War stories - Season 2 - To hell and back

Rainbow's eyes slowly opened, around her was only darkness. No matter where she looked it was dark, she also after a couple of seconds noticed she was levitating in place, she looked at her wings or ratter her one wing, it was closed and even it where open she couldn't fly... not  with one wing. So how is she flying then?

"Hello Rainbow Dash." A familiar voice said, Rainbow looked around, suddenly she fell on a cold hard stone ground with a thud. She then saw the creature to who the voice belonged

"Discord?" She asked the draconequus nodded "What are you doing her?" She added

"Say your thanks to Fluttershy and the others they... persuaded me to help you. Because sun and moon butt can't come here." He replied

"Gee and here I thought you actually cared about me..." She joked

"Well I can go if you want." the draconequus looked at her with a straight face as he said it

"Hey sorry, no offense. It just... didn't expect to see you of all ponies. I mean we weren't really on good terms when I left." Rainbow said

"Yeah... but we still are friends, and I won't leave a friend behind if I can help." Discord answered

"Don't get all sappy on me... thanks though..." Rainbow replied, the end far more quiet. Discord was just able to make it out, and a small smile crossed his face

"Okay now, you are probably asking yourself where you are." Discord proclaimed as he saw Rainbow giving a shrug he continued

"You are in tireks realm, also known as hell. He tends to-"

"I don't need lecture, just give me the short version." Rainbow cut off, Discord crossed his arms and huffed

"Fine. You're in hell... but not completely the others got you stable and alive on the other side." He explained

"Okay, now what do I do? Just wait until I die or what... because neither waiting nor dying is my style." Rainbow replied, Discord shock his head

"There is something called the 'challenge'. Only very few are given the chance to take it. If you pass you'll get back to equin... for a price." He explained

"Which kind of price?" Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow

"Well... there are different things said, but the most often used is that you'll never be the same... physically and mentally... then again almost none made it even through half the challenge, and even less completely through." He answered

"How do you know so much about this?" She asked

"Hello! God of chaos! sorry... REFORMED god of chaos!" A sort pause was made and he then sighed "That and I... Wen't through it too." He added quietly

Rainbow's eyes widened. Discord... was in hell and one of the very few to come through?... it sounded fishy to say the least, but he had no reason to lie. Rainbow would've believed already by the God of Chaos answer

"So you already wen't through this?" She asked, Discord nodded "Then you can tell me what happens and I can get myself ready!" She exclaimed with joy. Discord wasn't joyful at all, there was pain written all over his face

"You are sure you wan't to hear what you have to do? What you did in the war is nothing compared to it." He replied, Rainbow nodded although now looking a bit worried

"Fine, you... you have to kill your friends..." He replied, Rainbow recoiled, surely he was joking "Well... not REALLY your friends... but the guardians are very cruel down here. They... they will transform into the most loved ponies or dragon or whatever, and either you kill them or they'll kill you and take your soul." He added

"Who was it for you?" Rainbow asked seeing the pain and... was it regret? painted on his face

"I... I uh... I don't wan't to talk about it... at least not right now... maybe... maybe when you get through the challenge I'll tell you." He answered, Rainbow nodded in understatement, the most loved ponies...

"Wait... most loved right?" She asked, Discord nodded

"My parents... my friends..." She said quietly, Discord nodded

"I can't kill my parents!" She exclaimed, Discord recoiled at the sudden outburst

"You have to or-"

"No you don't understand, I can't because they are already dead!" She cut off

"Don't forget, they aren't the real ones. They are gods who took the form of them. Always remember that

"Of course there is, it can never be easy can it?  Look death, we don't have much time, I-" Rainbow started only to be cut off

"Time has no meaning down here, we can send you back at the exact moment when you fell unconscious and that no matter how long you've been down here." Death answered

"What's the catch?" The mare asked

"You will never be the same."Death answered, Rainbow took a deep breath and thought for a few seconds

"Fine. What's the challenge?" She asked

"You have to defeat the guardians of the seven circles." He replied

"Who and where?" Rainbow asked

"The first one is: Twilight Sparkle. she is the judge and chooses in which circle ponies get send." Death answered

"What?! Twi is dead too?" Rainbow exclaimed, Death shook his head

"No, they will make it as hard as possible for the challenger, they will take forms you won't like to fight, the exception is Tartarus." Death answered

"I-I can 't fight my friends!" Rainbow shouted

"Remember the catch?" Death asked, Rainbow's eyes widened "Now be quiet and listen. Number two is Fluttershy, The guardian of the circle of Lust." Death continued "Number two is Pinkie Pie, guardian of the circle of Gluttony. Four is Rarity, guardian of the circle of greed. Number five is Applejack, the guardian of the circle Anger. Six is Your Grandpa: Quirk Fury, the guardian of Violence and lastly number six: Gilda, the guardian of treachery." Death instructed

"I... I can't... not against my friends... only pony I would fight without a problem would be my grandpa... but my friends?" Rainbow stammered

"Have I mentioned that you can save another pony from here?" Death asked, Rainbow looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He clopped his hoof together twice and suddenly behind Rainbow Dash

"Huh, wha? There the heck am I?" The voice asked as the pony looked around, Rainbow snapped her head to the source

"Big Mac!" She exclaimed as she launched at him and hugged him

"Hi Rainbow." The big stallion said surprised and hugged her back

"So what's it going to be? Will you fight your fake friends and potentially save yourself and Big Macintosh. Or will you back down and let both of you get send to hell, with no chance for escape, for eternity." Death asked, Big Macintosh could feel tears dropping on his shoulder and Rainbow broke the hug

"How can I fight them? The ones I'm most loyal to?!" Rainbow shouted

"Here, let me show you something." Death answered as he held out his hoof in sign for the two to grab it and so they did. Suddenly they stood in a hospital room, they could see themselves. They where surrounded by Twilight, Flutters, Pinkie, AJ, Rarity, Granny Smith and the crusaders, even Celestia and Luna stood in the room. They all looked sad

"T-they are going to be alright, right?" Scootaloo asked, Applejack moved a hoof around her and hugged her

"Of course they'll be okay." She said reassuring, she looked like she was about to break down and cry. Which was unusual for her since she cried on the inside, but it seems make the pain to big and everypony will break eventually. Who could blame her? She would not only lose a friend but also her brother

"So who is it going to be? The once your loyalty stands truly too, or some imposers who are the total opposite of them?" Death asked, Rainbow looked at the face of every single pony and took a deep breath to steady herself, she looked at Big Macintosh who nodded, then back at her friends and then to the dark pony

"Let's fuck them up!" She exclaimed, Death nodded and suddenly everything went black