alarm the civilians. What made that part difficult was how the nobles were constantly asking his commanding officers for him to be part of their guard. They always refused on the grounds that he was needed more by his soldiers.
“Stahl when do the beasties come?” asked Runius.
He shook his head despite commanding the largest company in the whole army he still had a few problems with keeping discipline in the majority of his force. He turned to face the diamond dog that stood several feet above the top of his head. They shared a mutual respect each having killed a great deal of demons in the pass. He was still in his armor the crude nature of it actually helped him when he had been leaped on by a maggot who hurt itself on the large bolts.
“I don’t know but I think in about a week and a half. Also remember when the rest of my battalion showed up well this battle is going to be like that part but a lot bigger.”
“more beasties mean more gems” said Runius
“more demons mean that we take more causalities and possible be killed ourselves besides where do you think you’ll get the gems it’s not like the demons to wear any sort of armor.”
“From you ponies of course we get paid in gems” the diamond dog’s greed obvious from his voice.
He wasn’t surprised that battalion paid them in gems since diamond dogs loved gems more than most and had proved themselves at the pass to be capable fighters. Having made up the bulk of the soldiers who fought there. He owed several his life and promised them that they would be justly rewarded for any action they took helping the ponies.
“you’ll get those gems but we have more pressing matters to deal with for instance how are we going to survive the coming battle.”
They despite their hero status were still just one albeit larger than usual company in a larger army. Past them they saw several ballistae being wheel towards the wall. He knew what that meant that this was the target for the siege. Behind them march several companies of soldiers all making their way to wall. Both he and his companion could hear the noise of all the hooves marching. He turned and looked at Runius.
“Looks like we’ll be back in battle again my friend.” He said remembering the previous battle and giving an involuntary shudder.
“yes shall.” The diamond dog seeming almost excited and wary at the same time. He patted his mace “more beasties to kill.”
Stahl turned away from his friend and walked away various thoughts demanding his attention when he looked up at the sky and saw a dark shape fly above him. He stared trying to see what it was when he recognized the Princess flying above him. He stared at her wondering why she was away from the palace and didn’t she prefer the night to the day. His curiosity got ahead of him and he started walking in the direction of her flight path. He avoided the columns of soldiers marching throughout the city preferring a slightly quieter journey.
He felt something. At first it was ignorable but it steadily increased in strength eventually he recognized it. Dread filled him as hellish laughter filled his head. He grasped his head and squirmed on the ground resisting the urge to run. He looked around feverishly trying to see where the noise was coming from.
“I came to speak with Princess Twilight Sparkle” replied Stahl his voice echoing around the hall. He looked around and saw several guards watching him.
The lack of response troubled him so he knocked again. Now several of the guards had turned all the way around to face him. He opened the door quickly and to his horror saw the princess on her bed shuddering looking around.
“Princess” he said putting force into his voice.
She turned to him taking several second to recognize him. “Captain what happened and why in Tartarus are you in my quarters.”
With several guards at the door and an angry princess in front of him he had to be careful here. “You told me that if something demon related happened to come and see you. I take it you had a similar encounter I did.” He said trying to be as diplomatic as he could.
The annoyance on her face vanished replaced by an apologetic smile. “oh I didn’t think you’d come so soon.” She was obviously flustered by his appearance.
He recounted the moments of horror to her describing the total fear that had swept over him along with the inescapable feeling of dread. The blood and bodies filling the streets. He told her everything. She listened to his story the look on her face growing more and more troubled.
She stared at him and said “I felt it too but nowhere near as far bad as you.”
“Really, you didn’t have the visions and see the blood” he asked incredulous that she despite having been affected by it didn’t see what he had?
“No but I have a more important question why was yours more intense than mine. “her horn glowed for a few moments and a look of apprehension flashed across her face.
“I don’t know why, but thank you for your help princess.” He replied and first the first time he felt at ease since he had gone into combat.
She smiled and said “no, thank you Captain.”
“I have to get back to get my soldiers to defend our ponies from the demons but thank you for relieving me of that burden.”
He had left the room uncertain that his thoughts were safe from further demonic intrusion but as the day went on he found no further problems. Later when he asked about the demon intrusion only the unicorns in his company had any idea what he was talking about. They all especially the ones that had been in platoon all reported varying degrees of what had happened to him. The earth ponies and Pegasi however had largely unaffected by it. He was troubled by this and reported it his commanding officer Commander Strong Wing who promised to send word to the high command about his findings. He went to his quarters pondering what could have sent out such a broad and overwhelming wave of terror across the entire armed forces. He especially noticed how a greater portion of it was concentrated on him and to a lesser degree his soldiers. Why us he asked himself why us…
The Guardian and the Knight
Gorrog awoke his body still was in pain from his many wounds. His first thought was that he had been captured by the ponies but when he looked around and saw his guards around him he quickly dismissed the notion. He placed a fist on the ground and pushed himself up. Surveying his position he saw that they had moved him to a building still inside the city.
,”We must leave this city; I have an important task to accomplish.”
The other Hell Knights grunted and followed him. The walls in front of him had a massive hole in it and scorch marks all around it. He assumed that a battle had been fought here and as they passed a large blood splatter confirmed his suspicions. He however saw no live ponies in the entire city. How long had he been out? He heard the myriad sounds of his army moving throughout the city. As he passed through the city the demons fell into a chaotic formation behind him.
His army halted behind him staring into his back. He knew it was time. He opened his palm and in formed an ethereal red skull. He hurled it into the center of the field conjuring an identical one in his other hand. He raised it high into the air feeling the crackle of raw power in the air. The Pentagram on his head glowed red as he channeled the power of Hell into his hands.(1)
“COME NOW DARK GUARDIAN, COME NOW TO GLORY!!” he roared. The ground in the field collapsed into a vortex of lava. He saw a large pentagram forming in front of him. The day darkened above him as thick clouds blocked the sun. He threw back his head and roared a roar that every demon joined him. It was a terrible sound immense in volume and strength. By now the very air around him thrummed with the immense power coursing through it.
He felt a sudden heat around his skull dwarfing the heat of flames but his resolve didn’t waver his power sustaining the portal as demons poured through it following the Guardian to this new world. His army swelled absorbing the new demons into the fold.
The skull in his hand started to fade and the flow of demons lessened. The raw power that had coursed through him started to fade consumed by opening a portal and transporting several thousand demons through it. However by the mere fact that it had been bestowed upon him meant that he was Hell’s champion. He turned to face his army eyes still glowing and spoke, “we have but one target now my brethren the great city where I was held captive. We shall storm this fortress and conquer it in the name of Hell!”
His voice carried over his entire army with a projection ability that speech givers would forever envy. His guard took up positions around him and they prepared to move out to Canterlot. He turned to city.
“We are here” he pointed to Fillydelphia “we need to go here” he pointed to Canterlot.
“I suspect that the majority of the pony’s feeble strength is concentrated there. Along with the majority of their leaders.”
His face than twisted into a look of hate he remembered the dark pony who had captured him. Somehow her magic had affected him something no other pony could claim. He would see that she burned for that but right now he had more pressing matters to deal with. The foremost was getting his army to Canterlot. He also had to get used to the gift that Hell had bestowed upon him and to find out what it even looked like. He then shrugged let his next enemy tell him.
Having finished his battle plans he looked at his fellow demons they couldn’t talk but they did have enough intellect to know a bad plan from a good one and thought his was good so they grunted in agreement.
He turned to the city ad to surprise he saw several hell knights walking out each carrying ponies in their fists. He grunted and two Hell Knights dropped the four ponies in front of him. He looked at them. All had some sort of burn injury on their body. One had part of its face clawed off and was barely alive. The others clung close to each other fearing what the demons were going to do next. One the one closest to him appeared to be a survivor of the garrison judging by the armor he still wore and the way he positioned himself in Gorrog’s way as if he could protect the mares and foals that they had with them.
“It is impressive you survived this long soldier what is your name” Gorrog’s tone was slightly softer than usual but brooked no argument.
“Sergeant Golden Wings “the confused pegasus spat at Gorrog.
“Careful or I will rip your tongue out and choke you with it after ” he actually spat at the sergeant to get his point across. His patience for this behavior was short at best.
“How many soldiers are stationed in Canterlot” he asked? The other demons surrounding them were edging closer waiting for him to give the order to tear them to pieces.
“About sixty thousand and growing” he said trying to intimidate the eleven foot tall demon in front of him.
Gorrog smirked staring down on the pony in front of him he hadn’t done this in a while. He only had to maintain his presence for a few more hours as he could see the resolve of the pegasus wavering. One of the foals started crying, its wails seeming somewhat suited to the army surrounding it. He still had it. He ignited a fireball in his hand and crouched next to pony.(2)
“You can see my army around you yes? Sixty thousand bodies is what we will make out of that army the same way that I killed your princess my demons will do to every living creature pony or otherwise in that city.”
The mares shrank back from him as he stood up as strode over to them. He looked at them sizing up the group. All of them had at least one foal with them ranging in size from what looked like a newborn to what looked like a smaller adult pony. He looked them over noticing that one was trying to hide its wheezing behind one of the less damaged ponies. He grunted to a Hell Knight behind them who stooped and grabbed the wheezing pony in its hand.
“I do not tolerate weakness even my prisoners.’ He gestured to the Hell Knight who tossed him the now absolutely terrified pony.
“Don’t worry I’m not going to hurt you” he said smiling at the pony who squirmed in his grasp. He started stroking it under the chin his large fingers dancing over the pony’s face. This display all the more terrified it. He closed his fist tightly and conjured a fireball in it catching the now screaming pony on fire. Dropping the writhing fireball he turned to the rest.
“That is how I deal with weakness unless you want that to happen to you, you will do as I order. Now get in line with the demons.” He was visible angry and the raw fear the emanated off him intensified to the point where several ponies almost fainted. He turned to his guards “get this army moving we are going to battle.
Several hours later they were on the move leaving the city behind in the direction of Canterlot the ponies in the center of the mass of demons to prevent escape. It would roughly a month for the host to reach the city but when it did he had full confidence that it would be crushed. However he expected that several of the prisoners would die on the march to Canterlot but that wasn’t a problem they were after all in front of the demons who would gladly pounce on the dead as they would the
Author's Note
(1) Gorrog can receive immense amounts of power from Hell but generally only when he is about to open a portal to Hell. he however can also draw upon Hell when he is close enough to it like in his battle with Celestia.
(2) Gorrog radiates fear that if he needs too he can drive ponies insane with his very presence like in the prologue but can also regulate the amount of fear he instills as it is a drain on his strength.
Spike had one month to prepare for Gorrog’s assault and he was extremely glad of it. They had built proper barricades in the streets and even had prepared a few hold fasts for the civilians should the defenses fall to prevent a Fillydelphia from happening again. Several nights ago darkness descended over the city. You hardly saw ponies on the street s any more except when they went out to get their rations or soldiers taking positions. They had spent the month emplacing stakes into the river and drilling the army into a worth fighting force.
“Commander I spotted them”
He turned to see a breathless pegasus in front of him.
“They are coming about ten miles away from the pace they are moving at they will here at nightfall.”
“Thank you private you are dismissed” he told her before turning and running towards the castle. His run broke into a jog due to the weight of his armor and the distance from wall to castle. He turned the corner and raced up the steps. The platoon of guards parted for him as he raced pasted them. Finally he reached the throne room he saw Luna seated on her throne.
“Commander Spike why did you leave your post at the wall.” She asked surprised at his visit.
“Gorrog is here his army will beat our gates by nightfall princess.” His statement causing her jaw to drop and recoil slightly away.
“The day that I’ve feared has come rally the elements I shall have Shining Armor muster the army” he saw her fear replaced by grim determination.
“We must warn the bearers of this threat immediately go commander we must not tarry.”
He ran out of the throne room searching for Twilight as she could get to the rest much quicker than he could. His search lead him past a several companies of soldiers filing out of the castle barracks. Eventually he realized it would be much easier to raise the alarm. He saw several officers leaving their barracks clad in the mail that ponies usually wore.
“
Captain, lieutenants raise the alarm I want every pony at their posts now” they saluted and did as he asked. Soon Spike could hear the bells tolling. He smiled that had taken care of both of tasks but now he had to get back to the wall to lead the preparations until General Shining Armor took over. His unit would be on the ground directly in front of the gate. They were the largest citizens of the kingdom each selected for raw strength and size. They were one of the few full plate armor units. Most used standard chain mail under it but no other unit had full plate like his and he was proud of this achievement.
He was walking to the wall when he heard the marching of the army the clatter of thousands of hooves on the ground. He turned onto one the main roads and saw thousands of soldiers marching past bearing spears swords and bows depending on which unit they were in. He marveled at how numerous the army actually was and remembered that this scene was being repeated on each of Canterlot’s main roads about ten of them all leading to the gate. He saw his unit marching at the head of this column and ran as close as he could the edge of the massive out pouring of troops as he could. He saw that his entire battalion had lowered the visors on their helmets and were fully encased in steel. He in solidary with his soldiers lowered his but unlike them it was easy to tell who he was due to him being eight feet tall.
They took their positions in front of the gate, he saw the archer companies take position on the battements about nine deep to provide maximum fire onto the approaching horde. He heard several officers shouting orders and the spear ponies took position around his unit. They carried both swords and spears to provide the most efficient combination of targets to fight with the exception of the Cacodemons and Forgotten Ones. However his soldiers were tasked with fighting the most dangerous of the enemies demons, Hell Knights. Each one ten feet tall and extremely muscled capable of ripping a pony to pieces, and his job was to prevent them from getting in among the regular soldiers.
Several hours in the ready position caused most of the ponies to become relaxed and let their guard down but what came next jarred them awake and on edge it was a noise that every one of them feared. The battle roar of a Hell Knight no not just one the battle roars of thousands of Hell Knights. He looked up at the commanders on the walls they were nervous telling the archers to hold fire and wait for them to pass the markers.
“SEND THESE DEMONS CRAWLING BACK TO THEIR HOLE” the volume of the voice meant that Princess Luna had arrived.
“Charge, CHARGE” he knew by the stark contrast to Luna’s Royal Canterlot Voice that this had to be Gorrog. The ground shook beneath the charge of the demons. he saw several platoons of soldiers take a step back before moving back into position. The shaking was drawing closer and a steady howl rose over the walls.
“They have a battering ram get the unicorns over here” he heard one of his fellow commanders shout by the looks it was Commander Strong Wing. Than the realization hit battering rams had one purpose the smash gates. If they could smash the gates than they could get into the city.
“Concentrate ballistae fire on the Hell Knights carrying the ram.” He heard a different voice shout.
“They are throwing maggots up the walls” he heard somepony shout. However most of what he heard was screams as he saw Cacodemons firing onto the walls mainly targeting the ballistae but others just were firing willy nilly.
That’s when he heard the first thud as the ram struck the gates. How they made it across the stakes was beyond him unless they had somehow cleared them. However that was for him to worry about after the battle his main concern was halting the advance of the demons should they break through the gates. This was his priority number one .
The thudding continued for several minutes but made no progress as the unicorns were channeling their magic into the gates to hold them shut. He behind the chosen unicorns who were aside the strongest members of their kind stood Princess Luna she was in full battle armor and was judging by her expression very angry. The thudding stopped and the unicorns relaxed. If it weren’t for the constant explosions from the Cacodemons and Hell Knights he might have heard it, the thud of a large creature moving towards them if it weren’t for the screams of ponies and demons dying he would have heard them but it was far too late. A massive thud shook the gates. The entire courtyard focused on the gates and the unicorns who were tasked with holding it shut redoubled their efforts sweat was pouring off the weaker members. Whatever was hitting the gate struck again and two of them collapsed to the ground. A third thud followed denting the door. By now the ponies on the walls were doing their best to slow the tide of demons entering the area around the gates but it wasn’t very successful.
“They are breaking through the gates” he shouted up at the other commanders. This was going to get very bad very quickly. A fourth thud deepened the dent and around it he saw the wooden sections splintering badly and four of the unicorns fell to the ground breathing heavily. Only four were left hold it shut and all of them were showing signs of breaking beneath whatever was slamming into the gate. It was striking with immense force since not only had it nearly broken through the gate it was doing so in spite of the best efforts of the most powerful ponies in Equestria.
The next blow wasn’t a thud it was a crack as the doors ripped from there hinges and went flying into the tightly packed ponies that had no move to maneuver to get out of the way. One was caught by the princess and thrown back at the demons. The other embedded itself into the ground after cutting through ten ponies.
A huge cloud of dust was floating in the gate and something was moving through it its progress marked by a pair of glowing eyes and pentagram. Slowly it closed in on them striding closer. The ground trembled beneath it shaking from its immense weight.
“This is an impressive welcoming committee Luna I hope you it will be enough” his voice sounding deeper than usual. He stood in the gate the cause of all Equestria’s woes in all his glory in all his terror. Gorrog lord of Hell Knights harbinger of Hell’s wrath. He slammed his fist into his open palm causing a small shockwave to go through the air.
“Gorrog you and your ilk are the worst creatures to ever walk this fair land and I will not have disgraced with our presence any longer.” Luna shouted at him.
“I WILL BURN YOUR SOUL IN THE FIRES OF GREAT DARKNESS, CHARGE MY BRETHREN WE SHALL GRIND THEM INTO DUES BENEATH OUR STRENGTH.” His voice filling the courtyard and signaled a second charge as demons charged past him followed by Hell Knights and the other spawn of Hell.
Spike stared in wonder as Luna’s horn crackled with a sudden burst of power and shot it at the Hell Knight. The blast sent him flying back through his forces easily crushing imps and maggots beneath him until he hit a wall. Than his chest smoking he got up as if he had merely sat down. Roaring he slammed his fist into the ground shaking it like an angry god has decided to shake to very earth they stood on.
Luna took to the air and behind her rose the entire Third Army. Everyone who was watching saw the massive number of Pegasi took to the air. The demons despite being surprised at the sudden change of direction of the ponies but they quickly resumed their assault. Spike saw a hell knight bearing down on him its fist raised to smash into him. He got ready to slam his sword into the Hell Knight when he saw a fireball form in its other hand. He didn’t have time to react as the concussive blast pushed him back into his battalion.
A loud roar broke out over the fighting. It was Gorrog battling Luna he had lifted the massive battering ram and hurled it at Luna.(1) she effortlessly dodged it but everypony could tell that the Hell Knight was getting more and more enraged at Luna’s constant bombardments of magic. He turned and charged Spike’s group seeking out the dragon personally. The other Hell Knight got out of his way as fast as he could considering Gorrog was charging at what had to have been twenty five miles per hour. He lowered his shield and shouted “charge soldiers charge for the princess!!!” he lowered his shield and charged against him when he felt something in the air looking up he saw it before Gorrog did storm clouds were forming around Luna. His adversary slowed and looked up as did most of his forces. Out of the clouds came a bolt of lightning striking Gorrog and him alone. They were close enough together for Spike to see him not burning and screaming but flexing his muscles and staring at her his face or at least what spike could see of it through his helmet was twisted in a smirk.(2)
To Spike's horror the lightning hadn’t even scratched him but form a pulsating shield.
“You see I have a affinity for lightning thanks to my good friend the Invulnerability Hunter.” He said giving him a show of his teeth.
Spike snarled and closed the distance between them with a leap swinging his blade at Gorrog’s neck intending to decapitate him. His leap was halted when a fist impacted him with the force of runaway train. Sending him sprawling back thirty feet. He looked at Gorrog wondering how strong this brute was but noticed that his glowing eyes were starting to dim slightly. He tried to get up but his chest suddenly hurt. He looked at it and saw that his breast plate had been caved in. his breath was starting to wheeze. He glared at Gorrog as he strode towards him effortlessly swatting aside ponies who tried to block his path occasionally throwing one at Luna or the wall. He saw the slobber starting to drip to the ground as he was hoisted into the air.
“I can’t fry you you’re a dragon but I doubt that resilience extends to being crushed or broken.” He stared into Gorrog’s now black eyes “you know this could have been avoided had you simply taken my offer.” He turned and hurled Spike at the wall. His vision started to darken as Gorrog approached. He was going to be completely broken by this demon that would than no doubt harm his friends. His friends wouldn’t be touched by this demon. He grabbed a large stone to raise himself.
“Impressive most creatures would be dead after that and yet you still rise to challenge me I commend your courage but you can’t win.”
Spike looked up and saw the Hell Knight staring down on him and he could almost see pity on his face.
“You could have gone so far.”
“I’d… rather…see it burn” he replied staring into what must have the last sight for many ponies.
The Hell Knight curled his hand into a fist and struck Spike in the face. He turned over and spat out teeth.
“Defiant to the last I will remember you the only creature beside the white princess to stare me down even as I crushed the life from her.” The fist came down again this time hitting him in the stomach. He looked up and saw it being raised again but as it fell he saw a horn pierce Gorrog’s chest.
“Drop him and your end shall be quick.”
He felt the ground hit him as he fell and stared into Luna’s eyes as she teleported him from the battle and into an infirmary. His last sight was of several doctors and medics trying to get his armor off. The pain swallowed him.
Author's Note
(1)when Gorrog goes berserk as he did in this chapter to break the gate his strength increases one hundredfold and makes him slightly more resilient to damage.
hoped you enjoyed this chapter more will be here soon also next chapter but not the Gorrog one will happen at the same time this one does Gorrog's will pick up right after Spike is teleported out of the battle.
Chapter Ten: Weathering the Storm
Stahl looked around his post his soldiers were reading themselves for battle as Commander Spike had spotted the demon army advancing in Canterlot so the entire garrison had been roused to combat it. He had already gotten into his armor a chain mail full body piece covered by a less gilded standard set of royal guard armor. He had taken his sword that had served him well in all of his previous engagements.
“Captain where will we be sent” asked Stalwart Shield?
“We will be guarding the side of the city that is over the valley.”
“We’ll be fighting the flying demons than?”
“Yeah, though I fear that we have no experience against them. They only ponies who ever fought them were the third and fourth Fillydelphian Regiments and they can’t tell us much about them.”
“We’ll have to learn and quickly.”
They were now marching out of the barracks and following the rest of the army to his staging area they would cordon off a small plaza to prevent demons from landing troops there due to sightings of Cacodemons seen ferrying demons generally the smaller breeds between places. He waved to the civilians as they passed noticing that not one Stallion could be seen in their ranks they had all volunteered into the army. The survivors of battles often had the mares flocking to them especially his unit with the exception of the Diamond Dogs. He had turned down several telling them that due to high casualty rate that he couldn’t bear them losing him. His hero status however kept them coming despite his protests even some of the female soldiers had taken an interest in him.
They had reached the plaza and assumed the defensive positions that the army had been preparing for a month now. He saw the ballistae crews were already there and their weapons were loaded and ready to fire. They had one of the riskiest jobs in the army except for the scouts who would fly close to the demons hordes as they marched. They had to be crazy he thought but they saved a lot of lives during the initial retreats.
“Formations” he shouted over the soldiers who assumed their designated positions. The other officers followed his example everyone one of them looking up to him as the most experienced member of their force. He was waiting for the demons to begin their assault. They would arrive by nightfall he had been told but since it was already afternoon he didn’t think that they would have a lot of time to prepare. The reports from the scouts had mentioned the lack of the usual Cacodemon cloud over the army which meant that they had already deployed somewhere else. He was apprehensive about facing them since they had made a reputation for themselves in the slaughter of Fillydelphia.
Night fell and he could hear the sounds of the battle starting at the gate mainly the battle cries of Demons and Hell Knights. But his position hadn’t been attacked yet but it was only a matter of time if they breached the gates.
His thoughts were interrupted by a massive banging noise. It ran through the ranks of soldiers and throughout the city.
Dread filled him that wasn’t a battering ram it was far too loud.
“By Celestia what was that” he asked to no pony in particular?
The noise again filled the air making him wonder what Hellish terror had been released on them. He had heard that Gorrog would be personally be leading this assault but he hadn’t thought him capable of that type strength.
A third thud interrupted him causing him to wonder if the gates would hold. If the reports held true than ten of the strongest unicorns would be holding them shut. This demon had slayed Celestia singlehandedly how were ten unicorns going to contain that kind of power.
A light interrupted him and everypony in the plaza stared at it. They didn’t recognize it until it got closer it was moving fast. It was a lighting ball from a Cacodemon. It slammed into a pony sending her reeling backwards from the blast electrical burn marks showing. He gestured to the ballistae crews who were swiveling their weapons to face this threat. He heard the retort from the ballistae as it fired.
By now several other Cacodemons were firing at them. Other that Stahl didn’t notice until they got closer had Maggots and Imps on the side. They were going to land troops inside the city. “Concentrate your fire on the Cacodemons carrying the other demons.” They were turning to adjust their fire when a lightning ball impacted right next to him, he was thrown several yards abut he didn’t suffer the burns that the other pony had. Several Imps and Maggots were rushing the soldiers in the front lines. Several of the newer soldiers were knocked over and gutted by the demons.
“Fight you foals push them back” he shouted to the soldiers who starting to panic after seeing guts being torn out of one of their fellows. His soldiers pushed forward charging the demons having lost the natural fear of them that most ponies possessed. He rushed to catch up with his soldiers who had started to engage the demons in combat.
He was about to lead the charge when a Forgotten One collided with him. He pushed it off him and stabbed it with his sword. It glanced off its hard skull and proceeded to ram him again. He rammed his sword through the rear of its skull at the base. The Forgotten one exploded he was surprised by the sudden rush of heat but other that nothing happened to him.
“Holy Celestia” he said a t the sight in front of him. There was a massive aerial battle being played out thousands of Pegasi and demons were fighting. Every once in a while he saw an explosion or a fireball falling towards the ground. He shuddered the entire Third Army was in the air fighting the demons.
A loud roar snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to see a Hell Knight behind him. It was covered in blood and had a plasma ball in its hand. He ducked as it hurled the ball at him. Narrowly missing him but it sent several soldiers reeling back. He looked up at the monster. It was injured in multiple places. It also was too heavy for a Cacodemon to carry which must mean… that the front gate had been compromised or fallen.
He would strike this monster down if it killed him it had killed its way here and he would halt it. He readied his sword to strike when the Hell Knight charged him roaring. He swung his sword into its arm when it attempted to punch him. His blade sunk into its flesh but got torn from his grasp when the demon retracted its arm and grabbed him.
Its jaw opened as it brought him towards it. He stared into its massive mouth seeing the large and very sharp teeth that would soon be in his flesh. A line of drool landed on his face obscuring his vision but not enough to not notice what happened next.
A bolt of purple magic shot through the Hell Knight’s chest. It convulsed dropping him to the ground before collapsing to the ground. As it corpse burned away he saw a purple alicorn standing several feet away.
He took a moment to recognize her it was Princess Twilight.
“Thanks for that” he said.
“There are more demons captain and I want them gone.” She was clearly upset about something but what it was he didn’t know.
He got up slowly and looked around. His soldiers were still in a to the death battle with the demons. Mostly Maggots and Imps but a few of Cacodemons were still supporting them and they had to be removed. He shouted a command to the remaining ballistae crews who were supporting the Third Army in clearing the skies. A few switched to firing on the closer Cacodemons and slowed the rate at which his soldiers died.
“We got them on the retreat” said one of the other captains. He sounded more confident than he should.
Stahl’s answer was interrupted by a lightning ball crashing into the other captain. He looked at what remained of the other pony and what he saw sickening. He was writhing on the ground grasping the stump that used to be his left forehoof.
Stahl furrowed his brow and pull forth his sword. Sweat poured off his forehead as the heat from an Imp’s fireball exploded against the top of his helmet. His mane was singed and his grey armor blackened but otherwise he was fine. The offending imp was twenty feet in front of him and was reading another fireball. He charged it intending to cut it down.
It jumped straight into him knocking him into the ground tearing at his lighter armored belly. He quickly brought up his sword and slammed it into the demons mouth. As it burned away he got up this being the second time he had a brush with death.
They were slowly pushing the demons back and since their support was engaged with destroying the Ballistae and they had no Hell Knights or Demons they lacked the harder hitting demons to make and sustain a breach in the pony lines.
That was until he showed up. They had pushed them back and secured the landing area preventing the sporadic flow of reinforcements from continuing.
A loud thud signaled his arrival. Stahl turned slowly to face it. Behind him stood a perfect replica of Gorrog except it was the size of a normal Hell Knight. In its hand burned a very large fireball. It stretched back its arm and threw it into the largest gathering of soldiers in the plaza sending several flying. A diamond dog charged it swinging a war hammer. The Hell Knight dodged it with surprising agility and punched the diamond dog sending lurching back several feet and breaking several ribs.
What was this monster it was far more capable than most Hell Knights and wasn’t nearly as reckless. It had turned to him and was charging him roaring. It swung its fist at him narrowly missing his skull in what would have probably knocked it straight off his neck. He stuck his sword into its chest only penetrating only a few inches into the skin.
“Damn what is this thing made of” he said wondering how it managed to not even seem effected by a thrust into its chest in what would have killed most demons.
A massive roar thundered over the city and it proceeded to vanish into several red lightning like flashes.
“Where’d it go” Stahl asked surprised by the sudden disappearance of his foe that had been winning why did it disappear?
“Also where is the princess Lieutenant?”
“With all due respect Captain neither of them were here” replied Stalwart Shield.
“I say her she saved me from the other Hell Knight” he said wondering how only he had seen her.
“Sir, you killed the other Hell Knight by yourself you slammed your sword under its chin and apparently into its brain” said Stalwart.
He couldn’t believe it she had been there she had saved him why hadn’t any of them seen it. How could they have missed it?
A massive shockwave interrupted him almost bursting his eardrums.
“What in Equestria was that” he asked to no one in particular and where did it come from?
Author's Note
I hope you like this and next chapter will be epic. thanks a lot for reading and getting me to a thousand views
Chapter Eleven: Hell’s Wrath
Gorrog felt the ground rushing up to meet him. His body was gripped with agony, whatever that dark pony had done to him was very powerful. He turned to face her, breathing heavily and ready for to fight.
“GORROG, GORROG, GORROG!!!”
“Dark Princess, a valiant effort but futile” and with that final word all Hell broke loose around them. His body surging forward with the remnants of Hell Time sending him forward at blinding speed. Slamming into Luna they went tumbling through the ranks of ponies that were desperately holding back the demonic horde raging against them.
His rage at being denied his target gave his blows strength even as his body was slowly giving up. His soldiers were starting to push towards him when due to the combined effects of being nearly torn to pieces, exhaustion and the cold wore him down. He collapsed upon the ground as the front lines finally enveloped him.
“Ready the Guardian and send a message to Hell this war has more than one campaign for slaughter.” He laughed to himself thinking of the new horrors his potential allies would bring.
Author's Note
(1) when Gorrog goes into Hell Time it doesn't make him any faster it simply allows him more time to do things I.E. for every second the ponies use in Hell Time he gets ten.
Chapter Twelve: Knee Deep in the Dead.
Spike awoke in a mist of pain, his body in flames as hellish laughter filled his ears. His vision was red almost as if blood covered his eyes. He shook his head and to his horror saw a massive gash in his chest. On the ground around him his breastplate was blood soaked his blood he realized. How hard had the monster hit him to dent it in deep enough to penetrate his scales? He turned his head to the other side and saw a row of medical bed stretching down the room each one had an occupant and all were grievously injured, many had severe burns or large bite marks on them. Around them a large group of doctors and medics scrambled doing their best to heal the soldiers wounds while tending to those who teleported in from the battlefield.
A soft breeze, followed by a quiet landing sounded the arrival of one the princesses. He turned his head to see a face he wished to see ever since the battle. Twilight looked at him and he saw a tear fall down her face.
“Spike, how did this happen? When did this madness start?” she was in hysterics and he assumed that she had been part of the fighting. Than he noticed a slightly healed burn mark covering her side.
She saw his gaze and said “A Hell Knight, a black one used a fireball to kill one of the soldiers I was leading, I was caught in the explosion.” He was shocked
“Twilight I thought you were going to use the Elements of Harmony on Gorrog and end this war” he said coughing up blood.
“Spike, how did you end up like this” she asked almost as if she hadn’t noticed the massive wound on his chest. He looked at it and shuddering sending daggers into his flesh.
“Gorrog, punched my breastplate and slammed me into a wall. He was too strong impossible strong, he made the Ursa Minor look weak and yet is so much smaller.” By the end of that sentence he was wheezing, the energy it took to say a simple sentence was beyond him.
“Spike, don’t hurt yourself” she said suddenly beside him. His chest wound would take a long time to heal, despite the best efforts of the medics even magical healing had little effect, whatever Gorrog had hit him with, it was working.
“I’ll be fine just need some rest.” He knew that he would be confined to a bed for a while his wounds healed.
A sudden thought entered his head “Twilight, how many demons attacked the city” he asked?
“Over sixty thousand if the estimates are correct but we have spotted a smaller demon army that was held back from the fighting, we know that Gorrog if he is still alive will be rejoining it soon with the twenty or thirty thousand demons still alive. However we don’t know whether they will attack again or leave.”
Gasping he replied “Twilight, that means they won’t attack again for a while, so I can fight again.”
“Spike, you came very close to dying out there, you fought the most dangerous and brutal enemy I have ever seen and you want to go out to fight him again, if he hadn’t not toyed with you or Luna hadn’t stopped him you would be among the thirty thousand ponies who gave their lives to defend to defend this city. Can you imagine how I or everyone else would feel?”
“Twilight, I know just I need to do something. I know how Rainbow Dash felt when she broke her wing though” he said laughing slightly before it subsided into a coughing fit.
A soldier walked over and whispered something into Twilight’s ear and her eyes went wide.
“What exactly do you mean” she sounded angry?
“Princess, I take it we’ve met before” the pony was laughing and his voice sounded deeper than a pony of that size would normally make.
“As I recall I haven’t had the pleasure of fighting you myself though, Spike here isn’t so fortunate.” The pony said as he removed his helmet revealing a glowing pentagram.
“How are you doing this Gorrog, what have you done to him” she was steady growing more and more angry. Her horn crackling with her anger at the mere mention of Gorrog’s name.
“Princess, killing this pony won’t hurt me in the slightest; I placed my seal on other ponies in this city, all I have to do is reach out and touch them, and I am in control. Right now, this pony thinks he is on fire, try something and I will make that a reality. You know when I say I will burn your soul, I actually mean it. Hell’s powers are vast beyond your feeble comprehension.”
“Release him, Gorrog or I will…”
“You will do what exactly, Princess?” he laughed “I have an entire army of demons behind me, and I am more than capable of destroying you in the most painful way imaginable. A reality filled entirely of suffering and anguish is what awaits you.”
“Gorrog, I will find you and you will face the fury of a dragon. Harm her, and not even Hell will protect you from me!” Spike said; his fury and will to protect his friends sending a strange feeling throughout his body. He felt the dull pain start to fade from his chest and he shot up.
“Impressive, but I’m afraid impotent. I would give you to your princess here in pieces.”
“LEAVE US DEMON” shouted a voice from behind them. It took several seconds for Spike to recognize it. Princess Cadence stood in the entrance her horn glowing.
“What is this, new princess” said Gorrog his smaller form lacking the power to simply kill her. Spike pushed himself off the bed and grabbed the pony by the back of his neck and pushed him towards Cadence before falling back onto the bed in agony. His vision flashed red, black lines filling it and giving the look of a stream of blood covered it. His chest burned and he slowly raised his head, Twilight had the pony in here magical grip and Cadence was walking towards him. He stared and noticed Gorrog saying something but it took him a few seconds to concentrate on it.
“This is new, Princess perhaps you will catch the Hell Fire as it burns this world to ashes.” He turned his head back and started laughing. That’s when Spike recognized him, the dark orange coat, and the dark brown spots and despite his now pure red eyes, Spike could see the raw terror in them.
Captain Stahl was fighting a lost battle against the darkest will to ever cast itself into a pony. He was literally dragged by Twilight’s horn towards Cadence, who lowered her horn to receive him. He reached her and her horn flashed, blindly Spike with its light. With a sound like thunder he saw a burning skull lifted out of Stahl, its flaming eyes looking around, as it shrank.
Several moments later it was gone.
“So, that’s Gorrog’s mind, never has I felt something so dark and filled with rage. It wasn’t one that had turned its back on love, it never even felt it.” Cadence stammered.
“Cadence, how did you feel his mind, he isn’t anywhere near her. I saw him dragged away from the battle ground by several black Hell Knights” asked Twilight?
“I don’t know but that skull was some kind of extension for his mind. It was a terrible thing to behold, so much rage and hate.” She was shocked after the encounter. But I must continue, my army is here numbering over fifty thousand strong. The dead of this battle will be avenged all of them, they will pay for this.”
“I think that is far easier done than said, Gorrog has fought two princesses and only failed to kill Luna because of the combined efforts of an entire army.” Spike shuddered after talking his strength spent and the only thought in his mind was the piles of bodies that were around him. He realized he wasn’t in an infirmary; he was in a massive casualty management area. The thousands of dead and dying around him merely confirmed this. The doctors simply couldn’t treat them all. He was one of the few that would live but who was luckier was debatable as far as he was concerned.
Author's Note
sorry this took so long. the next one will be out sooner
Revelations
Stahl felt the fires burning his body, swirling around him. He screamed into the flames as they consumed him, the only sensation being pure agony. All he heard was the same cruel laughter surging around him, taunting him as he burned under its shadow. His pain suddenly intensified as the laughter stopped and a voice spoke.
“Stahl, I am Gorrog champion of Hell’s wrath, your death is impending but before you die know that I will use you to kill that beloved Princess of yours.” It took Stahl several moments to try to think as the pain overrode any attempt to think almost as if it was trying to become his sole focus.
“And to think that this is only a short taste of the torments that Hell can leverage.” Gorrog said.
Than he heard a roar and the pain ceased, his mind slowly became clear, yet he shuddered and convulsed in pain. He vision changed from a massive raging fire to the cobblestone ground of a Canterlot road.
He slowly raised his head and saw Princess Cadence staring down at him.
“Princess, I..” he stopped and shuddered and stopped and just stared into her eyes which had turned from grim determination to pity.
“Soldier, what happened to you, did you fight Gorrog?” she asked him her voice soft yet stern.
“No, only a black Hell Knight.” He managed the effort while he was physically capable of it was mentally exhaustive.
“That explains why he said his mark had been spread throughout the city. Twilight prepare the army to do a sweep in the region that Gorrog and his Black Hell Knights fought in. We need to halt this pestilence before this is repeated.” Twilight nodded but levitated Spike out the area his large wounds visible to everyone.
Stahl pushed himself up his body armor still in the same condition from the battle. It had scorch marks on it and many claw marks. His plates were slightly dented by the Hell Knights blows yet they weren’t constricting him or were imbedded in him like Commander Spike’s were. Compared to the piles of bodies around him he was considerable better off. He saw several missing faces or other body parts.
He hurried from the site passing several operating tents and doctors working in them on injured ponies all of them were severely maimed or burned. He later found out that this was where the worst cases were sent, many from the front gate where the demon hammer blow fell the hardest. His force had a much easier time fighting the smaller infiltrator force as it lacked the stronger demons to lead the assault. He walked alone towards the end of square and saw hundreds of soldiers milling around doing some sort of reconstruction.
He looked for his unit, but due to the massive number of ponies working on repairing the city from the battle, he couldn’t find it for several hours but when he did he was shocked. Only two hundred of the members of his company survived the assault. He later learned that similar if not worse results were suffered towards the gate, whole regiments butchered. The Diamond Dogs especially were hit hard, their larger more prominent figures coupled with their inferior intellect made them easier targets for the Cacodemons to fire upon.
His troubles did not stop there; the other companies in the regiment were trying to go after his supply of new recruits. They were saying since his company was still the largest thanks to the Diamond Dogs, that it didn’t need the new soldiers as badly. He was still growing accustomed to the new paperwork he had to do, thanks to his new position as company commander.
He was about to finish a form for the delivery for a team of armorers to repair his company’s armor when his vision flashed red. A voice sounded in the chaos, it was dark and yet feminine.
“Mortal, I hope you enjoyed your, taste of Hell Fire. Exquisite isn’t it how sloppy Gorrog can be when he places his mark on a mortal.”
“Who are you, you’re not Gorrog.’ His voice had false bravado in it and he was afraid of what was speaking in his head.
“NO, I am not that dolt, who can’t even control himself and lacks an understanding of Hell’s very nature. All he is an up jumped Hell Knight not worthy to lick my feet.”
He was confused, this was clearly a demon but he had never heard of one like this.
“But now on to the good part, you’re going to help me, Captain Stahl, I need you as you have a direct link to his mind. This might be painful.”
He suddenly felt like a spike was driven into his skull, tearing and twisting into his mind latching into his memories of being inside the demon’s mind. The burning sensation returned nowhere near as powerful as before though. Than a sudden chill fell over him as if his very soul quivered like a flame before a wind.
“Thank you, this will help me very much and don’t worry even if that hulking brute succeeds he won’t live past his victory. He will serve his purpose than I will kill him, can’t have loose ends can we now.”
The way the demon spoke, in such a patronizing tone as if was a pet and couldn’t understand him. He tried to get away from its presence, yet no matter where he fled to in his mind he couldn’t escape.
“Why do you need me, why not somepony else.” He was scared now desperate terror filling him. This was very different from Gorrog’s presence, while his was pain and blind terror; this was concentrated panic, targeting his deeper fears, the mounting sense that he was being watched.
“You my dear know too much now, far too much and I know that the moment that this link between us is severed you will go running off to that princess of yours and tell her about my plans. “ She was about to continue when a rush of burning rage exploded inside his head.
It pulled his mind out the other demons grasp and halted the effects that it was having on him. Shaking he stood up and looked around the room, waiting for a demon to leap at him from the shadows. When none did he relaxed and called for his lieutenants to keep track of everything that the black Hell Knight touched and follow them.
Stalwart Shield approached him at the officers mess informed him that Princess Twilight had called for him. So he went walking towards the castle, he noticed the larger number of security around it. He walked past them and head towards the west wing of the castle to where her audience chamber was. He was followed by ten soldiers of the princesses’ personal guard. They all carried swords and wore plate armor similar to what the Ft Shock Battalion wore but theirs was more ornate with a bit of gold inlay here and there. It was especially concentrated on their helmet, which had a more fashionable than functional plume on it. A visor shielded their eyes yet he had the suspicion that they were worried that he might have another demonic visit near them.
He walked into her small room, as she was still a princess merely by formality and Alicorn status and lack of lands prevented her from needing a larger room. She was sitting on a small throne clad in a suit of armor; it resembled a mixture of unicorn and pegasus armor. It had a wide silt for her wings too come out of, and a hole in her helmet for her horn to protrude from. It had to be of high quality since a princess wore it and, he saw the steel looking like it twisted and folded into shape. On her head was her Element of Harmony.
“Captain, you are here so that I can gain a better understanding of exactly how much of an effect the demons have had on you to make sure that, this infection is curable.”
“What do you mean infection?”
“In your head there is a five edged star, it glowed when you were possessed and is very similar to the one on Gorrog’s head. It was a full possession, he had full control over your body and if any other ponies out there have we need to find a way to stop him without the intervention of Princess Cadence, saving you was a larger drain on her than she expected.”
“What do you mean a larger drain than she expected.”
“She had to drive out a being that consisted of nothing but pure, unadulterated rage and hate. That kind of effort to drive him out drained her of quite a bit of her strength.”
“So… how will this begin?”
“I will have to probe your mind to try to find a trace of the magic that Gorrog used and attempt to find a counter to it.”
Her horn glowed and he felt the familiar feeling of another being in his mind. Yet this lacked the burning sensation and malice. Instead he felt a bit of tenderness and shortly she withdrew from his mind.
“That kind of pain must have been unbearable, I am impressed Captain but I couldn’t find any trace of demonic magic in your mind or body”
“So I take it I am dismissed?”
“No, I have to observe you for the next few days unless a more pressing matter arises, I also have to see if anyone with more experience with Gorrog can help me pin point how he possessed you the lack of a trace worries me greatly.”
She left the room and was flanked by the ten guards who had followed him down the hallway. He sat down and wondered why he was the one to be caught up all this. He was just an up jumped lieutenant, he continued on this train of thought until he heard the sound of hoof steps on stone as two ponies walked down the hall towards him. He stood up and readied himself to see whoever Twilight was bringing to see him. He was surprised to see Princess Luna walk thru the door her mane flowing in a none existent breeze. She too was in a suit of armor the only difference being size and that hers was bluish in tint.
“Captain, I will examine your mind to make sure that the demonic taint is gone.”
“So you don’t believe that Princess Cadence removed Gorrog’s magic from me.”
“I watched that demon preform a teleportation spell in the dungeons of this very castle, where there are extremely powerful spells to prevent that from happening, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he can still touch your mind.”
“How did he pull that off” he said his jaw dropping.
“He has shown himself to the most dangerous opponent Equestria has ever fought so I am not surprised he did, it took the combined efforts several regiments to even slow him down and only after he was heavily wounded did I dare engage him. Imagine what he could do to a single pony that he could infiltrate his mind.”
He knew that it had taken a lot of sacrifices to stop Gorrog but that many. His feeling of dread slowly deepened until he felt Luna’s presence inside his mind despite its nearly imperceptible appearance.
“I can’t find anything yet, wait what is this?” Her scream filled the air and she back pedaled away from him wrenching herself from his mind. Her eyes narrowed and her mind flung itself at him , he inwardly braced himself for it and expected her to tear his mind apart. He felt it slam into him directed at one set of memories he was just now seeing himself.
He saw fields of lava and felt the earth itself shake beneath his footsteps. Turning at what for him was an unnatural speed he saw a spider like creature charging him. His hand curled into a fist and he roared loud and guttural.
This was not his memory, he was in this Hell, and he was experiencing Gorrog’s memories.
He breathed heavily and rushed forward. Swinging his fist he caught the spider demon with a quick punch to the chest sending it sprawling conjuring a fireball he brought it down on the demon, blasting out some of the rock around it but doing very little damage to it. As he raised his arm for another blow something slammed into his back, it was sharp and painful. Turing he saw a large jagged rock protruded from his back. He was going to die the sense of fear rising over him until something deep inside him stirred, dark and full of rage. He felt strength surge through him rage pouring throughout his body giving him immense strength. Bring his fist down he smashed a rock face and picked up the largest piece of it. He turned and red light lite up his surroundings, he brought the boulder down upon the demon crushing it in one savage blow. He raised his hand and directed at the sky a swirling mass of clouds and something else and shot a column of fire into it.
Around him appeared Hell Knights, Imps, Maggots and other demons turning to them he roared with renewed strength and force.
“How did you get that memory Captain, he did mark you, for what I don’t know.
Author's Note
Hope you guys like this only a few more chapters left until we get to the end.
Chapter Thirteen: Hate and Rage.
His armies spent, his demons defeated by mere mortals. He would make an example of Princess Luna when they next crossed paths. His mind swarmed with scenes of her death and how he would do it.
A large hand shook him and he awoke, startling him. He looked up and saw one of his guards standing next to him, in his hands squirmed a pony. He looked at the pony and it froze. He could see the sweat on its face, the fear in its eyes slowly turn to terror. He smirked and held out his hand. The pony tried to kick his arm but failed and was rewarded with a quick squeeze from Gorrog.
“Your name, mortal before I burn you to ash.”
“My name is Star Dancer” she managed before collapsing into sobs.
He grunted and several Hell Knights walked over to see what was happening.
“So… what do you think will happen, personally I’m thinking evisceration, perhaps burning, or maybe I’ll just take you apart piece by bloody piece.”
She started screaming as he took her from the other Hell Knight and brought her up to his face, his hot breath rolling over her. He looked at her, his eyes boring holes into her soul and felt the primal fear inside her, feeling every part of her being. He opened his mouth and placed her head on his lower jaw, she was screaming at this point loud enough to start to bother him, so he crunched down on her skull splitting it in half. The abrupt halt in her screaming was replaced by the hisses and grunts of maggots and imps crawling over to him trying to get at the flesh of the corpse. Swallowing the top half of her skull he took another bite out of her taking off the rest of her head and neck. He continued eating it as his soldiers watched; he knew he didn’t need to eat her but he enjoyed the taste juicy and cooked as it went down his gullet. Finishing by swallowing a chunk of her flank he turned to the other Hell Knights and felt a little more at ease.
He had ordered his army to march forward to where the Guardian waited and he knew that without those demons he would be out matched by the ponies’ strength since their reinforcements had arrived. He had seen the new princess, a pink one with a power he didn’t comprehend, it drove him out rather quickly and yet barely damaged his strength as a whole. He was marching with his soldiers but at the rear of the column, the message was clear, he expected to be attacked from behind and would be the first to fight. Yet a chilling rain fell down on his army steaming off Hell Knights and Imps but otherwise causing them to slow down as they trekked through the mud. His large feet aided him by slowing his sinking into the mud but still it was rather unpleasant with his vision partially obstructed by the clouds of steam rolling of his brethren’s backs and the steam from his own body.
They pasted through a ruined village, only three ponies were still living in the sole undamaged house but he took care of them. He gave them two options run or die where they stood. One refused to leave, a stubborn middle-aged stallion but his companions ran rather quickly after Gorrog tore him in half and tossed him to a group of Maggots. They were caught later that day by a small group of Demons and devoured as not to leave any trace.
They continued for three more days until they saw their brethren waiting for them at the edge of hilly grassland or the remnants of it. It had been heavily scorched by the prolonged demonic presence. He saw the Guardian’s bulk from afar, its body dwarfing him several times over. This one was obviously old and large as well but still Hell had gifted a fit champion for him so he intended to use it. He sat on a large blacken rock and started to plan his battle and defense against the armies he was sure were being marshaled against him in that mountain city.
“Gorrog, I see you failed just as you did at the Abyss.”
He snarled his mind while not taken over was being probed.
“And by such weak creatures too, I honestly expected better from Hell’s Champion.”
“You, quivering coward, why do you hide in the shadows from me?” His rage was rising as he slowly recognized his conversation partner.
“Oh no, Gorrog, can’t you understand subtly, I mean even the Berserk Hunter was capable of subtly when it was called for but you, you employed the most basic tactics to take that city and your surprised you lost.”
“When I find you not even your strength will protect you from my wrath, the strength of a Vargary Queen is insignificant compared to the might that Hell has bestowed upon me.”
“Gorrog, not only do I hold a numerical advantage of about five to one I also have demons capable of matching yours in combat, even your Hell Knights are capable of being matched.”
His vision flashed red and he finally caught a glimpse of her, she was clad in a suit of Hell-Steel much like his helmet and had a large glowing red pentagram in her abdomen plate. Her spider like body made forging armor complicated and time consuming.
He grunted and reached for her, his hand grasping empty air as he realized she was an illusion of his mind. He curled his hand into a fist and called upon Hell. Turing to the sky his shot a massive pillar of fire into it, he grunted straining from the effort and he saw the very sky itself turn red. He smiled as he heard lightning crack above him. Closing his fist he roared into the heavens, his roar carrying much farther than normally possible and yet it had a twofold message.
He knew that every pony in that city would walk up covered in sweat or be filled in his unholy terror, and every demon in Hell would hear his call, all those truly loyal to Hell would answer and gather together in their countless numbers.
“Vargary, my might is unmatched by such pathetic demons as you, though you were right on one thing, I am Hell’s champion and the harbinger of its fury.”
Her response was long in coming in yet controlled. “Most impressive Gorrog, perhaps I underestimated you, yet how many of those demons do you think will answer your call?” and with that she left him to wonder, the contact completely severed.
His outpouring of Hellfire drained him but not as much as a Hell power would. He stood up his army facing him expecting something. His mouth opened into something resembling a smile and he spoke.
“Demons, We are Hell’s warriors and soon our brethren will join us to bring glorious slaughter to this world but now they are sending there feeble armies after us, tomorrow we strike, VICTORY!!!!” he roared above them and in responsive his army let out a ear shattering roar as if some great beast had awoken and was displaying its rage to the world.
He felt confident that every pony would hear them and that was what he want draw them into his army and slaughter them by the thousands. Only something wasn’t right as some shadow had fallen on him barely noticeable but there.
Author's Note
Battle scene soon, I'm going to show you what a demon army can do!!!
Chapter 14: Blood and Fire
Chapter 14: Blood and Fire
One month later Spike had fully recovered from his injuries. They still plagued him and some nights he was tormented by cruel laughter and hellfire. He was readying his soldiers to march; his unit had suffered some of the worst casualties in the Battle for Canterlot. No reports of any major demonic activity had reached him but Twilight had seemed worried earlier and they were put on high alert. His soldiers were at the ready, preparing to lead the charge into the demon ranks. The veterans of the previous battle were instructing the new recruits on how to fight Hell Knights. The past few days his soldiers had been training to fight the various types of demons they had encountered.
He had reoccurring nightmares of his battle with Gorrog, each time he saw the fist come, thundering towards him and each time he felt himself go flying back into the ramparts. Yet unlike normal dreams he felt the pain each time he was struck, he saw the raw unadulterated hatred in Gorrog’s eyes and smugness in his eyes when he was picked up like a rag doll. His only respite came when he asked Luna to give him a dreamless sleep and only than were his nights not full of pain and terror.
He shook himself, better not to dwell on that.
“Spike, the army is moving out, we’re going on the offensive against the demons.”
“Twilight, what do you mean an offensive, we barely fought them off at our walls. Now we’re going to attack them in the field.”
“Spike, listen to me, if we don’t attack the demons they will only grow more numerous.”
He stood up his height allowing him to see everyone soldier in his battalion.
“We are moving out, we shall be in battle tomorrow, ready yourselves for battle.”
The soldiers looked at each and a murmur swept the assembled troops.
“Our brothers from the Crystal Empire march with us together we number one hundred thousand together we shall drive the demons back into Hell and finally return to our peace that has marked this land for generations.”
They started to file into their positions when they finality cleared the hill and sew the sea of ponies in front of them all moving towards the same target. They were part of a massive army the largest in Equestrian history and were being sent on the most important mission as well.
They marched for the remainder of the day towards the field where the Equestria’s fate would be decided, where there armies would crash against each other in the first pitched battle since Captain Stahl’s stand. The Pegasi had constructed a large storm to ground the aerial demons and keep them as low to the ground as possible. However spike understood exactly what they would be fighting, the most powerful demons Gorrog could throw at them in an arena where their strength would be used to the fullest. He had seen a version of this battle, a massive demon easily dwarfing Gorrog and immensely strong.
The Elements would be there, the most potent weapon they had against Hell and they planned on defeating them here in one decisive strike.
Than he saw the black horizon with red flashes in it, ahead of him and at first thought little of it until he realized exactly what it was, a wall of demons. He heard a dull roar steadily growing in power, like the beat of some vast heart.
“Soldiers, we fight to battle, to war, DEATH!!!!”
Spike looked up and saw Luna flying over the army, her hoof pointing at the demons.
Than something caught his eye, he saw a Black Hell Knight walk out of the army, a glowing red skull in hand, a flash of red light temporally obscured him, yet he saw a shape appear in his arms, white and resembling a pony.
Celestia, he realized. She survived, yet she was limp and Gorrog was almost cradling her body.
“This is your leader, FRAIL, WEAK, AND DEAD” he shouted to them, than he bent his head down, conjuring a fireball and ramming his arm down her throat, and several seconds later, he wrenched out her heart, gore splattering him and ruining her coat, than in one fluid motion biting down and swallowing her heart, and holding her horn in the air, blood running down arm. He then ripped her hind quarters off and took a bit from her thigh.
“CHARGE!!!” Luna scream her voice full of rage and pure hatred.
The command had been given and he felt the army surge forward around him, he was literally pushed by what felt like a battering ram.
The dull roar had transformed to a barrage of roars and howls. The wall of demons exploded towards them Demons leading the charge, there soul chilling howls casting fear into the air, than he saw it the massive demon striding towards them, massive mace like fists, cracked with veins of magma coursing through them. Its head was crowned with a pair of large demonic horns curling towards its mouth, from its back arose a large hornlike protrusion which was veined like its fits with magma.
He saw several soldiers falter but were pushed by forward by the shear flood of bodies around them. He could see the Demons clearly now, their mechanical legs pushing them forward as the pounced on the first ranks. He pushed past several soldiers, and cleaved straight through one that charged him.
He turned and saw a soldier, his throat torn out blood splattering his face, turning he saw one his soldiers torn in half by a Hell Knight
“Wait a Hell Knight”
Turning around he saw the entire demon army rushing towards him, fireballs and plasma balls filling the air.
The armies clashed around him, demons dissolving and ponies dying in too many ways to count. A Hell Knight swung its fist into his chest, knocking him over, gazing into its soulless eyes, he saw it wasn’t grey it was a black Hell Knight. Pushing himself up he grabbed his sword and swung upwards, nearly missing it’s arm.
It swung and he grunted as what felt like a train dislocated his shoulder, falling to one knee he, stared up at the demon, it eyes glaring down on him. It pulled it’s fist back and swung to finish him, yet it never hit him it’s hand smoking as if burned.
Looking around Spike saw Twilight’s horn smoking and she leveled it and charged, he saw the Hell Knight turn and prepared to intercept her, without missing a beat spike grasped his blade and drove it through the demon’s chest, it’s boiling blood running down the blade, he watched it blink once and brought its arms up and lifted him up with the sword sticking out of it,
“Gorrog, I have failed” it said before conjuring a plasma ball and brought it up to his face.
“But I will destroy you, even in death I serve Hell’s heir”
A concussive blast sent him flying, into the air and he crushed a tight knot of maggots and ponies beneath him. He gazed up and crushed an imp’s head in his fist. He looked at where he had been thrown, and saw a massive crater, where the Hell Knight had been standing.
He felt hot breath on his back as something big towered behind him, turning slowly he saw the Guardian standing above him, and it roared in his face, its roar savage and full of unearthly rage.
Chapter 15: South of the First Forest
Stahl thrust his blade into the chest of an Imp as it lunged at him, fireball in hand. He ducked under a Hell Knight’s fist, hearing the crunch as it shattered the ribcage of one his soldiers. He grimaced and turned to face the demon, yet it had already moved on rending flesh with its raw strength. He then realized looking at it that this wasn’t a grey Hell Knight; it was a Black Hell Knight.
Author's Note
Second to last major battle hope you guys have enjoyed it BTW
Gorrog stood up, surging towards a knot of Equestrian soldiers, desperately trying to hold their ground against his demons. He watched as a Demon disemboweled a pony with a bite to the stomach, blood and gore trailing from its maw.
“Charge, for Hell my brethren, we shall feast upon their souls!”
He grabbed a pony and broke its back over his knee like a stick, and conjured a fireball, igniting the corpse and tossing it into the formation in front of him.
He kicked a soldier in the chest staving in her chest ad leaped onto her broken body. He bite through the neck of the closest soldier and broke another leg with a punch. He stood up and shook the blood and viscera out of his eyes. He felt the energy building up in a unicorn’s horn as he walked towards her.
Staring down upon the soldier he noticed, her armor was more ornate than most of the officers he had seen.
He was knocked off his feet by the blast and smashed through a pile of corpses. He tore off the various body parts on top of him and roared, his rage spurring on the surrounding demons.
Gorrog conjured a fireball in his palm and hurled it at the unicorn. She promptly took flight to avoid it, causing him momentary confusion as he realized he was fighting one of the princesses. She flew at him, wrapped in a pinkish aura, which deflected a plasma ball from another Hell Knight. He started running towards her hands curled into fists.
She ducked underneath his outstretched arms and stabbed him through the edge of his chest and out his back, her horn burning his insides. Gorrog grabbed her by the midsection and pulled her out of his chest, twisting a turning in his grasp. He squeezed her in his hands, until he felt her disappear into a puff of smoke and appearing several yards away.
“Gorrog, unlike every other monster or enemy I’ve fought you are the only one I won’t regret killing.”
“I’d like to see you try, Princess, you are soft and weak from a thousand years of peace, and yet you challenge the veteran of one hundred years of war.”
Her eyes hardened and her horn glowed again, and he felt the raw power in her. Briefly considering his option he choose to strike first and hard.
The pentagram that adorned his helmet glowed, as the true one beneath it did, and he choose Hell Time. He watched as time slowed around him, taking ten times longer to see things happen. He flexed his fists and charged the alicorn, fireball in hand.
His charge was cut short by sudden flash of light and the world grew still.
He shook his head the light around him flickering, until he saw a massive, roaring fire. Lava poured down through in a small stream near him, and in the distance he saw a massive black fortress rising out of the ground.
“Is this Hell” he asked to no one in particular.
“Gorrog, this is a glimpse into your mind, here I am the strong one.”
He whirled around, his anger spiking as he saw the blue Alicorn facing him, dark and terrible. He grunted and walked towards her, his bulk towering over her, his bulging massive body casting a dark shadow on her, and he swore he saw fear flash across her eyes.
“Gorrog, as much as I hate you, I pity the wretch you are, even if you were to win, what it does get you, another Hell, pathetic, especially considering how the old one is out for your blood.”
“How do you know this, princess, how do you know of the endless struggle I have fought since Hell blessed me, I was chosen by Hell to lead the charge and yet I was betrayed by the Vargary and have endeavored to destroy them with one hundred years of war. You think the losses on your side are high, imagine that over one hundred years on a far larger scale, and yet I survived wounds that would drive you insane from the pain. Ponder this Princess, than tell me which one of us truly holds the power here!”
She seemed taken aback by his sudden outpouring, yet he still saw the hate in her eyes, he knew it very well and underneath it he saw the anger and loss, he also had seen them many a time and was the embodiment of the former.
He roared and charged her his claws outstretched.
They clashed next to the stream, her hoofs meeting his hands and the both pushed against each other, her rear legs starting to sink into the ash, they were locked in this embrace as each tried to overpower the other, Gorrog with raw brute force and Luna with magic aiding her.
He kicked her across the plain, careening into a small rocky hill. He ran towards her intent on ending her life and returning to the battle and to crush the other princess underneath his foot. He felt a sudden cold fall upon him, striking him even in his Hell, where he never had to fear such a thing.
“Gorrog, nothing can save you, you’ve lost this war, yet you fight on raging against the inevitable.”
He looked behind him seeing her, floating several feet above him and the rage that sustained him for all these years burst forth once again and the landscape around him flickered and he saw the battlefield resume its command of his vision.
Gorrog looked around for his fellow demons and to his surprise he saw that he was surrounded by ponies, the front line had moved on pushing into his horde.
He opened his fist and conjured a fireball, pouring his rage into it watching as it changed becoming white and crackling like lightning. He stared at it incredulously, this was new, only one other demon had such power and that demon was long dead. It was a sign that Hell had not lost faith in him, but still demanded that he slaughter in its name.
He threw it at the ring of soldiers, and a slight smile formed on his face as he saw it explode, shocking several into seizures, he was disappointed by the results but having limited options at his disposal, simply charged them, the ground shaking underneath his step.
He tore the head off the first pony he made contact with, breaking the links of his chainmail like paper. Using his immense strength he picked up two soldiers and crushed their rip cages his fists. Their intestinal tracks shot out of their mouths and rears.
He slammed his clenched fists down onto a pony’s body, covering her fellows in her viscera. Turning to unicorn, he took her and lit her aflame, hurling her burning body into a group of soldiers, her screams hurt his ears as like most burning victims she screamed very loudly. He watched as the Hellfire consumed her body, flickering as her body charred and her screams slowly subsided and her skin blackened and her eye balls ran down her face. He could smell the brunt flesh, rising all around him as similar things happened and both sides were bloodied.
Gorrog then proceeded to rip the femur out of pony’s leg and rammed it through the unfortunate pony. He twisted it and felt her heart burst, blood pouring onto his hands. He could see the faces of the Maggots and Imps fighting like caged animals, trying to force an opening for him. He watched as the Guardian tore a path effortlessly through the ponies smashing through their pitiful defenses. He smiled; the battle was easy, until he saw them. A group of six ponies radiating light from object affixed to their bodies and a sudden blast transfixed the field.
He saw the Guardian of Hell, the embodiment of Hell’s vast strength turn to granite. He gaped, never before had something like this had happened before, and yet he saw it the Guardian frozen mid-swing, its mouth a gape as it recoiled in shock.
“Pull back, Pull back.” He felt the chill of fear again. He saw the group of ponies slowly descend and he took their colors and type to memory, swearing vengeance for his defeat. He ran after his troops slamming through the few remaining ponies who thought it a good idea to stand in front him.
He had to get his army back to the Hell Hole; they had taken too many casualties in this campaign and he had good reason to believe that they would soon assault his fortress.
Gorrog, ran after his troops, but paused roughly one hundred yards from the Guardian of Hell.
“I will return for you”
Gorrog conjured another of the flaming, ethereal skulls and threw it at the Guardian; it sped towards the Guardian and embedded itself into the large horn atop its back. Satisfied that he had done his duty, Gorrog assumed lead of the retreat guard.
An entire division was charging them, ponies being pushed forwards y the sheer weight of those behind them. He looked around him and was taken aback by how few demons were left alive, of the forty thousand who had fought here only a quarter or less were alive. Of the other side he could only see mounds of corpses and yet the ponies charged at the, nearly three for every demon left alive.
He braced himself as the ponies closed the gap, beside him; Hell Knights and Demons followed his example and covered their fellows retreat. He punched an over eager pony who literally slammed into him, breaking his neck and tripping the pony behind him. He felt a shield collide with him and several thumps against it; he felt the ground the ground slip under his feet as the raw force against him pushed him back. He looked the right and saw the other demons in similar situations as a wall of shields pushed against them. He pulled back his arm and tossed a fireball over the wall of shields, giving him only slight respite as they quickly resumed their blind frenzy to push them back.
“Push them back soldiers not an inch of ground.”
He saw the dragon shouting orders to the ponies and scanning the battleground for something. He lowered his claw and Gorrog heard the unmistakable sound of arrows. He saw a few demons burn away but the barrage was ineffective as the majority were behind the shields of the ponies who were attempting to push them back and overwhelm the rear guard.
Behind him he heard the thunder of hundreds of ponies charging past them and turning to surround them. Looking at the dragon, he nodded and renewed his effort to push back the press of ponies around him. The sound of demons being summoned alerted him to reinforcements. Silently thanking the Arch-Viles he took a step back and tackled through the knot of ponies, crushing the hind legs of a pair underneath his body. Standing up Gorrog punched downwards and smashed the ribcage of one of them.
“Fall Back my brethren, we cannot hold”
They fought a path into the open territory and started running towards to main army until only Gorrog his, remaining guard and twenty other Hell Knights stood against the ponies. Straining himself Gorrog called upon Hell’s raw power, using his heart as the channel, from which his strength came, and projected raw fear, out and upon the ranks of ponies who were engaging them.
It was only a half measure as soon afterwards the flow of power stopped and he couldn’t give it the lasting power he needed to give them enough time to slip away. So in a stunning display of the speed a Hell Knight was capable of Gorrog and his companions fled after the rest of the demons.
Turing, he saw many of the ponies stopping and grasping their chests as fatigue took them behind them, stood the three princesses watching him withdraw. They had bought the other demons roughly one hour, so they had a lot of distance to close. After crossing a few of the hills on the steppe, they relaxed their pace, for they had a long ways to go before they would before they rejoined the army.
He would have to prepare the defenses of his citadel, as the assault on it would be coming soon and what had damaged his connection to Hell, might also be there as well, skulking in the shadows.
Author's Note
Sorry about the lateness but I had some technical difficulties with my PC
Spike looked around him, mounds of bodies littered the battlefield, uncountable thousands. He looked at them, a few were raging infernos from the hellfire that had consumed their once lively forms, others in pieces from the brute strength of a Hell Knight. He shuddered, having nearly been crushed by the massive Guardian, the only body left by the demons, frozen midswing. looking at it you could see the surprise in its eyes as it was turned to stone.
Looking down, he saw a soldier holding the battered and broken body body of a mare, her hind legs were missing and intestines were spilling from her gut. With a closer inspection he reconized him, he was Captain Stahl, his orange fur stained with so much blood it was a patchwork of orange, red and black.
Spike walked on, leaving the captain to his grief and tried to fathom how many ponies and demons must have died here. the ground, which had been dry before was muddy from the storm, the pegasi had created to deprive the demons of their air support. He knew that if they hadn't the ground would be stained from the rivers of blood. He had pushed them hard, charging after the demons and straight into the rear guard, which was composed of Hell Knights and Demons. He had ordered a shield wall and they advanced under it, until they collided with the Hell Knights, he saw all of the surviving Black Hell Knights and Gorrog himself holding the lines each covered in slash marks and wounds, yet they held.
Only twenty five thousand ponies had survived the battle, a quarter of their strength. nothing could have prepared them for such a death toll, yet he knew that more poines were being sent into this... meatgrinder. The horrors he had seen on this battlefield would haunt him, and yet he knew worse awaited him as they pressed forward towards Gorrog's fortress. prelimenary scouting runs by pegasi, had given them a good picture of its size. it was very strong, made of a black granite and was heavily defended, very little else was known as none of the scouts had dared venture closer.
"Spike, we won, we drove Gorrog back, but we need to continue the push."
One week later, the burials had been compeleted and the ponies had rallied an additional fifteen thousand soldiers to their army, increasing its strength to over fourty thousand. Shining had at first thought this was insufficent but it was most of what they could get.
He hadn't actaully thought of that, the various traps in wait for them, the very portal to Hell, the home of the demons. he jerked upright, something was brushing his back, and Twilight was on the other side of the room. The tempurature rose, and the lamps started burning a lot hotter, the brass slowly turning red.
The light returned but this time, flickering, and dark. He looked around, all around him rose columns of stone, and a mounted on them were torches, burning red, green and blue.
"Pleasure of you to join me, Commander. I hope you have considered your options Spike, right now, your in my power and I assure you, neither of us can be hurt by the other. As in all of your previous visits, I will show you something."
"Gorrog, even as you wast your time playing with me, my armies are ready to strike, how much time do you think you really have Gorrog before we drive you back into Hell.
"A lot more than you think, and while you may hold the numerical advantage, I'll be on the defensive, also you will have to fight you way through every single passage and room in this fortress, this time I'll be on my home turf, I BROKE YOUR PRINCESS CELESTIA HERE, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOU WILL LAST"
"This time you'll have three alicorns and an army to contend with, and once we have crushed your demons, I will toss you back through, into your Hell."
"I'll go back, but not willingly, problem is what will chases me back out."
"Wait chases you back out" Spike was surpised by the sudden change in the demon, but he had little time to think about it as the room faded away, the last thing he saw was Gorrog bending over as if in pain clutching something sticking out of his chest, and the red glow of his eyes.
"Twilight, what just happened?"
Chapter 18: No rest for the Living
Stahl looked around the corpse littered battleground; he saw movement in a pile of bodies. He stared at it blinking, as the massive pile shifted. He backed away from Sunset Fall’s body and picked up a spear from the hoof of a dead soldier. He stared at the pile as a fist shot out. Stahl backed away as it pushed away the bodies and he saw various body parts shooting out of the pile, as if something was tearing something apart. Out of the pile he saw a pair of red eyes, stare straight at him, and it stood. A grey Hell Knight looked at him, yet its eyes were red not black.
“What is that?”
It grunted and a red plasma ball formed in its hand. He started backing up very fast, putting as much space between it and him as possible. He felt the heat pass over his head as the fireball streaked over his head.
It charged him jumping, claws out stretched. Landing on a pile, it turned over and slammed its fist into his ribs, yet he felt nothing, as if he was never hit. The demon than preceded to pummel his chest, blow after blow striking his chest as it grew frustrated and stopped.
“Mortal, what are you?”
It hadn’t broken every bone in his body, yet he had seen similar assaults splatter other soldiers.
He stood up; staring at the demon, than the ball dropped it had spoken, according to battle reports only Gorrog could talk. Why could this Hell Knight talk when all the others couldn’t, what made it so special. He saw the hand coming grabbing his head and lifting him up to its face. Stahl felt its hot breath on its face, its red eyes burning into his, the sheer anger radiating off the Hell Knight was overwhelming. He saw its muscles bulging as it tensed and a feeling of dread swept over him, filling the dark recesses of his soul.
The demon twitched and let him go, into what felt like a bottomless drop, the fall far longer than what it should have. He looked up and the demon was growing small, as the darkness enveloped him, drawing him deeper and deeper into sleep…
He jolted awake, and the first thing he felt was a weight to the darkness, as if something was casting a shadow on the ground. Looking up he saw the dark outline of a massive fortress in the skyline, it was not as big as Canterlot but a close second, and he noticed the battlements, the size of the walls and the strength of the position.
“We’re going to attack that?” he asked to no one in particular.
“Funny coming the pony that stood his ground against the demons at the Pass, who fought and survived the battles of Canterlot and the Field of Tears.”
Looking about, he saw the armored form of General Shining Armor, standing next to him. Taken by surprise, Stahl snapped to attention, giving the General a salute.
“No need for that, Captain, though I am need of your expertise, I am looking for capable officers to lead my soldiers in the assault on Gorrog’s citadel. The challenge is great but I’ll save you the speech, we know next to nothing about the inner fortress, as every scouting party we have sent over it has been killed to a pony, we can expect heavy resistance.”
“So why me, I’ll only lead defensive operations?”
“And thus you have a great understanding of how to halt attacks and the weak points of these strategies; also you are the most experienced officer in this army, the first pony to stand against the demons and win.”
He stared at Shining Armor for a few seconds and then pictured himself in the front lines of the assault, and he knew he would be there, once again fighting the demons.
“Stahl, you will be under the command of Commander Spike and will be leading his shock troops though the breach that Luna herself will make in the walls of his fortress, our armies will pour through the gap and make our way to the Hell Hole and that’s where things get difficult, we’ll need everypony there fighting, as from what we have seen Gorrog bested Celestia there and it plays some role in his power.”
“So you need someone who knows these demons”
“Yes and you’re the best.”
“I’ll do it…”
“Excellent, we shall attack in two days, time as twenty thousand trained soldiers shall arrive and we’ll possess the strength to strike”
Stahl walked away from the general and started towards his soldiers, each of which were the most hardened soldiers in the army, and when he told them that they would be leading the fight, and that on the other side of those walls, everything that Gorrog had thrown at them was waiting, several had reservations but they all would do their duty.
Two days passed and all around them, their fellow soldiers made their preparations to fight, blades were being sharpened, bows oiled and the ballista were moved into position to lay done covering fire when they advanced through the breach. Stahl saw Princess Cadence and Luna flying above the army as it marched towards the walls of the fortress.
Then he saw a shadow stretch above the field, looking up he saw the entire Third Army taking wing above the main body of ponies, all twenty thousand of them. Out from the citadel he saw the flying demons rise, Cacodemon and Lost Souls.
They closed with the walls flashes of light above their heads, deafening explosions going off in the air around them but they pressed on, heedless to the occasion casualties.
A flash of what looked like lightning struck the wall, blasting a considerable chunk of stone out of it, but it held the sheer size of the brick made destroying it difficult. Another blast from Luna cut a hole in the walls, and Stahl saw a large cloud of dust arise.
A roar greeted them, dark and full of anger, and dread crept down his spine. In the entrance stood Hell Knights and Imps. He saw a glow appear in their ranks as they ignited fireballs, and his front ranks almost faltered if they hadn’t had their fellows pushing into them.
“The worms wait for baited breath” he muttered.
Chapter 19: Downfall Part one
Gorrog saw the vast armored bulk rushing towards him, in front spears lowered and behind them he saw ballista gunners taking aim, their twelve foot javelins were known for lifting Hell Knights off their feet.
“Bring me the Arch-viles, Imps, Hell Knights, fire!”
Conjuring a fireball Gorrog hurled it through the air, impacting the ground next to the formation, downing one of the ponies, who was immediately trampled by his compatriots. He heard the thumps of ballistae firing, and a Hell Knights next to him grabbed the bolt imbedded in its chest, and collapsed, dissolving into fire.
They would be sitting ducks here due to the lack of cover and he had three alicorns in the pony army and they would obviously seek him out and fight him here, so he ordered a small retreat, trying to draw the ponies into a tight close quarters fighting.
“Where are the Arch-viles?”
Gorrog was nervous now, the ponies were closing on them roughly two hundred feet and without the Arch-viles they would lack the support to hold the pony armies at the breach. Turning around he saw Imps and Maggots swarming towards them, many crawling along the walls and few Imps on the ceiling, accompanying them, a line of Demons with Hell Knights behind them marched towards the breach, the majority of Gorrog’s strength was concentrated for this battle, with only one hundred demons in deep hibernation, in reserve.
Gorrog braced himself for the impact, the ponies had narrowed the distance to where, he could see the whites of their eyes, the smell of their fear.
“Demons of the five edged star, charge!”
The demons, bounded over the Imps and Hell Knights, and charged the ponies , howling as they collided with the frontal sections of the pony charge, rearing up and slamming their front section down the ponies, some of who were crushed outright, except one, a pony with an orange coat who slashed the Demon’s legs and stuck his sword through the Demon’s chest. The pony was a remarkable with his weapon, and overall a good soldier, but Gorrog knew that he was no match for a Hell Knight.
Bellowing, Gorrog advanced into the battlefield, behind him his guards followed, and the empty space was quickly replaced by other demons, trying to force their way to the fight, some crawling out the hole, from the side resembling a swarm of insects.
He raised his fist and it expanded as a fireball formed, and he slammed it into the army of ponies, who had now slowed to a steady advance, several went flying, but they didn’t panic as they often did. This puzzled him. But it was quickly forgotten as he noticed the six ponies who had frozen the Guardian, each with a piece of some type of jewelry, around their necks, the only exception, being one with what resembled a crown.
Now, Gorrog was worried, if they could reduce such a monster to stone, what could they do to his guard or him.
Gorrog, took a soldier by the legs and slammed his face into the upturned shield of another soldier, crushing though it, and taking the adjoined soldiers, he flung them into the maggots, as they rushed up behind him, and after hearing their screams, he continued forwards.
Slamming a soldier out of his way with a blow he started killing in earnest, several had their chests crushed by his fists or feet, another torn in half and finally one had her guts pulled out through her stomach, wrapped around her neck and used as a flail. Gorrog, having used such a flail before, knew he had roughly only a few good swings until her body broke.
On his downward stroke he felt something large slam into him, knocking him to the ground. Looking up he saw the dragon standing on his chest. Turning his face, he felt the dragon’s fist smash into his helmet. He raised his hands and grabbed the dragon, but he sustained several more his to his head, as he wrenched the dragon off him, pushing him into the man body of the ponies, and stood up.
The dragon drew a large blade, six feet long and single edged. Gorrog, conjured a fireball in both hands, letting them expand to their apex, as his rage poured forth, this was the dragon that had slayed one of his Black Hell Knights, his death would be avenged he vowed, and now this dragon would pay the price as he drowned in his own blood.
He hurled one of the fireballs at the dragon, hitting him square in the chest and putting a small dent in his chest plate. Gorrog say the dragon shift his weight forward and charge, swinging his sword, the weapon aimed for his head. Catching the blade in his hand, Gorrog leaned in close, the flames of the plasma ball giving him a small buffer between the blade and his hand. The dragon dropped the blade and slammed his fists into Gorrog’s stomach, ducking under his attempts to grab him. Gorrog brought his knee up and hit the dragon in the face, breaking his lower jaw.
As the dragon stumbled back, Gorrog walked towards him, grabbed him by the lower back and his neck and threw him into the walls of his fortress. Walking towards him he felt like something was wrong, the his head turned to either side, as he tried to make sense of what was happening, the dragon, and the strange nature of the fight, the quick change from lethal to non-lethal methods of fighting, the familiarity of the dragon’s color.
Gorrog, turned to face what he now recognized as Spike, and to his surprise he saw the dragon laughing, and staring behind him, his shadow suddenly appearing on the wall, turning around he saw the flash of a blinding rainbow colored light surging towards him, and the red burst of something exploding…
The light slowly returned and Gorrog felt the all too familiar feel of large rough hands pulling him to safety, yet he felt no different from before just slightly uneasy as the sounds of the battle returned to him, the screams of the dying, the roars of the demons, and above all the thunder of bodies crashing into his army.
He regained focus and looked ahead, the ponies had pushed the demons back into the gap and were trying to force their way inside, but they were held at bay by a wall of Hell Knights and Maggots.
Throwing off the arms of his guards he stood up, his body full of vigor and his hands reflexively curling into fists.
“It will take more than that to shut my eyes”
Gorrog, checked behind himself, making sure the flow of fresh bodies was substantial enough to sustain a prolonged fight and pushed forward. Slamming a few smaller demons out of his way, Gorrog made his way to the front lines, the bolts from ballista had stopped raining down on them. He made his way to the front lines and saw the heaving mass of bodies trying to force its way inside, yet he saw none of the flying demons who normally provided support for his soldiers, until he followed the occasional glance upward the ponies would make, he saw the aerial battle playing out, and saw bodies dropping onto the ground as ponies died trying to defeat his demons and every once and a while the burst of fire when they succeeded, the agonized screams when a pony was struck by the lightning expelled from the Cacodemons.
A burst of pain from his leg brought him back to ground as his glaze fell upon a brave pony that had stabbed him with his sword, looking into his eyes he saw the defiance, the challenge, and Gorrog brought his fist down.
The pony rolled out of the way as Gorrog brought down his fist, smashing a few bricks in the process and would have surely broken every bone in the pony’s body if he had hit. Pulling the sword out his leg Gorrog bent it into a hook shape and flung it out into the main portion of the pony army. Turning his attention back to the pony Gorrog turned just in time to see his ram him, his helmet’s hard edge leaving a bruise on Gorrog’s skin, but otherwise barely leaving a scratch. Gorrog brought his foot up and brought it down upon the dazed pony’s neck, grinding his heel into the pony’s back crushing his vertebrae and causing the pony to start to spit blood. Bringing back his fist he started to swing when the pony in spite of his injuries took out his dagger and stabbing him in the foot. Roaring his brought all of his weight down on his back, snapping it in half, and crushing his ribcage.
Gorrog tilted his head up and looked into the eyes of the ponies who had been watching the battle and roared at them, conjuring fireballs and flinging them into their ranks and drinking in the smell of blood.
The flap of a pair of wings caught his attention and looked up, gazing into the dark blue eyes of Princess Luna, and the wrath in them was burning. Gorrog looked into them, his black eyes full of rage and hatred staring into the wrath of an angry goddess.
Bracing himself, Gorrog charged her, his heavy footsteps shaking the ground, and his hand out stretched. Pushing down, he leaped at her, his one and a half ton bulk surging forwards. Green plasma ball forming in his hand, he passed below her, his path a foot under her hoofs.
Smashing into the stone of the walls, he stumbled and whirled around, the faces around him were shocked, that something so large could move so quickly. He fell to one knee and sunk his fingers into the gaps in the stone floor; straining every muscle in his body he felt the stone bulge upwards. Throwing all of his considerable strength into the task he pulled it from the floor as the ponies and a few demons watched in awe, his massive body flexing as he held the stone block over his head.
“Catch” was all Gorrog said as he hurled the stone at Luna. He saw the stone flying towards her and waited for the crunch of bone, but a flash of purple light to his left distracted him as suddenly saw the stone flying towards him.
With what little time he had he jumped off the wall into the stone, shoulder first and heard a crack when they impacted. Gorrog rode it down the ground and first heard the screams of ponies and the hisses of Imps as the stone came down on top of them, than the crunch of crushed bone.
Breathing heavily and enraged at his failure, Gorrog charged the purple alicorn, the one who had saved Luna from him and punched her through one of the thinner inner walls of the fortress. The impact jarred his already damaged arm, and it suddenly went limp, he couldn’t move it and pain shot up it. He smacked at a pony with all the grace of a battering ram and roared, swinging at anything that came too close. He fought his way back to the demon lines, his one good arm, striking down anything that tried to stop him.
“Arch-Vile, pull back along the corridor, fighting withdrawal, this place is too large, back to the Hell Hole.”
“Gorrog, we cannot allow them that close to Hell, it will draw out your enemies from the pit and we cannot afford that.”
“Then make them pay with their blood for every step.”
His Guard stepped back into formation and a wall of fire erupted from the Arch-Viles as the ponies closed ranks and raised their shields to defend against it. Fireballs rained down on them and soon Gorrog saw the bulk of the dragon appearing in their ranks.
“You Imps, on the ceiling, NOW”
Gorrog watched as pegasi started flying inside the hall and attacking the demons from above. He smiled knowing how much Wraiths loved jumping on their victims from above. He gave the order and watched as the small and vicious creatures dropped from their positions on the ceiling, their scythe like arms ready to stab into the flesh of the pegasi who dared to attack their master’s army.
Gorrog and the front lines were slowly retreating as the ponies pressed inwards but both sides were taking heavy losses. The demons were backed up against a wall and fought liked cornered animals. Gorrog, despite his arm and various wounds maintained his position at the front of the demons, focusing on his uninjured side and fought one handed.
A Hell Knight went down, pulled down by a knot of spear wielding ponies and impaled on them as he fell. Imps and maggots were dying much more frequently as they were far smaller than the larger demons and more vulnerable to the ponies as a whole.
A ballista bolt impacting near him interrupted Gorrog’s observations and brought him back to commanding his army. He looked ahead and saw that they had set up a small battery inside the corridor and were trying to force the demons into cover.
Gorrog grabbed a pony by the head and crushed its skull in his fist. He was infuriated by this, and despite a little nervous, he knew exactly what this defeat would entail, the complete destruction of his army and his high probable death.
Turning to one of his guards he spoke
“When I give the order to retreat, take yourself and the remaining portion of m army back to hell, from that point I grant you full control over it, Abkesh”
The Black Hell Knight was visibly taken aback, this while not without precedent was a very rare and high honor for a Demon to be named and given control over such a large group of demons.
“I shall hold them here with a few Hell Knights, withdraw back to Hell and lay low I will return.”
And as Gorrog finished his guards roared over the demon army, their call spreading the order to the bulk of the demons, who quickly back pedaled to avoid being crushed as they surged to the Hell Hole.
“You stand with me, we must hold them here.” Gorrog had with him enough Hell Knights to hold the area but how long would depend on how determined the ponies were to fling themselves into his grasp.
He heard the thump of a ballistae firing, and saw the bolt start flying towards him, sidestepping it the bolt.
The pony’s ranks rippled as they charged into his and at their head leading the charge Gorrog saw the form of the dragon, his armor dented and blackened from the fighting, and his helmet had a large rent in it, allowing Gorrog to see one of his eyes, only he saw none of the fear or wonder of their first encounter and in its place he saw none of the hate and anger that drove him only grim determination.
Gorrog picked up the bolt and braced it against the ground.
Then he brought it up and thrust it through the plate of a charging pony, the surprise in his face as he looked down at the bolt piercing his armor, the unicorn dropped to the ground and Gorrog stamped on his chest, crushing his ribcage and killing him outright.
The heavy armor of the first line of ponies made them clumsy and the Hell Knights took advantage of this, but what they didn’t expect was how proficient these ponies were at fighting Hell Knights, and saw several go down quickly,
“Pull back, NOW” He and the Hell Knights around him, fought a fighting retreat every step of the way the soaked in the blood of ponies, until Gorrog found Spike facing him, having just cut a Hell Knight down.
He conjured a plasma ball in his good arm and hurled it at Spike, and knew that soon when Spike engaged him, that he would be at a severe disadvantage thanks to his broken arm. The screech of metal against stone drew his focus as he saw the blade scrape the ground.
His back hit the metal door to the Hell Hole chamber and he knew that soon they would be fighting to protect their brother demons as they withdrew to Hell.
Watching as Spike closed the distance between them Gorrog noticed how few Hell Knights still stood around four of the original twenty who had stayed back with him were still alive.
Gorrog, ducked under the swing and grabbed Spike by the throat, his fingers slowly bending the plate inwards and he pulled Spike towards him, trying to crush his windpipe. The dent was slowly deepening and Gorrog saw the desperation filling Spikes eyes as Gorrog’s fingers closed in on his throat.
Then the door opened and he stumbled, and Spike kicked him in the chest, and wrenched free of Gorrog’s now weakened grip.
Staring around Gorrog watched as Spike took in all the features of the chamber, its vaulted ceiling, the corpses mounted on spikes, and the crowning feature the massive swirling pool of magma and his gaze returned to Gorrog, his jaw tightened and he picked up his discarded sword.
Standing up Gorrog called on the strength of Hell, and felt his broken arm throb as the energy vaulted into his body. He looked back to the door and saw the group of six ponies who froze the Guardian and had tried to turn him to stone, they entered the chamber and surrounded him, only this time Gorrog had his brethren backing him, only one Hell Knight was left standing, he was standing behind him, staring down the ponies and was waiting for the order to attack, but seemed less eager as more and more ponies entered the vast chamber.
Gorrog stared at Luna, their gazes locked and he felt the presence of another demon in the room, but where he could not say. Rising to his feet Gorrog surveyed the area around him, and knew he was outnumbered, vastly. He then charged her, hurling himself into the fray, the thump of a ballistae warned him something was wrong when, the bolt punched through his chest, breaking bone, and flinging him back twenty feet. He looked down and saw it sprouting from the center of his chest and he grabbed it pulling on but it was embedded in the rock behind him.
Spike was walking towards him sword raise to deliver a decapitating stroke, and he saw the six closing in on him and started pulling on the bolt harder, much harder. But his efforts barely budged the bolt. He saw the orange pony walking towards him, half of his face burned and for the first time Gorrog felt the cold bite of fear.
As Spike brought the sword down, Gorrog pulled the bolt out and hit Spike in the face with the haft of the bolt. Gorrog pushed Spike down and started towards the six ponies, but as he closed the distance with a few short steps, he felt something impact him.
Tripping, Gorrog looked up at the orange pony and felt the sudden increase of heat as his body hit the surface of the Hell Hole, the orange pony on top of him caught fire and he screamed. It stopped when the hot magma enveloped his throat and he exploded, the water in his cells turning to steam, and pushed Gorrog further into the Hell Hole.
His journey downwards was short as something pushed him back up, some sort of irresistible force, and he soon found himself emerging from the magma, and he dug his hands into the rock around the Hell Hole and pulled himself out of the Hell Hole, and he roared, his injuries gone, and his strength had returned to him.
“How is that possible?”
Gorrog looked at Spike and lunged forward his renewed strength pushing him forward and he tackled him to the ground. Gorrog slammed both of his fists into Spike’s chest plate and he bite down on the joint in Spike’s armor, crushing it and rendering his arm immobile.
“This is what happens when you oppose Hell, you feel the wrath of its children.”
He ripped Spike’s helm off and was about to bite down on his throat when a burst of magic sent him off his feet. Turning he saw the horn of the purple alicorn glowing, its pulsing glow, readying for a second blow.
“Gorrog, it’s over, you have lost, give up”
“Not until the last demon has died and I am still standing.”
He charged them, ignoring the sting of the cold that now surrounded him, and shrugging off the arrows that had begun pelting his body. Gorrog saw the glow of the jewelry adorning the Ponies and was about to smash the purple one when he felt a blinding pain erupt from his chest.
Looking down he saw the blade of Spike’s sword sticking out of his chest.
He took a step forward and the power of Hell washed over him, and his pentagram glowed red, as did his eyes. He reached for her, only to be blasted by the beam from her crown.
Staggering backwards, he impaled himself more on Spike’s sword.
Gorrog tottered as the dragon punched the back of his helmet, sending him forwards and onto his knees.
Gorrog looked up, just in time to the flash of light and than darkness…
Author's Note
And so concludes the first part of the Gorrogverse I Hope all of you have enjoyed my story, sequels are impending!!
