Something Sweet To Bite: Candy Mare Goes to Hell

Lemon Drop couldn’t help squirming uncomfortably in Grogar’s grip.

The bristly old goat smelled fouler than Hell's abattoirs, and that was saying something. For that matter, the tickle of the fallen emperor's sorcerous blade at his throat was less than comfortable to say the least. It served as a constant reminder of just how badly the usually far more calculating and in control unicorn had bungled his most recent plans. It wasn't the first time since his untimely demise that he'd ended up in an awkward predicament like this, but it didn't make how this particular misadventure had turned out any less galling.

A part of Lemon Drop just wanted to lash out, no matter how ineffectual and ultimately self defeating such brash actions might be. After all, would being wiped out of existence really be any worse than an eternity of continual failures and embarrassments? He might not be able to harm the master in any significant way, but the same did not necessarily hold true for Grogar. The sour stallion might not be able to put the ruffian in his place as he would like, but he could certainly do something that might make him think twice before he would dared lay his filthy hooves on a noble unicorn again.

But no, Lemon Drop's pride kept him from doing anything quite that drastic, just yet. A core thing that had helped to preserve what past for sanity for the sinful pony had been his absolute conviction of his own superiority, even when presented with evidence to the contrary. Lemon Drop would always fall back on looking down on those around him with quiet disdain and patiently await the most opportune to prove them his inferior. Every fiber of his being was convinced that he was better than Grogar and Cozy Glow, and that their eventual downfall was just a matter of time. There was no doubt in his mind that he would find some way to outwit them in the end.

All he truly needed was an appropriate opening. Perhaps a distraction was in order?

“Is it really necessary for you to hold me at knife point like this?” asked the sour stallion, sneering at the blade as though it were something truly distasteful. “I mean, we are in Hell after all, how far do you think I would get if I were to try to escape? For that matter, where exactly is it that I might escape to?”

“Quiet!” growled Grogar, menacingly, his rancid breath hot on the nape of Lemon Drop's neck.

Met with a brick wall, the unicorn instead tried addressing his query to Cozy Glow instead. “Surely you can see how pointless this is. One way or another, soon the link between myself and that abomination will be severed. I’ll lose any and all value as a hostage at that point. Believe me, once the Candy Mare no longer has to rely on me for her continued existence, no amount of threatening my continued well being will dissuade her from wreaking terrible vengeance on the pair of you. Indeed, she'll probably target me herself at that point! We shouldn't be at one another's throats, we should be working together to formulate a plan for how best to channel her wrath upon her return.."

The false filly smiled cruelly at Lemon Drop's carefully worded argument, revealing her true demonic nature as she watched him wriggle uncomfortably like a worm on a hook. “As hostage, or as bait, I'm sure you'll continue to serve me well. Of course, if you are that concerned about your worth to me, perhaps you should consider how you might increase your value? As you say, soon you will be worthless to me, one way or another. To me, you being fed as a tithe to the Candy Mare or being reincarnated or even being snuffed out of existence for good, are all equally acceptable outcomes. Perhaps you should think about a way to convince me to keep you around, rather than leave destiny to decide your fate?”

Lemon Drop knew it was a trap.

Being 'kept around' by a demon like Cozy Glow just meant becoming her slave. Sacrificing his freedom and resigning himself to the special kind of torture that came with serving such a creature, was not Lemon Drop's idea of a preferable alternative. Grogar was a sterling example of the kind of treatment that he could expect, waiting on her beck and call, forced to her dirty work at a moments notice. The sorcerer might have been able to swallow his pride for whatever bargain selling his soul had offered, but Lemon Drop had no intention of supplicating himself to the pint-sized lord of terror if he could avoid it.

Better oblivion than servitude. Of course, he wasn't so foolish as to assert that sentiment aloud.

“It’s a wise suggestion." lied shrewd stallion as he shared a cold smile with Cozy. “But perhaps it is one you should consider yourself? In short order the Candy Mare will be back to her usual, horrific self. Do you really think she will be happy to do your bidding after you threatened her existence? As one who has been on the receiving end of one of her little tantrums, I can assure you that she will not be returning with obedience in mind. As I said, she is likely to wreak a terrible vengeance on all of us. If I were you, I’d be putting as many bodies between myself and her as I possibly could. If you were to call off your goon I'd be more than willing to buy you time to escape."

“I said quiet!” this time Grogar smacked the unicorn on the back of the head for emphasis, knocking Lemon Drop’s spectacles to the ground.

For the briefest moments, Cozy Glow seemed to give the suggestion some genuine consideration. Unfortunately for the former candy maker, an expression that could best be described like a mischievous cherub caught pissing into a fountain instead of concern blossomed on her face. “Golly, you’ll say just about anything to get what you want, won’t you mister? You almost make it sound like you’re more afraid of the Candy Mare than you are of me. You seem to think that I don't have this situation completely under control. Yet everything has gone exactly how I wanted it to so far, hasn't it? ”

Lemon Drop grimaced. “I merely speak from experience. As one who also threw that thing down into a pit and thought he had control over the situation. Believe me when I say that when you think everything is going to plan, that is exactly when she’ll rear her ugly head and bring everything to ruin.”

“Be serious with me for a moment. It’s because of how I look isn't it?" the diminutive devil-pony asked sincerely, sweeping a hoof up and down in front of her to indicate her tiny pink body. "A stuffy old stallion like you sees this little pegasus filly body of mine and you can’t help but underestimate me. You get distracted by the curls and chubby cheeks and don't realize that they are all designed specifically to make you lower your guard. I use my appearance to my advantage, to fool simpletons like you and make them think I am their friend. But considering your predilections, I guess you look at me and just see another potential 'test subject', huh? Here's the thing though, it doesn't matter how bad of a bitch your Candy Mare is, I am more than ready to put her in her place if it comes to that. Maybe a little glimpse of true terror will show you where it is you stand..."

“And where is that, pray tell?” asked the unicorn haughtily.

“Oh, exactly in the wrong place, at the wrong time.” replied Cozy, her face the very picture of demonic delight.

Cozy Glow's body turned black as night, fizzling into static as it melted into the ground.

Where the pint-sized pegasus had stood moments before, a complex crimson rune suddenly flared to life with the mark of the rook at its center, rings within rings filled with geometric shapes rotated around one another until they locked into a specific configuration and flared with an explosion of hellish power.

From the center of the sigil exploded four enormous armored, insectile limbs. They arced high overhead before slamming down hard on either side of the bridge. As the limbs dug furrows into the metal and stone, a bulky mass slowly rose from the center of the emblem. A massive throbbing brain that jiggled and pulsed with thick dark veins was the next thing to rise from the rune. It seemed to make up the bulk of the creature's body, as two tiny vestigial limbs dangled from just beneath an angry slit of a mouth that twisted below two ruby red eyes that shone with a vast and evil intelligence.

The beast's pink wings were twisted and distorted into a ring of feathers, flames, and glowing red eyes that rotated in an every spinning circle behind her body. A black halo that smoldered with dark energy sat low around the now massive crimson horns that curled just above the demon's face. As the armored hellspawn's segmented legs flexed, steam hissed out of the seams and scarlet lightning licked over the rest of her body as Lemon Drop looked upon her terrible majesty open mouthed and wide eyed.

"Leaves ya kind of speechless, don't it?" The arachnid creature extended one of her armored limbs and shut the wraith's mouth deceptively gently. Despite her change of appearance, her voice arrived in his mind unchanged, just as cute and saccharine as before.

It was horrifying.

The bizarre mastermind of hell leered down at the tiny shade of Lemon Drop and gave a high pitched, girlish giggle at the look on his face. Of course the ruler of hell wasn't some puny pegasus filly with comical devil horns. In truth she'd never really claimed to be, but Lemon Drop had never the less let himself be taken in by her appearance.

“You would think that I would know better than to judge a filly by her appearance at this point.” Lemon Drop deadpanned, before levitating his fallen spectacles back up to eye level so he could inspect them. Casually, he took a handkerchief from his breast pocket and began to wipe the glasses clean. “You certainly are huge. I expect that means you have huge guts. All the easier for the Candy Mare to rip and tear.”

“What!?” That was not the response the devil had been expecting, an outrage deepened her voice to a guttural roar that vibrated the very bridge upon which they stood.

Before the demonic overlord could further vent her displeasure, however, an even more terrifying sound suddenly resounded from the pit below. The noise erupting from beneath them sounded like one long, drawn out scream. It went on for what seemed like a lifetime, echoing and rebounding over the umbral plain.

Slowly it became apparent that it was not just one scream, but an entire chorus of voices raised in fright! These were not the usual, dull sounds of sorrow and despair produced by Hell's particularly tender ministrations, but something shriller and far more visceral. In this form, the master was particularly attuned to the psychic vibrations of the screams and could tell that they were not being produced by the souls of sinners, but rather by the demonic jailers that were meant to be in control of the damned below. Grogar, Lemon Drop, and the thing that had been Cozy Glow all watched in awe as demons fled in droves, clambering over one another as they tried to escape whatever it was that had terrified them so.

In their desperation, the devils were clawing and hacking at one another, trying their utmost to get ahead by even a few inches at the expense of their fellow hellspawn. Those with wings, who should have been able to fly above the fray, instead found themselves drug down by the weight of their flightless brethren. It was hard to tell if they expected the winged demons to aid them, or if they simply wanted to make certain that they didn't escape whatever awaited the grounded demons. Either way there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and very little in the way of actual progress as they trampled one another under their cloven hooves.

It didn't take long to identify that which they were trying to escape. Thick red and black tendrils rose up from the pit, dragging demons kicking and screaming back down into the depths below. Billions of similar strands exploded from the abyss, each wrapping themselves around a hapless devil, before vanishing in a tide of green glowing fog. More and more spread beneath the bridges until there was not a square inch below that wasn't a nest of shiny, writhing appendages. It didn't stop with the nearest pits either, but spread outwards, even snaring one or two of the titanic demons that were meant to uphold the bridges that connected the canyons. Soon even those massive hellspawn were drug down, sending their burdens crashing into the ravines after them.

Hell never stood a chance.

As swiftly as it had come, the screams were suddenly cut off. After all the sound and fury that went before, the silence was deafening. Then, just on the edge of hearing, came the sounds of laughter. Glowing green fog exploded from the pit, billowing up to shroud everything in its luminescent mist. As the fog rose, it mixed with the clouds of smoke above, churning the ash laden smog until it swirled like a spiraling mint hurricane.

The temperature swiftly dropped as the cooler air from below mixed with the hot air above and a mournful wind began to howl. The rumble of thunder stretched from horizon to horizon as thick webs of green and orange lightning crackled across the sky. Bolts of the unnatural lightning arched down into the pit, forming a sheet of scintillating energy that leapt almost joyfully from pit to pit, spreading from the center of hell and out in an arching spiderweb design. Indeed, it appeared to be a truly colossal sigil inscribed with eldritch runes and glowing glyphs that twisted and squirmed across reality, warping time and space. A massive undertaking of magical might was playing out across the surface of the pit, and all the trio standing on the bridge could do was watch.

"It's magnificent..." whispered Grogar, awed. "So much raw, untamed power."

“What’s the meaning of this?” thundered the master, not willing to accept what her senses told her was happening. The arachnid skittered across the bridge and out on to the steel webbing that formed a cradle over the pit. “What is happening?”

“I’m surprised you don’t recognize it!” cried Lemon Drop, raising his voice to be heard over the boiling storm as a rain of blood and candy began to fall.

“Recognize what?” shouted back the demonic mastermind, turning to glare fiercely at the fragile little soul that was smiling far too smugly for her liking.

The sour stallion shouted in reply. “Why the feeling of being exactly in the wrong place at the wrong time, of course!”

"Wow, Cozy, you got real ugly, real fast while I was gone!" The Candy Mare snickered, suddenly hovering in the air behind the massive demon. Faster than thought, the lord of the underworld lifted one of her massive limbs and smashed it through the candy coated pony with enough force that the mare's body exploded like a ripe melon, sending candy and wet viscera splattering in every direction.

But that didn't stop the Candy Mare.

"Somebody's jumpy!" laughed the malicious mare derisively as she appeared once again, this time leaning casually against the side of the bridge on the other side of the demonic overlord.

"What in the-" Cozy Glow checked the sticky residue of the candy corpse at the end of her appendage. Sure enough, it was no illusion, she had crushed the Candy Mare... or at least, a Candy Mare. The devil's slit of a mouth turned up in the approximation of a grin as it realized what had happened. "Cute. You made copies of yourself."

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner!" cried out a chorus of voices as dozens of Candy Mare's suddenly jumped up from the fog and landed all around the circumference of the steel web that encircled the pit. Some laughed and capered as if they were having the time of their lives while others grinned hungrily up at the massive meal before them and crept in for the kill.

"Normally I don't invest candy ghouls with my full might. I learned the hard way that there is always a chance that the curse will effect someone with a particularly strong will and then all I've done is made a rival that I'll have to deal with down the line. Didn't have that problem with the souls down here though! No, an eternity of torture does wonders to wear down ones ego and sense of self. They were perfect little blank slates for me to overwrite with my will! Of course I didn't erase everything about them. I kept their pent up feelings for their tormentors intact. I thought letting them have a little fun when I sent them to devour their demonic minders was only fair compensation for their sacrifice!"

"Like I said, cute." replied the daemon, sweeping another spidery limb out, so fast and hard that half a dozen Candy Mare clones exploded in the blink of an eye. As the Candy Mare clones tried to rally and pounce the gigantic devil the arachnid spun and fired searing lasers of heat, that blossomed from the many bloodshot eyes all over her body, which seared them to ash in mid-jump. "Not exactly effective though. Poor little foal, you keep playing the same old tricks and expecting them to work. I suppose that is the definition of insanity though. Why did I ever think you would be of use to me, the ruler of Hell?"

Each remaining Candy Mare clone stopped laughing and dancing and grew deathly quiet. As one, they tilted their heads to one side smiled sweetly as they spoke in unison. "Unless all of this has just been a distraction. These aren't just mortal souls I've taken you know! There are a few immortal ones mixed in here too. In fact, I found one very interesting fellow trapped in the middle of the icecapades down below! I can't say I'm surprised to find out you're a fraud, devils are notorious liars after all, but are you sure you should really be calling yourself ruler of Hell in front of the real boss?"

The demonic monstrosity looked confused for a moment, then her eyes grew wide with understanding and horror. "No. That's impossible! You couldn't have freed him! You lack the power and the authority!"

"YoU LaCk tHe PoWEr AnD AuThOrITy!" mocked the candy clones.

Softly they began to sing as more clones rose up from the fog. These new additions were warped and distorted, baring demonic horns, wings, and hundreds of blinking twitching eyes. These were clearly candy coated amalgamations of the the demons who were taken earlier. Now afflicted with the candy curse, their immortal flesh had a strange reaction that left them still conscious as their bodies were being forced to move by the living candy that encased them. It was obvious that when it came to demonic flesh, the Candy Mare could now bend and twist it as easily to her will as she could the living.

But that was not what seized the attention of the former Cozy Glow. At the center of the pit, there rose a single massively mutated clone, its body so large that it easily dwarfed the demonic mastermind a thousand times over. It rose on titanic candied wings and leered down with three twisted faces, each visage that of the Candy Mare herself. As its triple maws opened wide they displayed millions of needle thin teeth packed into a trinity of wide cavern-like mouths. Impaled on that vast expanse of fangs were the the souls of sinners and demons alike, as the enormous creature had consumed all who it had dragged down into the pit.

Indeed, the massive candified devil seemed to serve as the engine for the Canndy Mare's latest evolution. From its flesh there boiled more and more candy clones in abundance, as its own half-sugar, half-demonic flesh rippled and split apart to birth the fresh abominations upon the umbral plain. The massive candy coated titan closed its three mouths and swallowed before turning its six staring eyes, brimming with stark madness, towards the self-proclaimed 'Master' of Hell. Three insidious grins spread across the monstrosities triads faces, seeming to experience some pleasure as it looked down on the tiny traitor who had dared to assume its mantle of authority.

Stricken with awe, the thing that had been Cozy Glow was frozen beneath the glow of the behemoth's eyes. As the giagantic abomination began to lean forward, the spell was broken, and the spider-like demon tried to scuttle away. Again, the bulky creature moved with deceptive speed, but this time she was not fast enough. Before she could get far, the false master found her limbs hopelessly ensnared by tendrils of liquorice hair twined around her limbs, as the laughing and cavorting Candy Mare clones held the demon in place. All her armor, all her intellect, and she could not pull herself free!

"No! Let me go! I command you!" the devil sent out a psychic order, all traces of the creatures cute filly voice abandoned. But the mastermind was drug down as more and more clones swarmed her body. The hellspawn just managed to reach out a single limb towards her minion, Grogar, the hatred in her beady red eyes replaced by a look of desperate pleading. "Please! Grogar! Help me!"

Lemon Drop and Grogar glanced at one another. The old goat removed the blade of magic from the unicorn's throat. He stepped forward, his horns glowing with sulfurous black and yellow light.

Then the father of monsters spat in the face of his former 'master'.

The look of betrayal and disbelief on the demons face was quickly replaced by pain as the hovering titan leaned down and seized her in its three massive maws. This elicited and unexpectedly a high pitched squeal from the false lord of hell as her juicy brains popped from the pressure of the gigantic jaws. The mouths on either side of the giants face went to work as well, crunching through the thick exoskeleton of the creatures limbs with gusto, slurping up the gore and fluid that gushed from within the armored shell. As the mouths ripped and tore at their succulent prize, the fat demons body burst, spilling the huge guts from her body to dangle down to the Candy Mare clones below. The sugary abominations cavorted and spun about in the dangling organs, as the demons trapped within their candy flesh wept tears that sizzled as they left tracks down their new candy faces.

"At last I'm free of that annoying pest!" crowed Grogar triumphantly. "Now that I'm no longer bound to her, I will be free to... to... why do I suddenly feel so... weak?"

Grogar wheezed painfully as he found it increasingly hard to breathe. He could not even stand anymore as his knees buckled beneath him.

A stream of magic flowed from the first emperor of Equestria, the father of monsters, into the open maw of the unicorn Lemon Drop. As the magic was siphoned from the ancient goat, the sorcerer not only grew weaker but also much, much older. It wasn't long before Grogar was a shriveled carcass of skin and bone, barely held together by parchment thin skin stretched taught over his feeble frame. He was almost completely lost in his voluminous robes which had now grown too large for his diminished form.

As the last spark of magic passed into his mouth, the sour stallion smacked his lips with every sign of satisfaction. Where Grogar had aged and shrank, Lemon Drop had clearly grown younger and stronger than before. A streak of white in his mane was gone and his lithe frame was now covered in healthy muscle. He pulled open his vest, almost in wonder, to see that the cavity in his chest had also finally closed. As his hoof touched his unblemished hide, he felt a strong pulse as fresh blood thundered through his veins for he first time in centuries.

"It seems that was one thing that the master didn't lie about. As soon as the Candy Mare reappeared I felt air in my lungs and my heart start to beat. I live once more, and thanks to you 'Emperor' I'm now stronger than ever!" The evil unicorn stepped forward, placing one hoof on Grogar's throat, pressing down until the wheezing goat gave a last rattling gasp. "I suppose that half finished spell Sendak traded me all those years ago finally came in handy. Helping that craven centaur find subjects for his own experiments had been quiet the chore. I'm glad the compensation was worth it, though I'm sure he'd be furious if he found out a unicorn was able to perfect it. Oh well, one must keep up with ones hobbies over eons in Hell, if one is to maintain their sanity."

There was a dry snap and a crunch as Lemon Drop pressed down with his full weight, and Grogar stilled. After a few moments, the goats desiccated form began to crumble to dust, which mixed with the rain of demonic blood and turned to fetid mush. As the gigantic demon swallowed down the last bits of the master, a fresh surge of Candy Mare clones erupted from its flesh, sending a tidal wave of doppelgangers surging out over the pit and into the rest of the underworld beyond.

The panicked screams of devils as they were devoured by their weeping former brethren and their own giggling former victims filled the realm. Even from here in Malebolgia, Lemon Drop imagined he could hear the demons of far off Pandemonia shrieking in horror. The thought brought a cold smile to the unicorn's face, but then a chorus of billions of voices began to sing. "Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!" dumping cold water on his momentary triumph.

"Ah yes, I believe that's my cue to exit." muttered Lemon Drop, the song bringing back bad memories of his own untimely demise. That was not a scenario he wanted to revisit again. A dark, shadowy portal rimmed in lemon yellow light burst into life behind him. Grogar might not have had enough power to breach the wards of hell, but Lemon Drop suspected it would be far easier now that the Candy Mare was busy disrupting the very fabric of reality with magic that, ultimately, was attuned to Lemon Drop's own. The unicorn stepped through the portal without so much as a backwards glance.

"See you again my dear, when we're on a more level playing field."