Wrath of My Righteous Little Ponies

The sky was no longer blue. Fire and smoke had scarred it red and black for as far as the eye could see. It was a far greater testament to the destruction the demons had brought upon the city then the fissures rended into the ground, or the deep gouged pathways the quarry eels had left in their wake. It was greater testament even then the loss of the Kite and the Cathedral of St. Clydesdale from the skyline where just that morning they could have been seen from anywhere in the city.

The roars of the demons mingled with the cries of ponies in the distance provided ample proof that the attack was still underway. It pained Green Garden to no end that every time they grew close to that sound they had to turn away and take another route. She couldn’t help it though, her squad was small, just four stallions and herself. The stallions were all green too. Caramel and Thunderlane were new recruits while Noteworthy and Hooves were parchment pushers with zero combat experience. But they were all that volunteered to leave the safety of the Defender's Heart and fallow Greenery to her home in the slim hope that Gold would be there.

Greenery’s cat-like yellow eyes traced over a nearby ruined building while her slightly frilled ears turned this way and that searching for a sign of danger or survivors. It was so odd to see such ruined structures standing almost right next to untouched ones the demons had passed by in their attack. She sighed and ran an armored hoof over her green coated face and down her pitch black mane. She wished, not for the first time, that Gold was at her side. The unicorn’s keen ears and eyes were far better than Greenery’s battle blunted ones. If Gold were there they’d be searching for ponies to save instead of rushing through the city to a most likely empty house, if it was even still there.

“You all right there Captain?” Noteworthy’s question snapped Greenery out of her despair. She cleared her throat and stood up a little straighter forcing her to look down at the shorter paladin. Greenery had an imposing figure, with her piercing cat’s eyes and the stubby tusks the poked up from her bottom lip, marking the draconic blood in her veins, and her incredible size. Most became frightened when her gaze turned upon them. Noteworthy, however, had known Greenery for years, they had gone through basic training together, so he easily saw past her imposing vestige to the worry beneath.

“Aww come on now Noteworthy,” Hooves playful scoffed sauntering up to the unicorn. His ever present smile still clinging to his lips even in this bleak place that had once been his vibrant home a few short hours ago. The rumors of the brown earth pony’s madness had certainly grown since the attack. “The captain’s tough as they come nothing’s gonna get to us with her around.”

Greenery narrowed her eyes at the stallion. Normally she would have never agreed to take the eccentric pony along, he refused to even carry a weapon, though a solid slam of a shooed hoof was almost as good as any weapon. He was, however, a trained medic and even with the healing magic granted to a paladin of her faith, his expertise was sorely needed.

“I-I hope your right,” Caramel mutter past the sword clenched in his mouth. He’d refused to sheath the blade since leaving the Defender's Heart and had remained close at Greenery’s side during the whole trek. He felt much less intimidated by her while close at her side and it meant she couldn’t easily fix her naturally intimidating eyes on him easily.

No one had expected Caramel of all ponies to volunteer for a mission into the warring ruins of Manehattan, but Caramel had always been eager to do anything to please Greenery. His admiration of her was no secret and he undoubtedly seen this as his one chance to prove himself to her. That made him the bravest of them in one way, but also the most foolish.

“Everything still looks clear ma’am,” Thunderlane voice cut into their conversation as the black pegasus dropped from the sky with a salute to Greenery. His sudden appearance startling Caramel so badly the tan earth pony nearly dropped his sword, again.

“Then we should keep moving.” Greenery answered with a nod to Thunderlane and began marching forward. Thunderlane was a good soldier, the other three might have talents that made them assets to the crusade, but only Thunderlane was holding his fear in check and followed orders as simply and quickly as he was given them.

Greenery found her thoughts turning back to Gold again and a wave a grief washed over her as the odd certainty that she was dead tried to root itself in her mind. She banished the thought as quickly as it came to her mind. She had faith that Gold was still alive and knew the clever unicorn would survive.

“Should we really keep going? I’m sorry to say I don’t know if we can do any good out here.” The words startled Greenery as if they had been a slap to the face. Not because of what was said exactly, it was something that probably all of them had thought more than once in their trek through the demon infested city. What startled her was who said it.

Greenery turned back and there standing several feet behind them, the only one not to move, was Hooves. The corners of his mouth were dipped down making his face looked almost alien without its signature smile.

Remembering the stray thought that had entered her own mind Greenery looked down at the other stallions. In their eyes she could see their nervousness, and fear in Caramel’s case, was now paired with a look of deep sadness.

Seeing everyone staring at him seemed to snap the stallion out of his stupor. Hooves shook his head, tried to force the smile back onto his face, but it still came across as sad, and stood to trot towards them. “Sorry everyone, I don’t know what got into me.”

“It’s called despair.” The voice seemed to hiss into each of their ears causing Noteworthy and Thunderlane to shudder while Caramel quivered at Greenery’s side.

Hooves looked back curious rather than scared, but all he saw was the black hoof swinging at his face. It connected with a wet sickening crack causing Hooves’ head to snap back the other way spraying blood and broken teeth across the cobblestones of the street. The skin on the side of his muzzle that had been hit was split open like a second grotesque red mouth. Hooves hit the ground with a jerking twitch before laying still.

The others’ eyes fell upon the figure that had struck their companion. It was a pitch black pony with red bat wings and a matching set of horns that jutted up over each of his glowing red eyes. A sinister smile was spread across his muzzle showing of a mouth full pink stained fangs. Rather than a pony’s tail he had a long red hairless one.

“An incubus,” Greenery gasped in fear and surprised that was uncharacteristic for her. However, while an incubus was no greater demon, it could very well slaughter a group such as theirs with little trouble. She didn’t let fear stop her and without hesitation charged at the demon.

“Thunderlane get back to the Defender's Heart!” She barked at the pegasus and reached down to draw her own sword with her mouth. Noteworthy gave a cry and followed his captain’s lead grasping his short spear in his blue magic. Caramel hesitated for a second as Thunderlane took to the air, but followed suit as well giving a cry that was more a pathetic mule them a proper battle cry.

“Iomedae lend me your might!” Greenery called out as she swung at the demon. The incubus hissed in anger and jumped back but he couldn’t avoid the blade’s edge and it cut across his chest.

Landing the demon reached up to touch the cut across his chest as it oozed a black ichor that could only be confused for blood at a distance. Distracted by his wound his didn’t even notice Noteworthy until the unicorn’s spear was buried deep in its chest causing the incubus to gasp.

The apparent victory was short lived however, as the demon began to laugh. Reaching up the incubus took hold of the spear and yanked it from its body. The wound the spear had left rapidly healing shut, though Greenery’s cut linger. The mare now gave off a faint golden glow of holy magic bestowed on her by her goddess to smite the vile demon.

Caramel, eyes shut in terror, somehow managed to complete his charge and swing at the demon, but the incubus just caught the blade with his free hoof and pushed the earth pony back as Noteworthy’s magic tore the shortspear from its grasp.

“Excuse me for a moment,” The demon hissed with a chuckle, took a step back and in a flash of dark magic was gone.

A cry from above caused the three ground locked ponies to look up and see Thunderlane’s form falling from the sky the incubus hovering above him. A dent on the pegasus’ helmet told them the demon as brought his deadly hooves down upon Thunderlane’s head. The helm had protected the pegasus life from the demon’s deadly blow but it had knocked him out cold. His companions could do nothing as Thunderlane’s limp form crashed into the ground with a sickening crack.

“Damn him,” Greenery cursed grabbing the heavy crossbow slung over her back. Her hooves quickly pumping the crank drawing the string back until it was hooked over the catch, but this was slow work even in her strong hooves.

“Incoming,” Noteworthy cried just as she loaded the heavy bolt onto the weapon. She looked up to see the incubus barreling down on her. She was only able to level weapon before his wicked hoof slammed into her shoulder. Even with the divine protection the smite she had called upon the demon provided her, Greenery was knocked off balance and the weapon flew from her hooves. It was a miracle that it didn’t go off when it hit the ground and shoot one of them.

Regaining her footing Greenery instead slashed at the incubus with the sword still clutched in her mouth. It cut another line across his black body that resisted his rapid healing, this time down the right side of his neck. He just moaned at the wound, as if in pleasure, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in delight. “We are going to find out so much about pain together my dear.” He hiss the promise to Greenery as if it were a sweet nothing whispered to a lover.

Noteworthy’s spear sank into the demon side this time, but once more the demon seemed unhurt by the attack. Instead his cold hollow red eyes fell upon the paladin and he hissed again, “But first we need to get rid of your chaperons.” Even as he spoke his black hooves grasped Noteworthy’s muzzle and the back of his helmet. With the last word the incubus snapped his hooves different directions twisting Noteworthy’s head around. There was a crunching snap then the incubus let go of Noteworthy who collapsed dead on the spot.

“No… Bastard!” Greenery cried, blinking away her tears. Her cat’s eyes narrowed to slits and she slashed at him again this time cutting a line across his back. It only served to give him more pleasure as he calmly yanked the dead unicorn’s spear out of his side and dropped it to the ground.

Caramel stood frozen with fear watching the demon accept the Captain’s attack. The earth pony’s chest heaved with breath, his wide terror filled eyes trapped looking at the demon. He vaguely heard Greenery tell him to retreat, but her voice was lost in the haze of his mind as the demon turned his red eyes on the young soldier.

Suddenly a voice spoke out in his mind, a voice that was his own, but didn’t sound right. “You should protect your Captain,” It cooed to him gently. Caramel nodded dumbly to himself, the voice was right he should be protecting his Captain. That was his job, to protect her so she could protect everyone.

“Captain Green run! I’ll hold him,” Caramel shouted suddenly rushed between Greenery and the demon spoiling his captain’s charge. Greenery cried out in protest and was forced to slid to a stop less she overrun and trampled the smaller pony.

Caramel swung out at the demon who smiled and easily sidestepped the clumsy attack. Then smashed his right hoof across the young soldier’s face with a little less force then he’s employed against Hooves. It was still more than enough to knock the sword from Caramel’s mouth and the pony to the ground. The terror that had paralyzed him before returned as he looked up at the demon, blood oozing from his broken mouth. He realized that it had been the demon’s voice in his head spurring him on to attack, for his own cruel fun. The knowledge did nothing to save him as the demon’s hoof came down on Caramel’s throat crushing it like a tin pipe.

Seeing the last of her squad fall Greenery gave a most unpony-like roared which was met by the demon’s cold laugh. She charged wildly at him, her only thought to destroy him. Suddenly there was an aching pain in her chest and her breath was stolen away.

Greenery’s sword slipped from her mouth and clattered to the ground as the pain spread from her chest to the rest of her body weakening her. She staggered back a few steps on uncertain legs trying to stay on her hooves, but it was useless and she collapsed to her side. Greenery looked up to see the incubus standing over her, his hoof radiating a sickly dark magic.

The demon fell upon Greenery rolling her onto her back humming in delight as he nuzzled his face against hers and drew his tongue along her muzzle. “You are such a prize. You’ve probably been rutted before, even paladins need practice mares right? Well you haven’t really been rutted until been rutted by a demon.”

His twin horn began to glow with a dark aura and Greenery felt his magic begin to tug at the buckles and clasps of her armor. He leaned up and whispered into her frilled ear. “Rutting and pain, that’s going to be your life from now on my lovely little paladin, nothing but rutting and pain until I let you die.”