Mephisto and the Pony

13 years later

Ariel walked down the road between Ponyville and the Everfree Forest, just a little beyond Fluttershy's cottage.  He did not know exactly how he had wound up in her chicken coop, but he did know why.  He just didn't want to believe it.  The mushrooms he had taken were responsible, though he couldn't remember the details of his voyage.  Something about a demon?  Running from a demon?  Running to a demon?  Bright red eyes, open wings...  Other than that, he couldn't remember.

Ariel had aged quite a lot in his time.  He looked at least fifty, with saggy skin and bald patches across his body.  His eyes drooped, his ears seemed too long.  His hooves were bigger than before, because the skin around them had pulled back into his legs.  He smelled of smoke and alcohol.  His mane was now all the way to his shoulders, his beard was messy and tangled, his tail dragged behind him like a filthy snake.  Ariel didn't know it, but his eyes were bloodshot, his teeth were rotted and falling out, his tongue was discolored.  He had also managed to lose about half his weight and all his money.  He now lived off weird stuff from the forest and never stayed in one place for more than  a month or so - he had long since lost track of how it had been since he had left Canterlot.  He had managed to spend time in every big settlement or town in Equestria.

"Um.. mister..."  Came an incredibly soft voice.

Ariel slowly turned around to face Fluttershy, her face hidden in her pink mane.  A bear behind gently pushed her forward, and she made a small squeak.  Then she opened her eyes and seemed to steel her resolve.

"What?"  Ariel asked, impatient.  He sounded like a was talking through a veil of butter.

"Its just..."

Ariel waited.

"I think you need help."

Ariel nodded at her, and she seemed to fortify herself again.

"I mean... how much have did you have to drink last night?"

"More than enough to kill you."  Ariel said simply.  Time to move on, he thought.

"I see.  Well, I know a hospital here they take ponies like you, you'll get lots of help from there."

Ariel started thinking about the first time he arrived in Ponyville, all that time ago.  He had to see Princess Twilight, and was surprised that she said yes.  She did, however, seem not to trust him.  He was of course a noble from Canterlot, and he could see how she would be slow to trust him.  However, with his knowledge of philosophy and history, he made conversation easily with her, even though her insights into perfection were a little bland, even at the best of times.  He was shocked when she told him he could not stay at the palace, even though he offered a considerable sum.  He had left early the next day.

"-forest" Fluttershy finished.

Ariel nodded again, then turned right around and headed for the Everfree.  Flutershy stayed right beside him.

"Um, mister, the hospital is in Ponyville..."

"I know."

She looked at Ariel for a moment, then lost all her fortification.

"But..."

Ariel wheeled around at jabbed a hoof into Fluttershy's chest, his face contorted with rage.  She froze.  "Listen here, pegasus,"  He seethed, "I am a big stallion now, and I can decide what to do with my own body.  I don't need some random pony telling me to get help or go to a hospital.  I can take of myself."  He paused.  "I dont need your help."  He huffed and continued his trot into the forest, only just aware of the sobs.

Ariel scoured the forest, rushed as far as his withered body could take him, past trees and rocky crags, into the higher crevices where he was looking.  Just beyond them - the mushrooms.  Red and brown spotted mushrooms where exactly what he was looking for.  He walked over to one of the larger ones, and reached out a trembling hoof.  It recoiled from the touch of the mushroom, but suddenly shot forward and seized the red fungus.  Ariel hesitated for one moment and spoke.  "I love this moment..."  And snapped the mushroom up.

The effect was instant.  The dark gloomy forest lit up with green and red lights, and his pupils shrank to slits to keep from being blinded.  His smile was goofy and deranged, his legs trembled as he wobbled back and forth towards the cliff.

"Are you okay?"  Said Fluttershy.  Ariel looked at her, aghast. She was covered in little bugs, they crawled into her eyes and mouth as she spoke again.

"Mister.."

Ariel laughed at her as he managed to get up to the side of the cliff, looking down at the abyss below.  All the trees around him started rocking back and forth, as their faces laughed at him.  One of them said "Don't be a filly, filly!"  He thought he heard his father.

"I don't think that..."  She trialed off.

A gigantic worm screeched, and another said "Oh, keep your slime on!"  Ariel tensed all four legs, giggling at his own joke.  Fluttershy looked ready to pounce.

The moonlight above them shown so brightly that some of it broke through the treeline, a cone of it spilling from the moon to just in front of Ariel.  He stopped and looked up at the moon, vaguely interested.  Fluttershy relaxed and watched in wonder.  Ariel felt the effects of the drug melt from him as a shape descended from the circle of light, so bright that it lit up the entire forest.

Ariel shook his head rapidly.  What had he just been contemplating?  His eyes went wide as the pitch white shape now floated calmly just a few feet above him.  He looked up to it.

There stood a pitch white pony, with silver mane down past his shoulders. A small beard, and a tail that seemed several feet long.  His wings were bigger than his whole body, flapping gently through the air, without even making a breeze.  Fluttershy couldn't believe her eyes, Ariel looked like he had been caught doing something sinful.

The silver alicorn spoke, his voice singsong and perfectly in tune.  "Speak my friend, you look suprised, I thought youd know Id come disgused."

He rose a little into the air and puffed out his chest, silvery powder falling from his wings.  The light got a little brighter, and the forest returned to normal - save for himself, Fluttershy, and the moon.

"On angel wings!  In white!"

Ariel took a step back from the silver alicorn.  "I can make your dreams come true, what a couple, me and you, on journey through..."

Ariel looked around, wondering if the drug was still working.

"The night."

Ariel looked back at the floating silver pony, his face twisted with fear and wonder.

"I will show you everything so vividly..."

The silver alicorn gestured to the sky.

"You can't deny me."

Ariel took another step back, and the silver alicorn flew higher.

The light from the moon somehow got larger, encompassing Ariel as well.

Ariel spoke, his voice trembling.  "Who are you?"

The silver alirorn smiled.  "Bathed in moonlight, I'm proclaimed by angel's cry!"

Ariel spoke louder.  "What do you want?"

"Think well.  Do take your time... because your soul will be mine the day you die."

Ariel shook his head rapidly and stepped out of the moon's embrace.  "What?!"

The silver alicorn flew closer.  "Oh, you didn't hear me?"

He flew above Ariel, and magic projections appeared before him when the silver alicorn's wings started to glow.  Images of food, mares, wine, a gigantic castle, and ecstasies of gold swam before Ariel's eyes.

"Name a pleasure, one, a few, any form of lust in you..."

A wingtip brushed against Ariel's shoulder, the chill was paralyzing. He shivered.  Then he started to sweat.

"Will tremble at my touch."

Ariel started to heave and wheeze at the sight of the silver alicorn.

"I come down from heaven's light.  I have all the perfect alibis, there's so much!"

Ariel managed to breath "Like what?"

The alicorn shook his head.  "Call my name or carry on, til that last resistance gone... I'm sure we'll meet again.

"Who are you?"  Ariel asked again.

"I'm your true disciple when the flesh desires..."

Ariel caught the alicorn's eye, and both ponies vanished in a puff of black smoke.

Fluttershy cried out and rushed to where they both had been, but the light was fading and both poines were simply gone.

"Twilight!"  Fluttershy rushed back to Ponyville.