Shin Megami Tensei: Equestria

Chapter 5: Heroes and Villains

“We love you Daring Do!” The crowd cried out as the celebrity walked into the bookstore, a false smile plastered on her face. She sat down at the usual spot, a table set up near the end of the store so that the line could move inside. Inwardly Daring Do sighed as she took her position. As the pegasus started signing autographs she lamented about her current situation and job title, author and Ex-archeologist. A fan trotted up in a costume of her old nemesis Ahuitzotl, ah how she missed him, he had fallen into a volcano mouth at the end of her last adventure; one of the ones she hadn’t written yet. As she signed his book collection she reminisced on the adventures she had, the adrenaline pumping through her veins, the wind in her mane as she flew through jungles and temples and various other places. She even enjoyed the actual archeological parts as well to a certain extent; she was more a fan of avoiding death traps, but one cannot deny the impact that her findings have had on Equestria’s knowledge of their own history. She continued to sign books for the people of Los Pegasus until the pegasus on a megaphone told everyone to leave momentarily as it was Daring’s lunch break, and after she was finished she’d start signing again.

Daring unraveled the simple sandwich and started eating it. She really did miss adventuring, however the publishing company didn’t want her out there adventuring when she was, in their words, ‘older.’ She was only 35 for Celestia’s sake; she could still raid a temple or a tomb. However she settled instead into a celebrity lifestyle, guaranteed paycheck, adoring fans, smaller chance of death, it was consistent, it was normal. Daring nearly choked on the words in her head, normal. She was just a normal mare now, almost nothing like the adventurous no-nonsense adventurer that used to be, the one that fillies and colts around Equestria worshipped through her novels. She sighed as she went back to the sandwich, readying herself for another barrage of fans that would be coming through the doors in a few minutes. A scream pierced the air causing Daring to perk up.

“Help!”

Daring Do rushed outside tossing her sandwich aside and ignoring the protests of her publisher, something was happening, something that may require Daring Do, the old adventurous Daring Do.

When Daring exited the bookstore she looked to her right and saw something standing in a café. The creature appeared as that of a leopard standing on its hind legs and adorned with a pair of large cannons on its back and spiked gauntlets on its claws. The creature was standing over a small orange filly with small wings that also seemed to have a monster at her side, a winged goat but with a strange looking body.

“None can defeat the mighty Flauros,” announced the standing demon, he pointed at the other demon “Not even you Baphomet,” he pulled back and punched the demon with his spiked gauntlet. With that the creature disappeared and seemed to fade into the filly’s hoof. “Now for the little Tamer” he reared back another punch as Daring rushed in.

As Flauros readied another blow Daring swooped in ducking in front of him and kicking hard in his abdomen with her back hooves causing Flauros to stumble backwards. Daring took her signature hat and placed it on the small orange filly’s head “Hold this for a sec would you” as she darted off to the side to avoid another blow by Flauros.

Daring stood face to face with the creature as it snarled at her “You believe you can fight a demon by yourself, little pony.”

Daring rushed towards him “You really like to hear yourself talk huh” just as she reached in front of him she flopped on her belly sliding under the demon with her previous momentum before straightening up and bucking him again in the back, causing him to stumble forward and fall over.

Flauros righted himself as his opponent rushed him again leaping over his still prone form to kick his face. Flauros shot upright but managed to stay upright and a harsh red glow began to surround the cannons on his back. He watched as Daring began circling him staring intently at him with raspberry red eyes. She darted off to the left side, Flauros leapt ninety degrees to the left and lands on all fours and lets loose a blast from his cannon. Daring notices this and leaps on top of a table of the small café and leaps again as the blast of fire hits and blows the tables and chairs sky high also shattering the windows of the establishment. Daring looked from side to side trying to find something, anything that she could use to turn the tables of the fight in progress, there was the café that Flauros just attacked, the bookstore she just left, a massage spa to her south west, and a fruit cart to the north. Daring stood in place waiting for Flauros’ follow up attack. Sure enough the creature lunged at her growling through the air as Daring leapt out of the way and started dashing for the fruit cart. Flauros readied another blast in its cannon and took aim at the sandy brown pegasus who rushed forward and bucked the cart and took aim with a cantaloupe as her ammunition she waited, one, two, and bucked it hard sending it hurtling towards one of Flauros’ cannons.

The fruit made contact with the cannon and sunk itself inward lodging itself in the cannon to the point only an inch or so of the large fruit was visible. Flauros let another blast loose this time causing two things to happen; the unclogged cannon shot out straight at the fruit stand blowing it up and sending his opponent flying; the other cannon backfired and blew fire and metal out of Flauros’ back causing him to screech in pain and collapse to the ground. Daring pushed herself up off of the ground and surveyed the destruction around her. The fruit cart was completely totaled as was all the merchandise that once adorned it; the café windows were shattered and the outer area was mostly destroyed but the inside seemed to be alright, but most importantly the demon she had been fighting lay on the ground howling and screeching in agony at its blown out backside. The ponies cheered as Daring Do simply slumped back down, while she Wasn’t too ‘old’ to be an adventurer or a fighter, she was terribly out of practice.

“Hey he’s getting away.” One pony yelled as the creature did in fact try to get up and start moving.

“Hey!” Daring righted herself and after a few shaky steps she started after the demon, he then stopped and lied on his back with his paws clasped in front of her.

“Please don’t kill me, Please.” Daring looked at him with caution, while she wasn’t a killer this thing had been planning on killing a little filly and had almost killed several others in its wake. “I know, I’ll contract with you, yes I’ll be your guardian demon, I’ll be helpful once I’m healed promise.”

The demon kept rattling off apologies and promises until Daring shushed him “What do you mean contract?”

Flauros stopped his sniveling and composed himself. “What I mean is that I’ll be your servant like the demon that serves that young pony” he pointed to the small filly still wearing Daring’s hat and still lying on the ground near the café, “I’ll serve you and help you fight your battles, there are few demons in the demon realm that are as loyal and trustworthy as me!”

Daring could barely hear that last groaning lie though as she leaned in to ask “What is this about a ‘Demon Realm’.”

The mysterious mare watched silently over the bustling metropolis of Manehatten with her demon Satan at her side. She looked at a small jewel case that lay next to her on the building she sat upon and opened it. Inside there were slots for four jewels however inside there were only one.

“The horsemen” her companion stated in a low grave tone.

“Yes, I already gave Famine, Pestilence, and Death to a few ponies in order to sow a little more chaos and disorder amongst Celestia’s subjects.” She looked at the red jewel that still sat inside the box, on it was the symbol of a pentagram, and inside it a misty presence swirled waiting to be let out into the world. She looked down towards the city streets were a unicorn stallion was running; the stallion’s coat was white as snow and his blonde mane waved behind him as he ran. “Perfect” the mare got up and grabbed the stone with her magic.

A dragon’s head blocked her path its red eyes staring at her intently “Are thou sure, he seems, cowardly.”

The mare cleared her throat and explained “He’s perfect; he’s the kind of pony who expects everything on a royal platter but only barely has the power for it, when he receives war he’ll be easy to manipulate into thinking he’s better then everypony else and deserves more than he has."

Blueblood ran through the streets of Manehatten as fast as he could as several monsters ran after him. The monsters were red skinned and wielded large clubs and had two horns on either side of their heads. Blueblood continued running until a mare in a large cloak that covered her entirely stood in his way. “Move peasant!” he cried out but the mare simply flipped back her hood back revealing her features to the prince. She had a dark violet coat and a long flowing blood red mane and also a large sharp horn. She began charging a magic spell and still refused to move out of the prince’s way! He continued to run hoping he could charge through her, however she simply caught him in a levitation field. “Let me go peasant there are monsters chasing me!” he shouted at the mare that seemed to ignore his pleadings.

“Do you wish for the power to destroy them?” she asked in a syrupy voice. Blueblood looked quizzically at the mare that seemed to have lost her mind, they were monsters! Something that seemed to jump out of a filly’s bedtime story and were chasing him through Manehatten! “I could give you power, so that none such as they could stand against you.” A grin crossed her face as, without putting him down first, she levitated a small stone out in front of him.

“What’s the catch?" Blueblood asked tentatively, "what do I have to give you for this power?”

She smiled brighter “You must simply use it.” She pressed the stone against his hoof and it glowed softly before he heard a voice echo in his head.

“Hello ‘master’ I am the Red Rider, horseman of War.” A creature appeared before blueblood, a creature even more monstrous than the demons chasing him. The creature was a skeleton, a skeleton wrapped in a red cloak and wielding a large sword, the size of Blueblood at least in his bony hand. He also seemed to be riding on a very large pony with an elongated snout and covered in red armor. The pony he rode on whinnied as the creature dove into battle with the demons that had been chasing Blueblood. Now that he could stop to look he could see that there were twelve of the red-skinned monsters approaching him that the Red Rider began to attack, the odds weren’t in his favor even if he did have a big sword. The Rider rose his blade into the air and a red glow began to encircle it, as he brought the sword down a red wave of heat burst forward from it and sliced through all of the demons, cutting them in two down the middle. His captor and savior finally dropped blueblood as she began to trot away.

“Wait!" Blueblood cried, "what do I do now?”

She didn’t even look back as she said “Use his power; for what is up to you,” as she teleported away to continue to watch and wait for the time of her war to begin.

Rainbow Dash flew as fast as she could in the clouds above Los Pegasus. She had been in Cloudsdale for the past few days auditioning for the Wonderbolts but she had boarded the first train to Los Pegasus as soon as she could. Daring Do, her second idol (nothing beats the Wonderbolts), was signing books in Los Pegasus; there was no way that she would miss this. She spotted the bookstore from the clouds above and dashed downwards towards the entrance, nopony was there and she could be first in line! She barreled through the door and just barely managed to stop herself in front of the table at the back where Daring would be signing books. Its at this point that Rainbow stopped to look around and realize that Daring Do and her publisher weren’t the only ponies in the room, nor were there only ponies in the room. A strange Leopard looking creature and a winged goat bookended the table one sitting next to Daring and the other… “Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo jumped up from her seat as she pointed to Rainbow, who was still in shock. “See Rainbow Dash is the fastest flyer in all of Equestria, and she’s a huge fan of yours Daring Do!”

“Scootaloo, what are you doing in Los Pegasus? Do your parents know you’re here?” Rainbow tried to sound stern but could barely contain the squeal forming from being in the presence, of the real, live, in the flesh.

Daring Do! Daring looked over at Rainbow Dash, “So you know this filly?”

Rainbow looked back and gulped back her squeal, “Uh… Yeah, I’m a friend of hers…”

“She’s my idol, I want to be just like Rainbow Dash!” Scoots answered.

Rainbow smiled a little at the praise and attention, “If my mistress believes thee to be good then I believe this as well, I am Baphomet,” the winged goat reached a hand out for Rainbow Dash to shake, which she tentatively returned.

“So Flauros you were telling me about the Demon World!” Daring quickly changed the subject away from the domestic child worship and back to the interesting part.

“Of course mistress!” Flauros cleared his throat for effect, “The demon world is a kind of clone world to your own that had been sealed away many years ago by Princess Celestia.” He growled at the mention of her name, “She sealed all the entrances to the demon world, only recently were portals opened to allow some of us through.”

“So ponies can enter the Demon Realm now!” Daring was nearly jumping out of her seat at this point, a whole new world to explore, one that ponies hadn’t been near in centuries or even millennia!

“Unfortunately no; the portals only allow demons through, since Celestia’s magic still pervades the land.” Daring slumped back in her chair, defeated. “However,” Daring looked up, “with all the portals opening the Shin Megami Tensei must be beginning anew, that is how your princess received her immortality and boundless power to begin with, if mistress were to defeat her then you could gain the power to reopen the portals yourself.”

Daring put a hoof to her chin, it sounded to good to be true, as much as she dreaded having to fight the Princess of the Sun a good adventure such as this would get her back in shape to explore this demon realm. Whatever shiny priceless artifacts this world possessed they belonged in a pony museum. “Ahh” a cry from outside shook Daring Do from her pondering as she rushed out to see what was happening; again.

Once Daring Do, and Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, had gotten outside they noticed a pony in the middle of the road surrounded by runic writing and symbols that matched the symbols on Scootaloo’s hoof. “The same symbols.” Daring pondered as she looked between the strange pony casting magic and Scootaloo.

“Oh yeah these things," Scootaloo said nonchalantly, "they're like a container for demons.” She smiled proudly, she gasped and looked over to Rainbow Dash, “Hey Rainbow you want to know how I got Baphomet!”

“Uh… sure squirt just…”

“OK so I was walking through the Everfree Forest with my previous demon Pyro Jack!”

Scootaloo and Pyro Jack wondered through the Everfree forest, she and Applebloom had decided to split up and meet back at the clubhouse tomorrow so they could cover more ground in the search for Sweetie Bell. She and Pyro came across a group of the monsters that had attacked Applebloom earlier, called Kobolds. Pyro fought them back as well as he could but was eventually defeated and called out “Help lord of fire, save my Tamer.” As the Kobolds finished him off the symbols on Scootaloo changed to read Vile Baphomet. Then Baphomet appeared and summoned a wave of fire and killed all of the Kobolds. Then she just kept walking and talking with Baphomet not realizing that she had reached Los Pegasus.

Scootaloo held her head proud after she finished telling the story, as if she was proud of getting profoundly lost and somehow finishing a several daylong trek in an afternoon. “Well maybe he can help now.” Daring pointed towards the mass of red-skinned demons walking towards them.

“Oni," Flauros muttered, "if I wasn’t so beat up I could kill em’ all in a heartbeat,” Flauros puffed out his chest and beat against it like an ape.

“Um," Scootaloo piped in, "Baphomet can’t fight, he’s still beat up from the fight with Flauros.” Daring shot Flauros a look, as Rainbow walked back and flexed her wings.

“My turn then.” Rainbow shot out like cannon and smacked straight into one of the Oni. The Oni was sent flying by Rainbow’s headbutt and crashed into the pony that stood in the circle of runes. The Oni got up and started after the civilians in the area as the pony in the circle of runes summoned two demons, which looked to be made of paper. “Shika-Ouji, kill that Pegasus!” The two paper demons started after Rainbow as one began blowing fire from its mouth. Daring rushed towards the Oni and began attacking herself since her new demon acquaintance couldn’t help.

“Why were you so interested in the Demon World master?” Daring looked over to see that Flauros was standing there and holding back one of the Oni.

“I was just thinking of all the great adventures that I could have in your world, or anypony could for that matter!” She bucked an Oni in the abdomen causing it to stumble backwards and get smashed by one of its brethren. “The tombs and temples, the death traps, the thrills! Who wouldn’t want to experience that!”

Flauros nodded as he punched another Oni into oblivion, “then contract with me.” Daring looked over and saw that the summoner was well in hand as apparently this Rainbow Dash had summoned a demon of her own, a large man with grey armor and grey hair wielding a large spear. Daring looked back to her own predicament and kicked another of the Oni.

“Alright then," Daring conceded, "but no hurting ponies,” she scolded at Flauros.

“As thou wishes Master.” Flauros fought off another Oni as a mark appeared on Daring Do’s hoof marking her as another leader in the Shin Megami Tensei.

Applebloom had been walking through the Everfree forest for a while now ever since she and Scootaloo had split up she had felt like somepony, or something, was following her. However she persevered and continued forward as finding Sweetie Bell was more important than feeling mildly put off by the Everfree forest. “This friend of yours is very important?” a voice called out, Applebloom stopped and looked around for the voice but found nothing there.

“Who’s there?” she called out.

“I am called Black Frost,” the voice responded.

“Oh boy are you a demon, so I can have my own demon contract just like Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo!” The little filly hopped up and down in place in the middle of the forest.

The demon giggled at the display. “Perhaps, I am very strong young filly, it takes one of great power to wield my strength.”

Applebloom continued to hop in place, “I’m strong, I’m strong enough honest!” The demon continued to giggle at the filly and her antics as he materialized in front of her. Black Frost looked very much like Sweetie Bell’s Jack Frost however a lot bigger. Also where Jack Frost was white like snow Black Frost was well Black. The creature assumed a fighting stance when he saw somepony else arrive in the clearing.

Trixie had been wandering, testing her demons might against the various creatures that took up residence in the Everfree forest. However she heard the sounds of another pony and went to investigate. When she came across the small yellow filly that was playing in the forest she saw the demon that was with her. ‘Does every blasted filly in Ponyville have a demon now?’ she walked forward and summoned Forneus to the spot. “Young filly you are now challenged by the Great and Powerful Trixie to a duel between demons.” She raised her fore hoofs in the air seemingly forgetting that she didn’t have her fireworks with her. The large snowman stood beside the yellow filly and readied himself.

Forneus rushed forward at the large snowman and fired a large chunk of ice from its mouth towards Black Frost. The chunk simply bounced off of the large snowman that then punched Forneus in the snout knocking him back. “What is your Reason miss Tamer, what purpose does attacking me serve?”

Trixie raised her head up high “To prove that the great and powerful Trixie is the best, I wish to create a world where the strong are served and no one tries to take advantage of them, because they Fear them.” As the battle continued Applebloom sat back and thought on Trixie’s words, how many times had ponies tried to take advantage of her family because they were weaker than them? The Apple’s were a respected farmer family they provided a considerable amount of the food for ponies all across Equestria. Her thoughts drifted to Diamond Tiara who constantly made fun of her and her friends; did she do that because she was scared of Applebloom? Should she be afraid? Applebloom would eventually inherit her family’s farm and thus the crops that were used to feed Diamond Tiara and her family. So she should be afraid; Applebloom could just refuse to give food to her, Applebloom had the power, not Diamond Tiara.

Applebloom’s thoughts drifted further to the brothers Flim and Flam. They had tried to take advantage of the Apple’s as well and had tried to run them out of town! In Trixie’s world that wouldn’t have happened, that couldn’t have happened!

“Stop!” Applebloom called out.

Black Frost backed off and Forneus did the same. “What is it child?” Trixie responded in an annoyed tone.

“I want to join you,” Applebloom responded.

Trixie could barely believe what she was hearing “huh?”

“Well, I’m a member of the Apple family," Applebloom explained, "we make a lot of the food that everypony eats to stay healthy and survive.” Trixie listened to the child’s story “But ponies keep trying to take advantage of us, they try to hurt us and take what’s ours from us, but in your world, in the world you want to create, that couldn’t happen because since we make so much of the food for the ponies of Equestria we’re some of the strongest out there, ponies couldn’t live without us!” Trixie called Forneus back to the containment spell and noticed that his health was low; the child could have defeated Trixie in a few moments. “Alright, if you wish to aid the Great and Powerful Trixie’s conquest of Equestria then come along.” Black frost finished the contract with Applebloom and she trotted up to Trixie’s side.

“Alrighty then lets go!” The two set off back towards Ponyville.

Pinkie Pie was dreaming about a place made of cotton candy where she and her friends were having a tea party when she was awoken by the smell of smoke. She pulled herself out of bed and sniffed to try and locate the source of the smell, only to notice that it was all around her. She opened her eyes and noticed that her house was on fire.

“Mistress!” Narly floated to her side and picked her up in its claws floating outside placing her down. A large lyre broke through part of the house and next to it was Octavia carrying the limp body of Quartz on her back.

“Narly, help my family.”

“I’ve got them Pinkie.” Octavia ran over and Pinkie noticed that on Orpheus’ back were her mother and father also lying limp on their sides. “What happened…?”

Octavia’s question was drowned out by the sound of a fireball hitting the house and causing it to explode in a fiery cloud. “Tamer’s are here huh, well I guess that changes things.”

Pinkie looked up to see a large dragon seemingly made of metal hovering overhead with a Pegasus riding on its back. A dull orange glow surrounded the creature’s mouth signaling that it was the one who destroyed their home. Narly jumped up into the air and began attacking the creature stretching one of its claws outwards and smashing the dragon in the side. Pinkie tended to her family as her sister laid them out on the ground.

Nyarlathotep’s attack knocked the dragon off balance and the Pegasus that was on it’s back jumped off, “The only way to really kill a demon that has performed a contract is to kill the tamer,” Orpheus mentally communicated with Octavia.

Octavia didn’t miss a beat, “Orpheus attack the tamer.” Orpheus summoned fire from his hands and shot it at the dazed tamer who simply dodged out of the way.

“Please that was nothing,” the Pegasus began circling around and around and seemed to create copies of herself with each rotation. She shot downwards and bashed into Orpheus who was blasted back with the force of the hit. Nyarlathotep was still busy beating the dragon to death and so the tamer went back to join her comrade.

Pinkie Pie wasn’t paying attention; all she could see in front of her were the bodies of her family, her dead family. She pushed and prodded, she administered every form of first aid she knew but it was no use, her mom, her dad, and her youngest sister Quartz, a filly of only ten years old, they were dead.

Nyarlathotep floated down next to his master “The tamer has fled, she had a strong demon but didn’t know how to use it, she seems to be heading towards Canterlot.”

“They’re dead.” Pinkie’s mane lost its natural luster and flattened against her. Octavia ran over to her sister with Orpheus back in her containment spell and a soft red glow coming from it. Octavia began to cry as she wrapped her hooves around her sister.

Nyarlathotep piped in, “It doesn’t have to be this way.” Pinkie raised her head, “You could fight and defeat Celestia and become the new ruler of Equestria, create a land without death, a world of eternal chaos.”

Octavia backed off and fumed. “Leave her be, death isn’t something that you can just casually fix…”

“Of Course” Octavia looked over to her sister and saw that the poof was back in her mane. “Yes Narly I can create a world of chaos, of laughter, where nopony is sad because they’re always laughing and smiling.” As the symbol of the praetor surrounded Pinkie Pie Octavia looked back at her smoldering home, at the very least that Pegasus needed to be taught a lesson.