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Gods of Equestria: How Will This Benefit Me?
I Come From The Darkness... Of The Underworld...
"What is this?" says a gaunt and scratchy voice. This is not what he expected, he had come in the night but here he was, in the middle of a grassy meadow with the sun in the center of the sky. He was sure it was night. With him was an incorporeal owl that hooted with the moans of the dead and a single zombie that was milling about in the grass.
He is Ah Puch, the God of death and the lord of the Ninth Hell. He stood as a thin man with a loincloth and a necklace of eyes and teeth. He wore a horned and feathered mask with glowing red eyes that served as his face along with his carved wooden staff.
He fumed with silent anger, how the other gods must be looking down at him and laughing. He tried to return to his realm, but he couldn't. Now they were definitely laughing.
He tried to raise more zombies from his realm, but again he couldn't. His anger grew along with his amazement and wonder. Was he no longer on the Earth. He looked around at his surroundings. They looked like earth, but he couldn't feel the presence of other gods around him.
Slowly his anger turned to an evil happiness. With no gods, he could be the ruler of this planet, the surface and its underworld. He could create a race similar to humans, but the way he wanted them to be, and they would worship him.
As he stood thinking of schemes and plans, a couple of other beings came up on a hill and stopped as they saw the dancing figure.
"What is it?" asked Applejack to Rainbow Dash.
"I dunno, looks like some kind of creature from the Everfree."
"Whydua suppose its movin' like that?"
"It might be sick or dying," said Rainbow observing the prancing god.
"Poor thing, we should probably put it out of its misery," as she looked sympathetically at it.
Ah Puch was still dancing in glee when he noticed something was behind him. There were two hore-like creatures, much too colored and short to be regular horses standing behind him.
"Fluttershy is better with animals but I'll have a go," said Applejack as she streached out her forehoof at the creature that was now crouched and looking superstitiously at her with its scary mask-like face and glowing eyes.
"Come here, we ain't gonna hurt ya," said AJ softly. Ah Puch reacted with shock when the horses spoke but did not show it. It took him a little to realize that these were already natives and therefore needed to be subjugated. He sprung up from his pose and glared at them with his glowing eyes and shook his staff at them that rattled menacingly.
"Do not approach me fool! I am the new ruler... of this realm, and you will bow... to me!" AJ jumped back, and both of them reacted with shock.
"You can talk?"
"More than talk," replied Ah Puch. "I can raise the dead!" He gestured the ground with his staff and raised it upward. He waited a few seconds to realize that his power to raise the dead wasn't working. Applejack and Dash gave him confused looks.
"I can raise the dead!" he shouted again as he brought his zombie forward. It groaned dumbly and looked around as if blind.
"Gross, that thing is dead," said Rainbow Dash putting a hoof over her muzzle. "It smells." Ah Puch blanched in anger.
"I am a god, petty horses! And you answer to me!" He looked at his zombie. "Attack them... slave!" The zombie shuffled towards the ponies, and they doged its clumsy swipes, and a swift kick from AJ to its torso brought it down. Ah Puch rain his hand down his face. He lifted his staff and the crystal on the end blazed with dark power. Atleast he could do that.
But before he could react, the blue one took to the air and kicked him in the face with astounding speed, knocking Ah Puch to the ground. He was dazed and off balance, the two ponied walking up to him.
"Jeez fella, you need to calm down."
"For starters, we're not horses, we're ponies, and secondly, you don't rule us." said the blue one.
"Calm down Rainbow, he's had a long day. I don't take it you're from around here?" asked the orange one. Ah Puch nodded with an angerly groan.
"Well, lets take him back to town, Twilight would love to see something like this."
"Really?" asked Rainbow Dash. "He smells! He'd stink up the whole place." Before they could get up, Ah Puch responded.
"Yes... I agree with the orange one. I shall go... to this town of yours. I-I have not had a good day." AJ looked triumphantly at Rainbow Dash
"See, he'll be fine. Who knows, he might even be a good friend." Rainbow looked skeptically.
"Are you sure?" asked Rainbow.
"Of course!" shouted Ah Puch but the looks he was given told him that he had spoken out of line.
"I mean, I'm sure everything will work out nicely." he said as kindly as his gaunt voice could.
"Come on Rainbow, we can show him to Twi and the rest of the girls, and he can't hurt nopony if he's with us."
"Oookay," replied Rainbow Dash. "As long as he doesn't stand next to me, he smells." Ah Puch got up with a quick jump.
"Lets go my new... acquaintances! We have to go to, em, where are we going to again?" asked Ah Puch
"Ponyville," replied Rainbow.
"Yes, Ponyville," said Ah Puch.
"Ya' know Mr., what's your name?"
"Ah Puch," he replied.
"Ya know Mr. Ah Puch you're a real hoot when ya start talkin' to ponies," said Applejack.
"Yeah, your dancing is pretty cool," said Rainbow Dash. Ah Puch didn't know how to react really. This was probably the longest he had stood next to a sentient creature that wasn't screaming in fear or pain. A pushing feeling started to well up in his chest.
"We must go now," Ah Puch before this feeling could get any worse.
"Yeah, I reckon we get goin'," They followed a small dirt path that went towards a collection of buildings in the distance. His ghost owl landed on his staff, and his zombie picked itself up off the ground and shuffled dumbly with them.
"Yes, I'm sure we'll all become good..." The feeling in his chest increased. "Friends."
Author's Note
I'm positive people mispronounced Ah Puch's name. Its pronounced Ah Pooaatch
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Gods of Equestria: How Will This Benefit Me?
My Minions Are Incapable... Of Using Kindness
My Minions Are Incapable... Of Using Kindness
As the group went along the path towards Ponyville, Applejack decided to converse with their new companion.
"So Mr. Ah Puch, where'dya come from?" she asked.
"I come from a place called the Ninth Hell... where wicked souls are sent to be punished." he replied. Applejack pondered over whether to continue, and she decided it was the best way to learn more.
"Do ya have a hobby?"
"Yes," he replied. "I collect corpses." After this Applejack stopped talking. But Rainbow decided to contribute.
"Really?" She asked. "Or are you just making it up?"
"When souls die and are sent to the different realms of the underworld... I am able to take their body, as they will not be needing it any longer."
"That's sick," she said.
"I keep them in good condition," he replied reassuringly.
"And is, corpse-collecting, your job?"
"No, my job is to make sure that the wicked souls in my realm get judgement for their crimes... during life." She also stopped talking. After a little while longer of walking they finally reached Ponyville.
"Is this the place?" Ah Puch asked.
"Eeyup." replied AJ as she trotted into the town. Ponyville's residences were bustling around with the usual business, and as Ah Puch passed them, most froze in fear as he looked at them, trembling. Some of the schoolyard fillies, namely the Cutie Mark Crusaders, stared as he passed, eyes wide with wonder instead of fear.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash tried to look nonchalant walking with the monster that was now scarring all of Ponyville's residences silly. While sitting on the side of the road, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and decided this was the time to learn more about their strange companion.
"Whatcha got there sis?" asked Applebloom.
"Where are your manners Applebloom? He's a pony to."
"Doesn't look too much like one," she said as he looked at her.
"Why does he smell like that?" asked Scootaloo.
"That's what I said," replied Rainbow Dash and they both snickered. Only Sweetie Belle mustered up the courage to talk to Ah Puch himself.
"Um, mister, who are you?" she asked. Ah Puch looked at her with his glowing eyes.
"I am called Ah Puch." he replied.
"How did you end up with a name like that?"
"I don't know," he replied.
"Me nither, also, why are you here?"
"These to ponies, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, both found me in the wilderness... and agreed to take me to see their... friends."
"You're going to go see the princess and her friends?" she asked. Ah Puch felt his evil thoughts surfacing again. A princess... a ruler of these, ponies.
"You're gonna see my sister, Rarity, there too," she said.
"So, what family is this princess a part of, where do they rule?" asked Ah Puch.
"Um, I don't know Twilight's family, but as far as I know, she doesn't rule anything." Ah Puch felt anger at these ponies political system.
"What kind of princess is the then?" he said impatiently.
"One that doesn't smell," she replied, hoof over her muzzle. "Seriously, what did you roll around in."
"I am the God of Decay, I am perpetually rotting," he said nonchalantly. Sweetie Belle's eyes widened and she trotted away, hoof over mouth. Ah Puch shrugged, ponies were weird like that and acted rude when he mentioned things like he tortured beings for eternity and was always rotting. I guess different species had different social rules, I mean, his zombies never acted that way.
They finally reached a large tree that had been fashioned with doors and windows for a place of residence. The ponies walked through the door and Ah Puch followed. When they were inside, he was greeted with more looks of horror from the unknown ponies in the room.
"Wh-what is t-that?" asked a white one. A yellow one beside her was on the ground, her hair behind her face and shuddering.
"Um guys, this here is Ah Puch, we found him near the forest," said Applejack. The silence continued.
"He's fine, he won't hurtcha," she reassured. Twilight was the first to walk up to him.
"Can he speak?" she asked.
"Of course I can speak, purple equine," he replied unhappily. She was taken aback at his sudden reply.
"This is amazing!" Twilight said breaking the mood. "Where are you from? How did you get here? What do you want?-" she asked many more questions and Ah Puch couldn't keep track of them all.
"Calm down Twi, its fine," said Rainbow Dash. "He comes from this spooky sounding place called the 'Ninth Hell' and he collects corpses." Twilight's eyes widened.
"What!? How do you do that?" she asked. "That's just wrong!" Ah Puch couldn't believe any being would thing the innocent act of corpse-collecting anything but normal. Humans (or ponies) die. They leave their bodies lying around. SOMEONE is going to come along and see that corpse and and think to themselves What a nice corpse. Well, seeing as nobody needs it, I might as well take it. It didn't make sense to him.
"Its really not that bad. I don't kill them, most of the time," he replied. The look on Twilight's face told him he had given the wrong reply.
"Great, we have a unknown creature that collects corpses and he's standing in my library," she said. A small dragon-life creature walked up to her.
"Twilight, I doubt he collects corpses, even if he looks like a creepy Nightmare Night costume. Maybe he can help with what we need to do." Ah Puch quickly reasoned if he was going to get anywhere in his plans, he would have to get in the good books with these equines.
"I would be... Happy to help you with any sort of... problem," he said. The ponies perked up.
"I dunno... We just found you, and you're kinda creepy..." said Rarity.
"Well, if we're going to get to know him more, we're going to have to spend more time with him. He said he was willing to help." Ah Puch was happy with this positive turn of events, these ponies were quick to forgive, too quick if you ask him, but one in the corner continued to unnerve him.
Of all the equines there, there was one pink one who had stared at him rock-still ever since he walked in. She hadn't moved yet, but he glanced at her nervously. Did she know what he really was? Did she know what he was planning. He didn't know if their kind possessed mystics, (the white and purple one's horns gave him a magical vibe) but this one gave off the strongest likelihood of being something other than she appeared.
The mystery pony finally walked up to him, still giving him a suspicious look. If Ah Puch could sweat he would be sweating buckets right now. A few more seconds passed until the pink pony bounced up high in the air, smiling from cheek-to-cheek and shouted "NEW FRIEND!" loudly, startling others.
"Well, I guess Pinkie's ok with it," said Twilight and she walked back to Ah Puch.
"Well Ah Puch, it seems you can help us. We're tasked with searching for a disturbance in the Everfree Forest. We don't know what exactly it is, we tried sending Applejack and Rainbow Dash to see if they could figure it out. All we know is that its a large figure that has been scaring ponies. All we could get from witnesses was that it had lots of teeth, but nothing more. Fluttershy has told us that some of the animals that live around the area that it has been sighted in have disappeared. We need to go in, and stop whatever it is."
"Um, it.. would be really nice if you... were to help me... find my missing... animals." She said this all very quiet.
"Witness me here today... as I... Ah Puch, promise to help you rid this monster and find your missing animals!" he replied. She shrank away from him.
"Well, that's good to know," said Twilight. "Well we better get going girls." The other ponies followed her out the door. Ah Puch's zombie was outside fiddling with a flower, and shuffled after them when he saw his master walking away.
A monster eh, he said to himself. What kind of monsters could they have in this world of colorful equine horses that could defy a god? Or better, what kind of beings do they have in this world that could defy a god?
Gods of Equestria: How Will This Benefit Me?
The Dead Do Not Suffer The Living To Pass
After walking for a while in the forest Ah Puch was found near, the sun had gone down and they had still found nothing. Ah Puch had entertained his boredom by rattling his staff above his zombie while the ponies searched the surrounding woods. The ponies returned tired to the clearing Ah Puch was in.
"Well, I got nothing," said Rainbow Dash, the other ponies nodded.
"Well, we didn't find anything, we better head back and check tomorrow. " Ah Puch was angry at the ponies inability to find their monster, and he wished he could just do it himself. But he didn't want to make the ponies mad, just about everything he said did, but these ponies were strange in their ways of putting up with him even though he disgusted and horrified them.
They made their way back to where they came when they reached a dark cave just off the path. The ponies looked at it.
"Did any of you check that?" asked Twilight. Ah Puch was supposed to search, but eventually got bored of walking around and started playing with his zombie. He shrunk away from the question.
"Well, we better check it out," said Twilight and they went into the cave. The cave was as most caves are, dark, damp, and utterly depressingly black. The ponies with horns made them illuminate so they could see better as they ventured farther into the cave. Ah Puch muttered a curse in Mayan when he tripped on a skull. Ah Puch shrugged and walked on. He assumed when the dead bodies weren't snatched up by the more sane members of mortal society, they just leave there body parts lying around. No biggie.
He started to hear scuttling around in the cave, and he now couldn't see anything in front of him. He lit the middle of the staff with a magical light. He could sense movement around him. There was more sounds of movement, and the ponies started to back towards the exit, eyes wide and bodies tense.
Ah Puch stood in front of the group as the huddled in fear. They looked pathetic, fearing the unknown, thought Ah Puch. The noise of movement stopped as a small figure jumped into their sight. A squirrel with an acorn looked confused at the group. Fluttershy smiled and started to move towards it. But before she could reach it, long tongue-like tendrils gripped the squirrel and dragged it into the darkness with a revolting gnashing sound. Fluttershy stopped and retreated slowly in shock.
"More...food," said a fleshy voice, and the tongues lashed out at Ah Puch and the group. The wrapped around his zombie, and dragged him dully into the dark. Spitting noises were heard soon after.
"Ugh, rotten... Don't want." The zombie was jettisoned back too the group, covered in sticky saliva. The ponies behind Ah Puch ran towards the exit, screaming all the while. Ah Puch could sense the figure racing forward to catch them, and braced himself as a figure smashed into him. They both fell over, but the beast recovered quicker and got up on all fours, its arms with fleshy spikes sticking through them and its chest a gigantic maw with teeth. Ah Puch managed to stick his staff out and cause a small circle around the demon to explode, angering the demon and turning its attention back to him.
Ah Puch got up in a primal stance and stared the demon down. He wondered if he could even be hurt by this thing, being a god and all, but before he could react, it lunged at him, its chest opening and displaying a maw filled with teeth. A purple ball enveloped around the demon and caught it in mid-jump, encasing it in a force field. The purple pony known as Twilight walked towards Ah Puch, her horn glowing.
"Well, I-I don't know what to say. If you didn't distract it, one of us could have gotten really hurt," she said.
"Or worse," replied Rarity. The demon clawed in anger at it's prison.
"I guess we should thank you. You saved our lives," said Twilight appreciatively. The other ponies came forward and expressed their gratitude. Ah Puch felt the same feeling he had first felt when he met the ponies. He had first responded by crushing down on it as a weakness, but now he didn't know how to react.
Twilight was able to levitate the sphere containing their captive out of the cave, and the ponies spent the rest of the walk back observing the creature they had captured. It continued to try to break out, clawing at the walls and attempting to bite it open with its chest. A strange color of blue for it's skin, the creature wore nothing but a cloth loincloth and a cape and hood patched together with patch cloth. The other ponies looked at it with fear, but Twilight looked at it with a calculating gaze.
Ah Puch sensed it, like him, was not of this world. Could it be connected with him?
They reached Ponyville at night, and the ponies said goodbye and went to their separate houses. Ah Puch stayed with Twilight. She enlarged the force field and stuck it in a corner, the demon unusually silent as it observed its surroundings, namely Ah Puch. She said she was going to sleep, and flew up to the top bunk.
Ah Puch had no need for sleep, so he sat on the floor staring at the captive demon as it stared back. Ah Puch had trouble breaking its nerve, so he opened the mouth of his mask, and let black smoke tumble out of it. The demon responded by opening its chest and displaying its horrifying chest.
The night carried on without any significant events, and when dawn broke, Twilight found Ah Puch sitting cross-legged in front of the captive monster.
"Ugh, do you ever sleep?" she asked. Ah Puch shook his, head and returned his gaze to the demon. He got up and moved towards the force field and decided to do something different. He looked the demon straight in the eyes and asked, "What is your name?" A moment of silence passed until the demon opened its fanged maw and replied in its intimidating voice.
"Bakasura," it replied. Ah Puch stayed calm and asked another question.
"How did you get here?" he asked. The demon didn't respond, but traces of confusion crossed its face.
"You don't know... Do you," said Ah Puch. Bakasura didn't respond but Ah Puch felt right.
"I... understand, I too do not know how I got here," he said. The demon surprised him by responding quickly after.
"Then why do you work for these, horses? I know you are more than you seem. You could rule these petty creatures." He had no honest answer for the demon. He was going to stick with his original plan, but seeing as he still didn't have all of his power back, that would be hard. He also was starting to enjoy social interactions with the ponies, perhaps he could keep them around like jesters in his court when he rules them.
"I-I am... abashed you would think such a thing! I am the most noble of all the gods! Can you not tell from my appearance?" He gestured to his skeletal thin frame, his skull mask, and his various human body parts hanging off of his body. Twilight was standing behind him, listening to the exchange.
"Huh, I didn't think it would even talk," she said. She yawned and sat down at a small table where her dragon assistant was serving breakfast.
"So, do you think I may, go outside and... get used to my surroundings?" asked Ah Puch. He had every intention of running away at the first chance and start to cement his grip on this world before he became compromised.
"Are you kidding? We have a big day today. You two are the first non-pony intelligent lifeforms to be found in ages! Spike sent a letter last night, you two are going to Canterlot to meet the ruler of the pony nation, Princess Celestia." Ah Puch brightened his mood. Maybe meeting a ruler of these primitives would be better good than bad.
"Um sure, I'll get ready," he replied. If his skull mask could grin, it would be. Seriously, He just wants to give an evil grin every once and a while, nothing a bit of face and skulls couldn't solve...
Gods of Equestria: How Will This Benefit Me?
What... Trickery Is This?!?
Author's Note
Things shall be wrapped up in this chapter, so it's longer than the others.
What... Trickery Is This?!?
The train ride to Canterlot was long, and Ah Puch and Bakasura's presence ensured that they had a cabin all to themselves.
"Great, just us, a smelly zombie corpse-collector, and a crazy animal eating monster. All in the same room." said Rarity.
"Oh yeah, don't get me started on the monster. When I got up and he said he was hungry, he just kept eating and eating, asking for more! I Had to go to the store to replace all that Eat-y McDevourPants ate. He even ate the plates, and the silverware!" complained Spike.
They continued until they got to the train station, and the ponies there caused quite a commotion after Ah Puch was the first to exit. Finally, an environment he was used to, everyone screaming in terror.
A few more awkward encounters later, (one of which required Royal Guards to escort them to the palace to ensure that monsters weren't attacking Canterlot) they finally made to the palace. After they made it into the throne room, Celestia and Luna were sitting side by side awaiting them. Luna gave a look of revulsion at the god and demon.
"They are abominations! Sister, we do not have to see these creatures," she said to her sister. Celestia ignored her and continued to observe the unusual creatures approaching her.
"Twilight, you explained partially how you came in contact with these... induviduals. But did they try to harm you?"
"Well, Ah Puch (she gestured toward him) didn't. But as I failed to explain, I was a bit tired, this one, Bakasura, tried to eat us."
"Eat you?" she asked. "Besides that, do they talk? I assume you didn't give them those horrid names yourselves."
"Yes," replied Ah Puch, Luna blanced at his voice.
"Speak when spoken to, monster," she said with anger. She was hushed by Celestia.
"Have you learned where they came from, why they are here?"
"Um, not much. Ah Puch told us that he doesn't know how he got here, that he just woke up near the Everfree,"
"A likely story..." said Luna quietly. Twilight continued.
"And we don't know how Bakasura got here. We're sure he's, not from Equestria. He was terrorizing citizens and, eating small animals." Fluttershy shed a few tears as she had a flashback to the cave.
"I see," said Celestia as she got up and walked in front of Ah Puch. Ah Puch had felt the power of the two individuals, the white horse and the blue one who kept complaining even before he got in the room. They certainly looked different, much larger with constantly flowing manes, he assumed this was as close as Equestria had to a god. And judging from the look she gave him, she might have suspected what he was.
"What are you?" she asked. Ah Puch confirmed his suspicions but he must not let them know he was a god. Not yet at least.
"I am what is called a... human." Ah Puch had to choke the last word out, and Bakasura gave a poorly disguised chuckle when he did.
"And you, what are you?" Bakasura didn't answer. Twilight responded.
"He doesn't talk much, we've only got his name and that's it."
"Who was able to obtain this information?" Twilight gestured at Ah Puch. He could feel her suspicion growing.
"Do you know this, thing?" she asked.
"No, I do not," he replied. Celestia pulled him to the side.
"I need to talk to him in private," she said as they walked to a side room, the ponies tried to protest but she shut the door behind them.
"Look, you cannot fool me, I know you are more than you seem. I sense great power in you and I don't believe that these 'humans' are as powerful as you." Ah Puch was truly cornered. With a god-like being in front of him and another blocking the exit, he had no escape. He didn't expect to be stopped this far.
"I-I..." Ah Puch stammered for an answer. Celestia narrowed her eyes at him.
"Answer me," she said threateningly, her horn glowing. "And this time I want the real answer."
Outside the room where Celestia and Ah Puch were talking, Bakasura decided that it was his chance to make his move. He was tired of being subservient to these ponies and their magical force-field encasing him. He had been somewhat happy with his setup of eating everything he could within ten feet. But now he had much tastier prey, the ponies were nice, but he had his sights set on the large white and blue horses. Yes, they will be his meal tonight.
"Um, excuse me, Ms. purple... horse, but can't we talk this over?" he asked with his demonic voice that made everypony jump.
"I-I d-don't know, s-seeing how you tried to eat us," responded Twilight.
"I just didn't understand! How would you feel if someone went into your home! With a smelly, rotten skeleton thing too. Wouldn't you be scared and defend yourself?" After observing them for the few hours he could, he saw they were a forgiving bunch, too forgiving.
"Well, that makes sense..." said Twilight. Luna got up angerly.
"Can't you see?!? It its trying to manipulate you! To make it get out out of its prison!" she said.
"No, no I swear! I don't want to get out," he said. "I'm just so very... hungry."
Ah Puch spilled the beans, mostly. He told her that he was more than he seemed, but left out as much as he could. He told her about Earth and how he had no idea how he had got here. She landed back on the ground.
"I see, I sense no lies in your answer," she said. "We will go back to the others, there is more things I must learn about the beast named Bakasura." When they re-entered the throne room, the demon was no where to be found. Celestia asked where he was.
"He said he was hungry, and as a reward for not trying to, break out and kill us, we put his force field in a room with food inside it, and a couple of guards just in case." Twilight's plan sounded fine, but Ah Puch couldn't help but get a chill down his spine.
Bakasura was furious at these horses' eating habits, but he had to make do. The more he ate the larger his strength grew. And this petty force-field wouldn't hold him much longer. He ate the food given to him in a heartbeat, then the table and plates. The guards looked in disgust.
"My Celestia, how do you even do that?" one asked. He ignored him and concentrated on his anger, his hunger, and the power he had obtained. He wanted meat. And some was waiting just outside of this petty purple wall. He raised his arm-spike and punched it with all the force he had into the field. It shattered as the spike went through.
The guards froze in horror, but they waited precious time as he ripped the opening higher and jumped at the guards. He devoured the first one whole as he tried to raise his spear. The second made it to the door, but he punched his spike straight through his torso, and red gore stained his armor as he devoured him whole.
Banging was heard soon after Celestia came back, and knowing what was happening, the ponies rushed towards the room Bakasura was in. They entered the room, but found no force field, no Bakasura, and no guards. A window was smashed open, and as they looked out, they could see a blue shape vaulting itself from the wall onto a balcony a floor below.
Screams sounded a floor below, and the ponies wasted no time racing down the stairs. Rainbow Dash just flew out the window. They were able to see Bakasure withdrawing his many tongues into his chest before he noticed them. He looked behind the stairs and found Rainbow Dash and Luna blocking the other exit. He smiled with his fanged maw and draw a circle around him with his arm-spikes.
"You foolish equines, how did you think I would ever obey you?" he asked mockingly.
"Surrender, you have no escape, and do not think I will be ask kind as to lock you up for eternity," said Celestia, her horn glowing. Bakasura laughed.
"You cannot defeat me, I shall devour you, nice and slow. I have battled gods before."
"But not me," said Ah Puch standing at the top of the stairs.
"You do not know where I come from, I am the terror of all mortals, not even Shiva or Vishnu interfered with my wrath. You cannot hurt me."
"I shall drag you personally, demon, to my Hell... and you shall forever suffer for your vanity... in thinking you could defeat me!" Ah Puch pulled out a charm from a bag he had on his waist. He hopped its magic would work, but if not it was still worth a try. He went down the stairs and threw the charm at Bakasura. It flashed a shade of green before it hit the ground, exploding in a noxious gas that make Bakasura choke, he could see the shape of a human corpse at his feet.
He sent two screaming zombies running at him, exploding when they ran into him, knocking him off his feet and leaving two more corpses. The ponies watched on in horror. Bakasura attempted to get up but Ah Puch knocked him down with a ball of dark energy that burned his leathery blue flesh. He looked at the demon with a piercing gaze from his red eyes. A rune flashed below Bakasura, and before he could beg for mercy, the corpses around him exploded and he was flung feet in the air, and landed in a steaming lump a few feet away.
Ah Puch looked back at the ponies, stupefied in awe.
"That... was... AWESOME!" shouted Rainbow Dash, and the ponies ran up to him and embraced him in a... hug?
"I-I don't know how to thank you. He might have, killed one of us and you stopped him." Celestia and Luna didn't embrace him but still thanked him.
"I must thank you, you had no obligation to defend my citizens and yet you did. Maybe there's more to you than meets the eye," said Celestia.
"I figure I must thank you too, I'm sorry for not trusting you," said Luna. Ah Puch was overwhelmed with all this gratitude that he didn't know what to do. Ever since he had been sent to this world he had been thrust into a hodgepodge of situations where he was counted as an equal to a mortal creature, and in all his thousands of years of experience, he didn't know how to deal with that.
"T-thanks?" he said. The other ponies said your welcome and talked about the battle while guards came forward and grabbed Bakasura and dragged him away.
"Did you see those zombies? That was so cool!"
"And how he made the ground blow up, that was amazing! I bet you couldn't even do that Twilight," said Pinkie. Twilight rolled her eyes and walked to Ah Puch.
"Really, where did you learn all this magical knowlage? Where does it come from? How do you-" she blabbered more questions to Ah Puch.
"Quiet... Twilight, I simply manipulate the energy of my realm and manifest it here," he said. Twilight's eyes widened as she asked how.
The day continued much better than expected, the princess treated all of the ponies to have a day in the castle and to attend a feast to commemorate Ah Puch's victory over Bakasura.
The feast was fine, (Ah Puch didn't eat anything) and various Canterlot nobles took this occasion to chat with him to learn more about him.
"So yes, may I ask why you smell so horridly bad?" asked a white stallion. "You smell like a pile of timberwolf droppings." Other nobles around him laughed. Ah Puch had his head turned away at the time, but he turned it around swiftly and gave him a piercing stare with his eyes.
"Who are you?" he asked, exaggerating his voice.
"I am Prince Blueblood you simpleton," he said. Ah Puch decided to have fun with this certain pony. He raised his had and Blueblood levitated off the ground and spun in circles in midair. Ah Puch cackled in glee as he yelled at him to let him go.
"L-let me go y-you wretch!" Twilight walked up to him and gave him a stern look. He thought he had overstepped his bounds. Her face broke out in a laugh and the other ponies gathered around to watch Blueblood's plight.
"That's what you get you scoundrel," said Rarity. After the feast, the ponies and Ah Puch were walking out of the castle, bellies full and spirits high.
"That was amazing," said Rainbow Dash.
"You said it, Princess Celestia even made those huge cakes just for me!" exclaimed Pinkie. They were almost out the door before a panting guardspony ran up the stairs behind them that led to the dungeons.
"THE PRISONER HAS ESCAPED! SOUND THE ALARM! PRISON ES-" he stopped as he saw the group and run up to them.
"What happened?" asked Twilight.
"The p-prisoner. H-he broke out. He chewed the bars off the cell and ate Flame Rush whole. H-he left me though."
"Why?" she asked.
"H-he wanted t-to give y-you a message. He says t-that you fight well, b-but your f-friends are n-next," he said to Ah Puch. The pony ran off. The group departed on their train, thinking about Bakasura's vengeance.
"He won't even get out of Canterlot, they've got guards sweeping the city and surrounding areas," said Rainbow Dash.
"I just hope they don't get hurt. They're so brave, looking for that monster," said Futtershy.
"Well, we can concentrate on Bakasura later. We're out of Canterlot, and no doubt will the princess will call us back to deal with him.
As the ponies conversed on the train, they weren't able to hear the skittering of something in their cabin, or the sound of lips licking teeth in anticipation.
Will the ponies defeat Bakasura once and for all? Will Ah Puch give up his nefarious plans? Will Bakasura ever get full?
Find out in the next installment Gods of Equestria: Fuel For The Fire
