Castlevania: Portrait of Chaos

Chapter Ten: Pandemonium

The pink alicorn deadpanned. Her horn was still glowing for some reason. “It’s impossible to lie to me about your love. I am the princess of love, Mi Amore Cadenza.” She said, raising a brow.

“You know what? I’m not going to question anything anymore.” Loretta commented, a look of unamusement scrawled onto her face.

One of the Fleaponies, while still asleep, said “Just five more minutes mommy, just five more minutes...”

“Don’t make eye contact, don’t make eye contact…” Stella murmured to herself, trying desperately to avoid even looking at Mi Amore. Her wings shifted nervously as if they were loaded with fleas.

Sadly, Mi Amore stared intently at the purple pegasus with the strange hairdo. The pink alicorn tapped a hoof impatiently.

Suddenly a gust of wind blew past, causing Loretta to shift in surprise. The green unicorn hurriedly glanced around, only to see a familiar cyan frame with a mane of rainbow. She then felt something wiggling under her bonnet and looked up at her horn crosseyed.

The next thing all in the court knew was a pink form wearing Loretta’s bonnet and quite literally sitting on top of her head without causing her to fall somehow. The crowd gasped, and Loretta found herself recoiling in such a way that the pink mare was sent hurdling into Rainbow Dash.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, and while Rainbow could understand, she was still baffled at how Pinkie could appear under Loretta’s bonnet in two seconds without making her suffocate in the process.

Loretta got off of her rump, trotted over to the pink mare, reclaimed her bonnet, and then returned to the white alicorn as the crowd looked at her in silent worry.

A loud crash resonated in the adjacent hallway, and this was followed by a low-rumbling roar filled with malice. The crowd began murmuring again with some ponies actually going up to the doors to see what the fuss was all about.

Another roar sounded, and this time armored pegasi flocked through the door carrying a vast assortment of weaponry ranging from spears to swords, and some even had claws attached to the horseshoes adorning their hooves.

One armored pegasus stopped and turned to the white alicorn. “Princess Celestia, there is a bunch of weird monsters outside of the castle! They’re apparently leading a siege!” He cried desperately before joining his fellow pegasi in what became clear as combat.

Celestia looked down at the five ponies before her. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Charlotte. “I know, you’re wanting to know if we’re the ones who conjured this hell. We aren’t the source of the problem--we’re its solution thereof.”

With that, she, Loretta, Jonathan and Stella all made a mad dash for the doors without so much as a second thought while Vincent chose to stay behind. When they arrived at the hallway, they didn’t like what it was they found was making the ruckus.

There pushing the armored pegasi away like a bunch of flies was a giant blue beast with the head of a bull adorned with dull yellow horns. Its body seemed hunched over as, the armored pegasi found out, it lacked back legs; a measly fraction of spine supporting its bulky and rotting frame.

On top of the beast and using harnesses for some reason to drive said beast was a massive, brown frame made entirely of engorged muscles. Its forelegs ended in gruesome talons, and its feet more like that of a demon’s than that of a pony’s. Its body was matted in brown fur, though there were spots exposing a peachy-colored hue on its torso and forelegs.

The beast on top of the beast glared at the four ponies with golden eyes imbued with malicious intent.

“A behemoth...and a werepony on drugs. What a combo.” Jonathan said, shifting his forelegs a bit.

“Is it just me, or are we outmatched for once?” Loretta asked, trying not to show fear.

The behemoth roared, staring right at the red pegasus as if it remembered a past altercation involving him.

Stella felt a great pain in her side, and she found a sword clattering to her side as she spread her aching wings. She looked at it for a brief moment before scooping it up in her hooves and taking flight to avoid dropping it. The werepony was looking at her now, and it seemed to raise a brow as it sniffed the air generated by her wingbeats.

A loud voice echoed alongside the hallway, “You will not hurt her!”

This caused everything to freeze for a fraction of a second before many glanced around. Even the behemoth was now darting its head left and right, wondering where the hell that voice came from.

The voice called once more, this time sounding a lot closer than ever, “You will not lay harm on them!”

Again, everyone glanced around hastily. Confusion lingered in the hallway with neither side moving towards the other.

Rainbow Dash was behind Charlotte. “You still owe me an explanation.” She pointed out, gritting her teeth.

“There’s no time for that. What is happening?” Charlotte retorted, her horn crackling to life with a spell of some kind.

The voice called yet again, and it was now accompanied by a gust of cold wind. “You will not hurt them as long as I can have a say in the matter!!!”

Charlotte’s ears perked straight up. “That voice….it couldn’t possibly be…?!” She murmured, trying not to shriek in utter shock. Her horn had ceased its glow.

The werepony sniffed the air again and snarled as if it found a new scent with which to contend.

Jonathan felt something under his wings again. He spread them as wide as they could go, and he saw a gleaming rock fall and clatter to the floor, its echo sounding like a dropped coin. He picked up the rock with a hoof.

The werepony returned its gaze to Stella, and only then did the owner of the echoing voice reveal itself. The body was more horselike, its muzzle a bit longer than Celestia’s. It had a horn on its head, and its body was made of nigh-transparent blue wind. Its mane billowed out in short wisps behind its head, and its lower body was practically nonexistent.

“S-s-sister, is that who I think that is?” Loretta asked, looking up at the strange being. Stella didn’t answer.

The strangest feature of all was that the creature wore a hat made of the same material as its body. A feathered hat whose feathers were at the right side of its head no less.

The werepony growled at the strange being now floating between the behemoth and its adversaries.

“A wendigo? What’s that thing doing here?” Rainbow asked, raising a brow.

The werepony lept at the ghostly figure, only to get a hoof thrust right into the jaw. The hairy beast landed on the ground, barely avoiding breaking its foreleg in the process. It looked up and snarled at the wendigo, who in turn only smirked.

The wendigo’s horn flashed, and everything froze. Shortly thereafter, everything unfroze and the werepony was now frantically trying to separating its jaw from its tail that wound up looped around and knotted on the toothy appendage.

Jonathan threw the rock at the werepony, and it whizzed sharply in the air before hitting the beast smack in the eye. The beast yelped in pain, clutching its eye with a massive claw as blood began pouring out like a fountain.

The wendigo turned to the pegasus. “Nice shot.” It said, grinning warmly.

Charlotte, overcome with disbelief then asked the wendigo, “Wait….Eric, is that you?”

Rainbow Dash quickly whirled around the group and got into Charlotte’s muzzle before asking her, “Who the buck is Eric?”

Charlotte pushed the cocky pegasus aside with a hoof.

The behemoth roared, thrashing its head about wildly and causing the hallway to shake briefly.

The wendigo turned back to the behemoth. “Now isn’t the time for questions!” It declared, rushing towards the rotting monstrosity and grabbing its harnesses with its mouth. It jerked its head upwards in a swift, violent motion.

Stella saw her chance, clutching her sword tighter with her hooves. She closed her eyes to concentrate as light green sparks of energy danced around the length of her blade.

“What are you doing?” Rainbow asked, wide-eyed at the sight. “Pegasi don’t specialize in magic!”

“To that, I say poppycock.” Stella commented, not allowing her concentration to waver for even a second.

“Pegasi control the weather, right? Isn’t that technically a form of magic physically manifested?” Charlotte asked, giving the rainbow-maned mare a quick glance and wry smirk.

Rainbow’s hoof landed on her face, and she groaned in annoyance.

Stella soon whizzed out of sight. Vanished. Only a purple feather drifted down from where she was hovering.

The behemoth was busy trying to shake its new passenger off of its harnesses and was failing rather horribly at it.

Charlotte began to cast another spell, her horn charging up with cold air this time. She trotted forward before the others and quickly got in a position to pounce. Behind her formed eight large, sharp spikes of ice dancing around in a perfect circle.

All eight spikes were aimed right at the werepony, who was still trying to untie its tail from its upper jaw.

“ICE NEEDLE!” She bellowed, stomping a hoof as one spike shot forward at the speed of lightning, hitting the werepony in the stomach. Another hastily followed, hitting it in the head and killing it instantaneously.

The remaining six needles landed in the face of the behemoth in such a way they were stacked like bricks.

The behemoth let off its final roar before it and the werepony burst into ethereal flames which burned the flesh and turned them into a pile of useless bones.

The wendigo released the now-useless harnesses as Stella suddenly appeared exactly where she had been, the only difference now was that her sword was stained in fresh blood.

“Stella, what’s the current news?” Charlotte asked, glancing up at the pegasus.

“Whole swarm of monsters. I lost count of how many there are.” The pegasus replied, swinging her blade from side to side to clean the gunk that had accumulated on its otherwise-silver frame.

“I am glad that you weren’t hurt. Had I arrived sooner, though, I would’ve been able to set those stallions straight myself without your violent impulses.” Said the wendigo, concerned and yet very stern at the same time. “Then again, I suppose not all things can be helped, given the circumstances in which we all landed in.” He added, growing hind legs and walking closer to the group of ponies.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow and flew right to the wendigo, her muzzle only inches away from his. “Who the buck are you? Go back to your mountain cave with your friends!” She hissed, her eyes narrowing. Twilight teleported into the room and saw the wendigo who had a horn on its head.

“I guess we should tell her who he is…” Jonathan said, whispering in Loretta’s ear. The unicorn only nodded.

The wendigo raised a hoof and gently shoved the cyan mare aside. “I wasn’t talking to you, so please leave me alone.” He said, his voice having undertones of anger.

Another gust of wind blew past, and for some reason, Stella’s wings stopped working and she landed flat on her rump.

“Not the most convenient landing, I see.” The wendigo commented, looking at the purple mare who quickly righted herself onto all fours.

Twilight thought to herself “Why is a wendigo here? And why would it help us anyway? This is not scientifically nor socially possible!”

“I’ve fared worse, father.” Stella replied with a grin.

Rainbow trotted to Stella and poked her with a hoof. “Did you say ‘father?’ You mean that that thing is your dad?” She asked, unable to wrap her mind around the concept.

“Yes, you see, back in the world we all came from, I was killed about... three years ago? My memory is a little hazy since after I went to the afterlife. As for my name, I am Eric Lecarde.” The wendigo said, giving Rainbow a glare of its own.

“I don’t buy it.” Rainbow said, flaring her own wings.

“Really?” Eric asked, raising a ghostly eyebrow.

“And this is the EXACT reason I haven’t said anything to her. She won’t believe me anyway, and she cannot for the love of God stop harassing us!” Jonathan chimed, pointing an accusing hoof at the cyan mare.

“Even after she’s done seen a werepony and giant, zombie bull?” Eric asked again, his eyes widening in shock.

“I wish I were making this up.” Jonathan confirmed with a nod. “But we have encountered a lot worse than that; Legion is an example.”

“If you can’t beat ‘em, you might as well join ‘em.” Charlotte commented, rolling her eyes in the process.

Twilight coughed, “I have to be honest, I read that book of yours that shows what you have beaten before.”

“...Show it to Rainbow. Just give it back when you’re done.” Charlotte sighed, shaking her head sadly.

Twilight took out a strange, blue book titled ‘Book of Spirits,’ and she handed it to the cyan mare who soon found herself flipping through the pages like a foal reading an adult magazine. And some of the monsters made her want to puke, while others confused her a lot, almost as much as how Pinkie confuses everypony.

On one page, it detailed a pony in a clown getup. He was dancing about madly on his hind legs, causing cards to fly between his front hooves like an accordion. It soon threw them at an unsuspecting bystander and the cards left several lacerations on its body, which soon proved fatal.

And she thought to herself, “Okay, that is just plain freaky. My day is now twenty percent weirder.”

Another page detailed a strikingly beautiful mare in ancient getup. Her tan body and gold headdress fit her like a charm. A stallion looked at her, and he fell in love with this mare; so much so she told him to kill his marefriend...which he carried out without warning nor second thought.

Another page still detailed a massive ball of pony corpses, and it housed a grotesque mass of tentacles. Not only that, it could release the dead corpses and they would come after anypony who stood in the thing’s path. The tentacles could also fire lasers and pressurized, red gas. When Rainbow looked down at the name of the creature, it said Legion as clear as daylight.

“By sweet Celestia...You actually fought this...thing!?” She asked, her face went slightly green as a look of disbelief overcame her.

“So, NOW you believe us?” Jonathan asked, his eyes narrowing very low.

Another gust of wind blew past, and this time it was accompanied by a sudden void of black magic.

“I didn’t do it. I didn’t cast Dark Rift.” Charlotte commented, pointing at the void with a hoof.

From the void shot out a pair of mismatched appendages--a dog’s paw and dragon’s talon, both of which were white. And then emerged a body encased in black feathers with a long, black serpentine tail that sported a holey leg and and bird’s claw, both of which were green. Its head had eyes blank as canvases, and deer antlers. A stringy mass of blue hair was on its head.

“Hello, ponies...and wendigo.” It said with a demonic, feminine voice as it seemed to eye the group before her.

Eric turned around to face the creature. “I’m glad you took me into account.” He said with a grin that soon turned upside-down. “In all seriousness, however, I don’t take kindly to a...chimera that would try harming my children and friends. Using Dracula’s minions brings you down to a whole new low.”

The creature produced a cage which house two beings: a yellow pegasus and…

“You captured Discord and poor little Fluttershy?!” Twilight asked, her face in shock.

The being nodded.

“Having control of a demon’s minions is easier than I thought. Then again, when the Lord of Darkness slumbers, somepony has to gain control, right? Besides, I plan to add my brother’s powers to my own; you will be free to have his remains when I’m done.” It said, grinning wryly.

Fluttershy shook like a leaf as she spoke,  “So this is the sister you talked about, Discord?”

“I’m afraid so. I’m not the only one she’s after, last time she tried to get Princess Luna’s power as well, she already did the same to my parents.” He answered grimly.

“That’s just HORRIBLE! She killed her own parents to gain their powers!?” Charlotte objected, raising a hoof in shock.

“This is a problem.” Jonathan said, taking an entire trot forward.

The creature laughed. “So, the little red pony wants to play with me? I know about your whip and what will happen if you use it. Do you really want to take that risk?” It taunted, causing a boulder to emerge from the void.

“I don’t plan on using the whip. I have other weapons, like this thing.” Jonathan replied as from his wings he produced a great metal ball attached to a small chain. He grasped the chain in the crook of his hoof and he took to the air, swinging the thing over his head in the process.

Rainbow Dash was shocked at the weapon Jonathan had in his hooves. “OOOH, THIS IS GREAT!”

“It should not be possible for him to even lift that!” Twilight protested, her jaw dropping in the process.

“I call shenanigans.” Eric said, impressed at the sight.

The chimera threw the boulder at the pegasus, who easily deflected it with his comically oversized weapon. The rocky mass found itself being hurdled back at its owner and it became dust before it could collide.

“SHOWTIME!” Jonathan shouted, getting closer to the chimera and using the monstrosity of metal like a mace. Right as he was about to swing the damn thing, the chimera readied its dragon talon and punched him right in the nose, sending him hurdling back to the group and landing onto the floor face-first. His weapon disappeared out of sight, and he didn’t move afterwards.

Charlotte rushed to the pegasus and turned him over onto his back. She checked his wounds and put a hoof to his chest. “Oh no, he’s out cold! Wait! I have a potion on me….oh no, the bottle broke!”

“Awwwww, the little filly wants her boyfriend back?” The chimera taunted, a wicked grin on its face.

“That’s one less obstacle I need to deal with. Him and his crosses were annoying.” Said a masculine voice as a sickly thin pony emerged from the void. Its pelt was grey, and its skin clung to its bones. This thing was as tall as Celestia herself. Red eyes adorned its face, as did a horn and so too did sharp fangs under the upper lip. On its flank was a painting with a splatter of blood dotting its black canvas.

“All I need to do is take care of that worthless unicorn and I’m….how shall you say...golden.” It said, grinning wryly.

“Brauner…” Charlotte heaved, founding herself gulping hard.

“Here we go again.” Eric commented, his hoof connecting with his face. “At least I packed a lunch and brought some help this time around.”

“What help have you? Have you gone mad or something?” Brauner retorted, raising a brow.

“Pot, kettle, black.” Loretta stated, shaking her head sadly.

“She’s got ya there.” Eric agreed with a nod. “You have no room to speak.”

Twilight then said, “I have been tinkering with a new spell that can teleport somepony here; however, it takes time to cast.”

When Pinkie Pie saw Brauner, a thought seemed to have hit her as she produced a cupcake and merrily bounced her way to him.

“I thought you might like this!” She said, beaming with a grin.

The vampony looked at the pink mare and he was absolutely dumbfounded. He stared at her with wide eyes, unable to comprehend where she’d come from and why she offered him a confectionary treat.

“Quick, hand me the spell.” Charlotte whispered to Twilight, who then complied. She held the spell scroll before the blue unicorn whose horn soon crackled to life.

Twilight inquired who this stallion with obvious dark magic was. Had this been the Brauner that Charlotte first mentioned?

The spell resumed being charged, and Brauner was still standing there in a confused daze. He was trying to figure out what to do.

A blinding light soon encased the room, and when it disappeared, Applejack stood in between the twins.

“The hay is goin’ on here?” She asked, glancing around to accommodate to the current scene.

Rainbow found a page in the seemingly-cursed book and it detailed a pony who looked exactly like Brauner. She soon took wing and whizzed in a sharp u-turn, taking Pinkie away from the stallion in the process.

“H-hey! I was trying to make friends with him! Why do you have to be mean, Rainbow?!” Pinkie objected, trying to worm her way out of the cyan mare’s forelegs.

“Pinkie Pie, that pony is a VAMPIRE! One that’s basically hellbent on killing all non-vampiric things!” Rainbow protested, grasping the pink mare tighter.

Pinkie’s mane deflated and she said, “So you mean he’s a meanie meanie pants?”

Rainbow nodded. “More or less. Mean doesn’t even begin to describe him.” She answered.

Applejack looked around the room and saw the skeleton of the werepony on steroids and Discord and Fluttershy in a cage made of... what looked like diamonds and both were terrified. ”Okay, Ah’ve never seen Discord that scared before….and is that a female one near them? The hay is goin’ on here?” She asked, raising a brow.

“You said you had help. Where is it? I don’t see any help. Are you drunk or something?” Brauner asked, glaring at Eric.

“I am not drunk.” Eric retorted, crossing his forelegs.

The front of the cage was soon slashed to all hell as a thing whizzed by with such haste nopony had time to react. Fluttershy and Discord, realizing they were free, began to run away as fast as their legs could carry them.

“I do believe there is some foul slander going on when the monsters of my master are under YOUR control? I dare say, a twisted form of deja vu indeed.” Said a demonic voice from above.

Everypony, absolutely everypony, and the chimera looked up and saw a flying form draped in a tattered, dark purple robe. Its hooves, though barely visible, were nothing short of aged bone. Its face was skeletal, and in its black sockets were red dots. It had a horn and was flying on wings of bone as a massive scythe hovered in front of it.

Rainbow looked in the cursed book and realized who this pony was and hastily flipped through the pages until she found a picture with an exact look-alike of said pony….and its name was Death. Rainbow gulped in fear, glancing at the skeletal alicorn.

Applejack was shaking somewhat as she stared at Death, he looked just as he was described to her way back when she was just a filly.

Twilight realized who this was, due to Charlotte’s describing him to her before.

Pinkie, pointing a hoof at Death, asked Rainbow, “Is this one a meanie pants as well?”

The skeletal pony turned its head to the pink mare. “On some days, yes. But only if Master Dracula wills it. And he has not been pleased with this heist of minions at all.” Death answered, sounding like he would frown if he so had the option.

The other three alicorns trotted into the room, and the entire scene took them by surprise. They all gasped at once, unfurling their wings from shock. Vincent also trotted into the room, and he was so shocked he fell flat on his rump in horror.

“It...can’t…!” The priest began to protest, only to lose the strength to finish that sentence.

“Death, are you implying that Dracula is awake again?” Charlotte asked, confused.

“Well, yes and no. You see his soul is somewhere in this world, as I have been searching for it. However, it is in many pieces, so far I have found four pieces of the fifteen. Trust me, young mage, he isn’t happy. It was because of you and that boy that his soul is like this.”

“Art thou saying this skeletal being is DEATH!” Luna bellowed, shaking her head rapidly.

Charlotte tried shaking the red pegasus awake to no avail.

“Auntie, this is not looking good. I was also unaware that Death was an actual being.” Said Mi Amore, her voice shaking as she looked at Celestia.

“Now isn’t the time for gossip! Celestia, do you care about your subjects?” Death asked, lazily spinning his scythe in the crook of his hoof. “You see, a few of your subjects have collected said soul pieces as they thought each piece was a power source, but his dark aura calls to me and I have killed four who have found them so far.”

Death paused, taking a moment to register Celestia’s still-shocked expression. “One was a gryphon, another was some blue pegasus, a third was doglike, and a fourth was….a minotaur...Iron Will was his name, I believe?”

Luna nodded.

“I do care about my subjects. But even I hadn’t predicted this!” Celestia answered, her voice cracked.

“Then, you need to do this: Evacuate the city and castle. At once. This chimera’s followers are about to kill everything in sight that lives, breathes, and moves.  I suspect she may have some of my master’s soul fragments, and I do not like to kill, unless Master so wills it.  For the time being, Master has asked me to declare a truce with you.” Death said, his eyes dimming faintly for a moment.

“Then I have no choice….” Celestia murmured, shaking like a leaf before regaining her royal posture. “CANTERLOT IS TO BE EVACUATED UNDER ROYAL COMMAND! EVACUATE EVERYPONY AT ONCE, ROYAL GUARDS! WASTE NO TIME IN SAVING THE CITIZENS!”

“And take these five ponies with them! Bring the wendigo as well! Their lives are just as valuable as our own!” Twilight called, flaring her wings and encasing Applejack and Pinkie Pie in her magic before taking flight with them in two.

The royal guards who could still stand quickly ushered the group of foreign ponies and the wendigo to a chariot. A unicorn was among their ranks, and he carried the still-unconscious Jonathan in his magical grip. The princesses went with them posthaste.

Rainbow flew away, briefly looking back and witnessing Death fight the chimera in combat. The cyan mare then looked below to the streets of Canterlot, sighing in relief as she saw the citizens ushered to safety as the town was overtaken by a vast array of monsters, many of which the Book of Spirits had described moments ago. She shuddered in terror at the sight as she continued to fly away.