A Demon's Deal

“Girls I finally found you!” cried Rainbowdash, flying quickly to the girls. “Thank god you not dead or brainwashed. I am so happy to see you girls.”

“Dash is that you!” Pinkie Pie and Twilight yelled out simultaneously as they both hugged the sky blue pegasus. “Were are we Dash?” Pinkie asked tilting her head to the side.

“You girls are in the middle of Everfree forest..... but why are you girls in the middle of the Everfree forest?” Dash asked with a face of disbelief. “I thought you hated this forest Pinkie, and Twilight its way to dangerous for someone like you here.”

“I do. This place is so unnatural, everything happens on its own.” Pinkie answered. “But me and Twilight have no idea how we got here or what happened to us.”

“Speaking of what happened to us, how long have we been gone?” Twilight asked.

“You guys were gone for the better side of a week, and a lot has changed. I can explain as we walk.” Dash turned around and started walking away. Pinkie propped up Twilight and they followed Dash. “You guys missed a lot. You were some of the first ponies to disappear and after that a lot ponies got scared and turned to the princess for help. The princess sent guards to 'find' theses lost ponies but more and more kept disappearing. After that the town was attacked by Discord and his antics caused widespread panic and destruction. Soon the ponies slowly migrated towards the castle to be closer to the princess and it seemed to work. Ponies stopped disappearing and all the ponies praised the princess for her protection. But then things took a turn for the worst. The ponies were all seemingly brainwashed and blindly followed every whim of the princess. The pegasus ponies soon stopped visiting the other ponies because they wanted to stay free. Almost nobody is left in Ponyville and it is starting to fall apart. The only ponies that stayed behind were the free spirited ponies and the ponies that were able to resist being taken away or brainwashed. The princess, no matter how unbelievable, called for war upon pegasus ponies after we stopped visiting. Luna was soon to follow her in this act and all the pegasus were chased away to Cloudsdale.” Dash grinned after the last statement. “That's were me and my resistance come into play. We are trying to overthrow the princesses and unbrainwash all the ponies affected by this spell that they are under.”

“But why would the princess do this?” Twilight asked with a face of complete disbelief. “This all seems... fake Rainbowdash! Is this some sick joke?”

“I wish it was a jo...”

“I don't think this is very funny!” Pinkie cut in on Dash, almost dropping Twilight. “I am going to my home in Ponyville.”

“ARE YOU CRAZY!” Dash yelled. “You will get killed! I doubt they can brainwash you so they will just kill you! Discord won't let you live if he catches you. He hates us especially for, you know, sealing him away a second time!” Dash stared into Pinkie's eyes. Pinkie's scarlet eyes were staring back at Dash followed by her expressionless face.

“You said there was others, so I am going home to 'help' them with 'Discord' and the 'evil princesses'.” Pinkie's hair quickly went strait as she visibly grew more and more angry. “So get the hell out of my way before I make you!” Pinkie yelled pushing her face into Dash's. Dash took a step back with a shocked look on her face. As Pinkie walked passed her with a definite purpose. “Idiots.” Pinkie whispered under her breath as she walked away from the other two toward pony-ville.

“W-what was... that?” Dash asked taken completely off guard by Pinkies unnatural spite.

“I... don't....know.....” Twilight slowly spoke. “Pinkie is... Pinkie. I don't normally understand her but that was especially strange.”

“Oh well. Here Twilight put these boots on. They allow you to walk on clouds.” Rainbow reached into her satchel she was carrying. “Take my hoof, we need to get to Cloudsdale ASAP” Twilight took Rainbow's open hoof and they bolted into the sky, off toward Cloudsdale wasting no time.

Pinkie had been walking for the better side of an hour and was about to arrive at her destination of Ponyville. It was late and the sky was as black as the shadows. Ponyville looked a severely run down from the last time Pinkie had been there. The building looked dirty and the plant life was getting out of hand. The houses were dark, as if the town were dead and slowly disintegrating into time. There was a hushed feeling to the entire area, in and around the town nothing seemed to make a sound.

Pinku mumbled to herself as she stared at the ground. “I don't think Pinkie wants to acknowledge my existence. She is trying to repress me. Trying to suffocate me within her mind like a bad memory.” Pinku smiled and spoke in a loud, confident tone, “You won't get rid of me that easily Pinkie, I am part of you weather you want to be or not!” Pinku looked up from the ground an noticed she was right at the entrance to Ponyville. She looked around and saw an ax in the stump of a tree. She walked over to it and pulled it out of the sad, rotting stump. She looked at the blade of the ax. 'Hmm, it could use to be sharper but I guess it will do for now'. She grabbed some nearby rope that was just laying around and tied it to her flank, making a makeshift holster for the ax. After sliding the ax into place, she looked into town scanning for any signs of life.

Pinku walked through town as if nothing changed. Pinku took no notice to voices in the distance and the destroyed town around her. She walked in the middle of the street and passed straight through the center of town. In no time she could see her home at Cakes bakery just a few feet in front of her. Pinku walked up to the door and reached out to open it. Right before her hoof made it to the handle the door swung open violently and slammed into Pinku's face, forcing her to the ground.

Two hooded ponies slowly sauntered out of the building. The both pulled out small daggers from holsters on their flank pointed them at Pinku's throat. Pinku tried to move but something was paralyzing her. Pinku's vision started to blur and she was helpless as the hooded ponies advanced on her. Pinku's watched as the ponies daggers were soon inches from her throat. Right when she thought all hope was lost she saw a shining figure behind the hooded ponies. The glowing savior grabbed on the hooded ponies heads and slammed them into each other knocking them both out.

Pinku cursed in her mind as she felt Pinkie take over their body once again. The pink ponies hair bounced to life and curled upon itself and her eyes became their usual light blue, happy selves.

“Are you all right there sugar cube?” the shining figure said in a southern droll, extending her hoof out to Pinkie.

“APPLEJACK!!” Pinkie screamed as she grabbed Applejack's extended hoof. She pulled herself up happily and squeezed the armored pony. “I cant believe your here! I thought you would have gone to Cloudsdale with Rainbow and Twilight. I am so happy to see you.”

“Y'all okay? Why were ya just walkin around makin all that noise?” Applejack asked Pinkie. “If y'all met Rainbow already then she shoulda told ya that it ain't safe here.”

“Yeah I know about it all. I remember Rainbow telling me all about it.” Pinkie said still smiling at the orange pony.

“Y'all crazy, ya know that Pinkie. Listen ah haven't got the slightest idea why you're here but ah know we gotta move. We ain't safe here.” Applejack grabbed Pinkie and ran into the bakery. She closed the door behind them walked over to the far wall. She hovered her hoof over a picture on the wall and threw the framed art to the ground. Where the picture had once been was a small switch embedded in the wall. Applejack pushed the switch but nothing seemed to happen. She grunted in frustration and cursed at it under her breath. After a few second of hesitation she forcefully slammed her hoof into the button, her armor making a ear shattering clang. A small section of the wall to the right of Applejack cracked and shattered to the ground like glass.

“Whoops, that wasn't suppose to happen. Sorry Pinkie ah will fix that for ya latter. Now lets get moving.” Applejack motioned for Pinkie to follow her as she walked into the newly made hole in the wall. “Now why were ya just walkin around like ya never been told whats going on?”

“I don't know... I guess I kinda forgot why.” Pinkie said trying to convince herself that she was just spacing out and Pinku was still some sort of dream.

“ Pinkie......” Applejack shook her head. “ Outta all the ponies in Ponyville ya got the shortest attention span.” After glancing over Pinkie to make sure she was okay Applejack decided not to press Pinkie. “Were did ya get the ax?” Applejack asked Pinkie pointing at the dull bladed ax hoping to change the subject and cheer up her friend. “If your gonna keep around these parts ya shoulda thought ahead and got some protection like this here armor.” Applejack flaunted her unbelievably shiny armor.

“WOW!” Pinkie seemed to not have taken much notice to the armor until now. “Were did you get that! Its so shiny even in here, and it looks really expensive. Did you loot it when the city was in chaos?” Pinkie asked with suspicious stare.

“What! NO! Pinkie ya know me better than to steal.” Applejack looked a little offended. “No I helped the castle blacksmith make two pairs of this here armor. This was the last of the two to be made, and everypony knows that a blacksmiths last piece is his best piece.” Applejack had a shaky smile and a tear rolled down her face. “Yep... his last piece....”

“Oh no!” Pinkie gasped with a horrified look. “The old man passed away?”

“Not exactly. Ya see he was... was”, Applejack clenched her teeth and slammed her hoof onto the ground, her armor clanking again, “he was murdered by.... by that damned Discord. He caused the old mans spirit to snap like a twig with his stupid games. Right in the middle of town he tortured him. The old man's body just couldn't handle the stress.” Applejack slid the eye protector closed on her helmet to hide her tears. “After that, the princess herded all the ponies close by her castle to 'protect' them. Ah refused to go and joined up with E.P.F after ah saw what happened to the ponies that followed her lead.”

“Whats an E.P.F.” Pinkie asked tilting her head.

Applejack lifter her helmets visor and wiped the tears off of her face. “The E.P.F is the Earth Ponies for Freedom. We know the princess cast some sort of spell on all the ponies that ran to her after Discords repeated attacks on Ponyville. Ah think they are working together on this one but I don't understand what Discord could possibly gain by the princess brainwashing all of her subjects.”

“I don't quite understand all of this but all I need to know is who the enemy is.” Pinkie said reducing Applejack's explanation to meaning, Discord and princess are bad.

Applejack let out a big sigh, “That is the problem Pinkie. We don't quite know who the real enemy is. That's why ah didn't just strike down those ponies that were attacking ya. They coulda been old friends controlled by the princess. Well Pinkie we are almost through to our secret hideout. Are you ready to meet the E.P.F?” Applejack asked knowing it would peak Pinkies curiosity.

“YOU KNOW I AM! I hope I see a lot of familiar faces.” Pinkie yelled exited to see warm, familiar, loving faces after almost being killed.

At about the same time Pinkie had entered Ponyville Twilight and Rainbow Dash were just arriving at the entrance to Cloudsdale.  The glistening pegasus city still looked sheik and clean as if  nothing had changed in the world. The only visible difference that Twilight could see was that there were a lot more non pegasus ponies than usual. They all seemed to have half smiles on their face. Twilight knew it must be hard for ponies that are used to seeing green adjust to seeing nothing but white clouds and blue sky’s. Just birds, no other animals or plants... what a difference.

“So Rainbow, about how many ponies did you save from princesses brainwashing?” Twilight asked Rainbow as they flew up to the front gates to Cloudsdale. The gates opened with a glorious creek.

“Well we didn't exactly save anypony. You see, the princess moved really fast, much faster than the pegasus could react.” Rainbow said as Twilight followed her across the center of Cloudsdale. “We arrived just after most of the ponies feel under her spell. So we just took as many of the remaining ponies as we could and brought them here. Some ponies stayed to protect their homes and stuff, like the Apple family and a few other heavily rooted families.” Rainbow stopped in front of a large golden door. “This is the main hub of the rebellion against the princess. We are based here in the city hall but have smaller bases scattered across Equestria.” Rainbow Dash seemed almost to proud at this fact. “Did I mention that I am the leader?”

Rainbow knocked on the door 3 times in quick succession. A slightly different knock was returned. Rainbow stood staring at the door for three seconds before repeating her first knock. Twilight could hear a voice yell through the door at Rainbow Dash in an angry tone.

“REMEMBER YOUR KNOCK AT LEAST!” The deep booming voice struggled to carry through the door.

Rainbow shrugged and let out a sigh. “Ya whatever you know its me, just let us in you egghead.”  She yelled back through the door.

“... Don't make fun of me.....” Said the voice through the door. The door being so thick, seemed to open like it weighed as much as a feather. A big pegasus made of almost nothing but muscles was standing in the door frame ready to jump whoever was there, but had tears rolling down his face. “.... Just go in you jerk...”

Rainbow walked up to the pegasus and punched him in the shoulder. “Cheer up you big idiot.” The stallion rubbed his eyes and looked at Rainbow. “Lets get this over with Roid Rage!” Rainbow yelled at the huge stallion.

“YEEAAAAHHH!!!” The pegasus bellowed while he stood up on his hind legs and flexed his huge muscles.

Twilight stared at the behemoth of pegasus in wonder and awe. She thought of a hundred different questions, but she asked one, acting on pure impulse. “Can you even fly with those!” Twilight pointed at the muscle bound pegasus’s wings, which looked way to small to support such a big frame.  She put her hoof over her mouth hoping that he didn't take offense to the question she just asked.

The white pegasus began to tear up again. Rainbow quickly added. “Your muscles! How do you fly with all those muscles?” Rainbow sighed in relief as Roid Rage quickly cheered up. Without saying anything he turned around and ran to the into the other room.

“Wow, I have never seen such a touchy pegasus before.” Twilight was still dumbfounded. “Can he actually fly?” She turned to Rainbow asking quietly.

“Ya he can fly pretty far. Not exactly fast, but he never seems to get tired.” Rainbow Pointed to the doorway that Roid Rage had gone through. “Behind that door is our resistance force. Now they might be surprised to see you so don't get to mad if they attack you, they kinda don't trust non Pegasuses any more.” Rainbow and Twilight walked to the door. Rainbow flung open the door with authority and it slammed against the wall. Twilight and Rainbow Dash's mood quickly dropped when they saw what was behind the thick door.